How to Donate
If you wish to make a financial donation we recommend you either donate to an Ohio VOAD organization or a local vetted organization responding to a recent disaster in Ohio. Our members are experienced and dedicated professionals who will get the most out of your generous donation.
Do not send or bring unsolicited material and food donations.
In the early stages of the response phase, most organizations are unable to accommodate any material goods. Unsolicited donations create a challenge of storage and sorting when focus is needed on response and recovery.
Cash is Best
Cash offers Ohio VOAD members the most flexibility in obtaining the most-needed resources. Organizations typically prefer cash donations because they allow our members to:
- Purchase food, water, medicine, and equipment from secure and familiar supply chains
- Buy materials locally. This can help rebuild the local economy
- Conserve resources. Money is always necessary and cheap to send, but the cost to ship material supplies can be expensive.
- Remember, material supplies such as used clothing, miscellaneous household items, and mixed or perishable food require helping agencies to redirect volunteer labor away from providing direct one-on-one assistance to sort, package, transport, warehouse, and distribute items that may not meet the needs of disaster survivors.