Material Aid Policy
Material aid must be based on a specific request for such materials by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Partner who is to receive them. This implies that aid will not be sent without prior consent and that donations should be made with full respect for the wishes and the authority of the recipient.
So that in-kind donations (material aid) benefit the recipient to the maximum extent possible, they must be based on the beneficiaries’ expressed needs.
Material aid will not be sent when the same items are available on the local market and there are funds to purchase them.
There should be no double standards in quality. If the quality of an item is unacceptable in the donor country (U.S.A.), it is also unacceptable as a donation.
PDA is not licensed to receive drug donations. We can make referrals to organizations who are licensed to receive and appropriately handle prescription drugs.
Any material donation to a partner must be accompanied by sufficient funds to cover transportation, handling to distribution point and also all distribution costs.
Donations of clothing are generally not appropriate for disaster response. Warehouse space and transportation costs must be focused on critically needed supplies.
Adopted by Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Advisory Committee
April 2000
Convert material donations into financial gifts with USAID CIDI’s "55 Ways to Repurpose a Material Donation."