Operation Gratitude: 2018 Donation & Shipping Info

Posted on September 2, 2011 by Operation Gratitude

You organized a wildly successful collection drive in support of deployed troops? That’s great! You have your own items to donate for care packages? That’s great, too! Now what do you do?

If you’re planning to send those donations to Operation Gratitude, THANK YOU for your generosity and support of our patriotic cause! Please read on for all you’ll need to know about getting those donations to us.

Detailed Shipping Information

1. Donation Form:

Please fill out this Donation Form before you send your items to Operation Gratitude. This form is required in order to receive an acknowledgment of receipt from us.

Note: If you want confirmation of delivery on your shipments of item donations prior to receipt of our acknowledgment letter (allow up to 12 weeks), please use the tracking system provided by your shipper.

2. Dates to Ship:

a. We are able to accept ALL Wish List items year-round. (Note: Please ship Halloween candy by mid-November.)

b. We accept Letters, Paracord Bracelets and Financial Donations year-round.

3. Shipping Address: Send donated items, with this Donation Form (click to access) to:***

Operation Gratitude
21100 Lassen Street
Chatsworth, CA 91311-4278
(262)674-7281

NOTE: ITEM DONATIONS SHIPPED TO ANY OTHER ADDRESS WILL BE REJECTED OR DISCARDED

***Important details:
a. In order to receive an acknowledgment for donated items, you must fill out a Donation Form, follow the instructions and include a copy in every carton.
b. If sending more than one carton, a Donation Form must be included in each carton.
c. Please indicate the total number of cartons being sent so we can be sure we have received all of them.
d. If the donation is a cooperative effort among several parties, for acknowledgment and “thank you” letter purposes, please be specific regarding who is donating items and who is donating postage costs.

4. Financial donations:

Online donations may be made by credit card using our secure server: Donate Now
If you are sending checks, please send separately from items/letters (to avoid losing them) with a note referencing the item/letter donation to:

Operation Gratitude
P.O. Box 260257
Encino, California 91426-0257

IMPORTANT: Do NOT send items or candy to this Encino address — they will be rejected or discarded.

5. In-person deliveries may be made during the week, Monday – Friday, 9am to 4 pm.

6. Candy shipments: Must not exceed 50 lbs. per box. Please send Halloween candy by mid-November and please do not send anything chocolate in the months of January-September. Include the total weight of candy you are sending on the donation form.

7. Thanksgiving/Christmas/Hanukah Greetings: We accept cards and letters of appreciation year-round, but if you would like your messages to reach the troops in time for an upcoming holiday, please send them to us 2-3 months in advance to allow us time to screen, sort and send the letters.

8. Shipping Tips:

a. Use a durable, heavy-duty box and pack with appropriate weight for that box.

b. Do not exceed 50 lbs. per box, please.

c. To protect your item donations in the event of box damage during transit, we suggest you enclose the contents in a zip-lock or other sealable plastic bag.

d. Please use the most economical method from your location. You can check the websites of the various shippers (UPS, USPS, Fed-Ex, DHL) and get their respective prices based on weight and size of package. Some of these outlets are allowed to offer discounts, as they are owned as franchises.

e. You can try contacting local moving or freight companies – they may be willing to add your donation to their load for very little money (or for free) if they are heading this way anyway.

f. If funds for shipping are an issue, you can check with local Veterans’ groups and/or civic organizations (Rotary, Kiwanis, Lions) to see if any would partner with you to cover the shipping.

g. Thank you for understanding that Operation Gratitude cannot pay for shipping donations to our facility, as we need every penny of our funds to pay the cost of sending the care packages to the troops: $15/package.

h. For information about vehicle donations, please visit the Cars for U.S. Troops website. To donate used cell/smart phones, please visit the GRC Wireless Recycling website.

i. For questions regarding delivery of Corporate Product Donations, please contact us via email Angel@OperationGratitude.com or by phone: (262)674-7281

For all other inquiries about Corporate Donations, please email Info@OperationGratitude.com.

j. Use of Donations: Operation Gratitude welcomes donations of all products in furtherance of its mission to support our Military. We reserve the right to determine the appropriate use of each donated item, including but not limited to inclusion in our care packages, donation to Military bases or other charities, and/or for fundraising or volunteer appreciation purposes.

Have a question that wasn’t answered here? Please send an email to Info@OperationGratitude.com.

About Operation Gratitude

Operation Gratitude annually sends 200,000+ care packages to Veterans, First Responders, New Recruits, Wounded Heroes, their Care Givers, and to individually named U.S. service members deployed overseas and their families waiting at home. Each package is filled with food, entertainment, hygiene and hand-made items, as well as personal letters of support. Our mission is to lift the spirits and meet the evolving needs of the Military and First Responder communities, and provide volunteer opportunities for civilians anywhere in America to express their appreciation to all who serve our nation. Each package contains donated product valued between $45 and $100 and costs our organization $15 to assemble and ship. Since its inception in 2003, Operation Gratitude volunteers have shipped more than 1.6 Million Care Packages.

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