Work With Us

Whether you are an individual, small business, radio station, grantor, or an organization looking to receive coats, there are ways you can help. Read below to learn the various ways in which you can work with Operation Warm, or email info@operationwarm.org for more information!

Broadcast Partners

For the first time ever, Operation Warm is working with community broadcast partners to help more children than before!  By partnering with radio stations all over the country, Operation Warm is getting coats to the children in every community who are in most dire need. By donating airtime and their community expertise, our radio partners are helping us reach low income families in their local communities.  

To learn more click here

Coats for Kids (National Capital Area Challenge)
Coats for Kids Foundation, established in 2004 in Alexandria, VA by Paul and Cheryl Darby, has been a long time partner of Operation Warm, Inc. Founded on similar principles, both organizations have made it their mission to provide new winter coats to children in need. After distributing more than 38,000 new winter coats since 2004, Paul and Cheryl Darby have retired. In order for their legacy to continue, the couple reached out to Operation Warm, and through this opportunity, the Coats for Kids Foundation will live on as a service of Operation Warm, Inc., resulting in even greater impact.Together this winter 2011/2012, Coats for KidsFoundation and Operation Warm have already reached more than 5,000 children within the National Capital Area.

To learn more about Coats for Kids Foundation,click here.

College and University
Operation Warm recognizes that in order to grow and thrive, we have a responsibility to cultivate the next generation of philanthropists. To that end Operation Warm created the College and University program. College students adopt Operation Warm as a community service project and host fundraisers culminating in a partnership with local community based organizations or schools to distribute new coats.

Delaware Challenge
The Delaware Challenge is a focused off-shoot of the College and University Program.  The goal of the Delaware Challenge is to provide a new coat for every Delaware child living in poverty from the efforts and advocacy of all college and high school students in the state of Delaware.  

Market Place
As Operation Warm’s mission spreads, independent organizations who share our vision that no child should be left in the cold have turned to us to purchase new coats at our competitive price, made so through volume discounts with our manufacturer. Among the advantages of buying coats through Operation Warm’s Marketplace is Operation Warm’s proven logistics model that enables us to supply coats “just in time,” reducing order lead times and eliminating costly storage, sorting and distributions.

To learn more click here

Regionalized Coat Programs
Operation Warm charity service raises money in conjunction with its foundation and corporate funding partners to provide new winter coats to organizations working directly with children, but who are unable to provide the coats. These distribution partners, identified jointly with our funding partners, are organizations that like Operation Warm, serve children in need. While much of our funding comes from foundations and corporations, we are seeing an increase in individual support for more regionalized campaigns. Distribution partners include schools, shelters, city agencies and a broad network of community based organizations. With their help we are able to bridge the gap between our resources, grass roots engagement and distribution at the community level.

Rotary
Since the beginning, Operation Warm has had the support and commitment of hundreds of Rotary Clubs throughout the country.  Founder Dick Sanford purchased 58 winter coats in 1998 and turned to his rotary club, (the Longwood Rotary Club) to help distribute the original coats and expand fundraising efforts for future years. Today, over 60 Rotary Clubs nationwide work directly with Operation Warm and have implemented service projects that benefit local child-serving organizations.

To learn more, click here