Who We Are

Operation Warm’s mission is to provide only brand-new coats to children in need. Instead of collecting used coats as in a coat drive, we can turn monetary donations from donors into high-quality, brand-new coats for kids.

Since 1998, we have seen our coats inspire feelings of pride, excitement and joy. Operation Warm coats help raise the self-esteem and peer acceptance of children struggling in poverty. Every child deserves the right to feel confident and valued, no matter their economic background.

Through serving millions of children in need across North America, we have seen that a brand-new coat offers a child physical and emotional warmth, confidence to socialize and succeed, and hope of a brighter future.  Operation Warm is dedicated to connecting people to essential resources in their communities.  Over the last 20 years, Operation Warm has used the coat as a bridge for families in need to access everything from flu shots to new books.  

Controlling the manufacturing means we can provide high quality coats and shoes for a low cost. Each coat is carefully designed, sized and styled. Learn more about Operation Warm coats and shoes.

Because children come in a wonderful variety of sizes, so do our coats and shoes!

We provide boys and girls coat sizes 2T up to Adult XXL for children in need between the ages of three and thirteen, which usually covers preschool through sixth grade. 

For shoes, we provide boys and girls sizes from 6 Toddler up to 4 Kids for children ages 2 through 3rd grade. 

Each year, dozens of different coat color combinations are carefully chosen. Our goal is to provide beautiful, colorful, stylish coats that are as bright as the smiles they produce. 

Operation Warm works with corporations, service clubs, faith-based institutions and other community organizations, to give coats to kids in need all across North America. Unfortunately, we can’t ship coats individually to families in need. Check within your local community to see if there is a coat giving event planned in your area. If you want to help 36 or more children in your area, learn more about starting a Community Heroes program.

Operation Warm works with community partners to identify children in need. Not only does this make our organization more efficient, it ensures that coats go to the kids that need them the most. Typically, the children who receive Operation Warm coats attend a Title 1 school, a school where 40% or more of their students’ families are at or below 150% of the federally prescribed poverty level. Children may also be identified by living in a shelter, or through a human service agency or other direct-service organization.

If you have identified a group of children in need, we can help you create your own fundraiser to gather donations that will be used directly for those children. To learn more, click to our Community Heroes page.

Sadly, there is more need than we can meet at this time. Nearly 16 million children live in poverty across North America. More than 2.5 million children are homeless each year in the U.S.¹

¹. Download Services Matter pdf file.

Absolutely! All donations to Operation Warm are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. Donations through our website automatically generate a receipt that can be used as proof of your donation. The Federal Tax ID number for Operation Warm is 38-3663310.

We take pride in our transparency and utilize only accurate information from industry leaders to translate our ideas into action. You can review a list of our research and citations here.

Yes, we send coats to children throughout Canada. Please note, all donation pricing is listed in US Dollars. 

Warm! Surprisingly there isn't an industry wide standard on warmth. Typically at retail you will see coats labeled as warm and warmer, on these scales our style of coat would be considered warmer. The important thing to remember is that personal warmth/cold are relative. Our coats are used in the northern parts of Canada, all the way to the coast of Louisiana.

Operation Warm takes great pride in being a careful steward of donor dollars. 95% of every dollar goes to programming. We can achieve this because the vast majority of Operation Warm expenses are associated with the products themselves, logistics, and our staff that are implementing the program.

No. We cannot offer donation refunds or return of products.  Should you have additional coats or shoes, please consider donating to a local school, shelter, or nonprofit organization that serves children in need.