Managing donations Back to guide menu Different emergencies create a need for different emergency items. Communities often collectively come together and want to help out, and it may become challenging to manage the volume of goods donated. Below you’ll find some suggestions to help you plan ahead and coordinate the collection and distribution of donated emergency items: Be clear in your communications which items you can and cannot accept. It is also important to consider the need of culturally appropriated items. Accept items that are hygienic and in a suitable condition (especially if these are medical, perishable, or sanitary products). Allocate specific drop off locations and time slots, so that you have control over donation volume and coordinate enough volunteers to support. Keep items stored and organised into categories, labelling boxes where possible, so that you can keep track of what stocks are running low and request more if needed. Keeping record in a spreadsheet can also help you to do this. Keep in touch with other organisations accepting donations – an item you are unable to receive might be accepted elsewhere. Communicate with the emergency team and Haringey’s VCS Team to contribute to a borough-wide response. Don’t forget: maintaining an operation like this can be expensive. Think about ways you can fundraise to support your initiative. Contact Haringey’s VCS Team if you need help to plan. For more tips on setting up a donation site, click here Manage Cookie Preferences