Donated Goods / Gift-in-Kind Policy

Reach Out America Donated Goods / Gift-in-Kind Policy Effective October 30, 2026

Reach Out America International, Inc. ("Reach Out America," "ROA," "we," "us") is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit disaster-relief organization (EIN 76-0494578) at 1108 Soldiers Field Court, Suite 800, Sugar Land, TX 77479. This policy makes sure that donated goods and gift-in-kind items reach the disaster-affected people and families they were given for, and are never sold or misused.

Purpose

Our donors, partner churches, and partner organizations give goods to ROA in trust that they will be used for disaster relief. This policy protects that trust and our tax-exempt status by requiring that donated goods are given away free to people in need, and by setting the controls that prevent resale or misuse.

Who this policy covers

  • Members of the Board of Directors
  • Officers, including the President
  • Employees, volunteers, and contractors
  • Approved partner Points of Distribution and anyone else who receives, stores, transports, or hands out ROA donated goods

What this policy covers

"Donated goods" and "gift-in-kind" mean any items given to ROA, or handled by ROA, for disaster relief. This includes product donated through our partner Feed the Children (FTC) and product donated directly to ROA.

A Point of Distribution (POD) is a partner church, organization, or site that ROA has approved to hand out donated goods directly to people and families affected by a disaster.

Key rules

  • Free distribution only. Donated goods are given free of charge to disaster-affected people and families, either directly by ROA or through approved PODs.
  • Never sold or bartered. No one may sell, barter, trade, or exchange donated goods for money, services, or anything else of value.
  • No personal benefit. No one may take, keep, or use donated goods for themselves, their family or friends, or a business, or hand them out in exchange for favors.
  • No thrift or resale. FTC and ROA donated product may never be placed in a thrift store, yard sale, flea market, online marketplace, or any other resale channel.

Labeling, segregation, and inventory controls

  • Label. Donated goods are marked as donated and "Not for Resale" where practical, and stay marked through distribution.
  • Keep separate. Donated goods are stored apart from purchased supplies and other property, and are never mixed with items for sale.
  • Track. ROA records donated goods when they are received and when they are distributed, including the source, a description, the quantity, the date, and the POD or site they went to.
  • Check. ROA periodically compares its inventory records with the goods on hand and looks into any difference.
  • Keep records. Donated-goods intake and distribution records are kept for 7 years under our Document Retention / Destruction Policy (https://www.reachoutamerica.org/document-retention).

Who may authorize distribution

Only the President, or a person the President names in writing, may authorize the distribution of donated goods or approve a new POD. The Board of Directors may also name approved authorizers. No one else may release donated goods to any person or organization.

Partner POD obligations

Before receiving donated goods, each POD agrees in writing to follow this policy. Each POD must:

  • Give donated goods free of charge, only to disaster-affected people and families
  • Never sell, barter, or pass donated goods to anyone for resale or personal benefit
  • Keep distribution records and share them with ROA on request
  • Tell ROA promptly about any loss, resale, or misuse of donated goods

How to report misuse

If you see or suspect that donated goods are being sold, bartered, taken for personal use, or otherwise misused, contact the President or the Board Chair, or email Mark.johnson@reachoutamerica.org. You may also report concerns under our Whistleblower Policy (https://www.reachoutamerica.org/whistleblower). We will not retaliate against anyone who raises a concern in good faith.

Enforcement and Board role

The President is responsible for carrying out this policy day to day, with oversight by the Board of Directors. Anyone covered by this policy who sells or misuses donated goods may face corrective action, up to and including dismissal or removal from service. If a partner POD breaks this policy, ROA may suspend or end its POD status and recover donated goods.

Changes

We may update this policy from time to time. The effective date above shows when it was last changed.

Contact us

Reach Out America International, Inc.
1108 Soldiers Field Court, Suite 800, Sugar Land, TX 77479
Email: Mark.johnson@reachoutamerica.org · Phone: (574) 214-9477