Chester / Central Montco - Info on Event Request

This page is designed to offer information for people who may be seeking information on how to set up an Event supporting Toys for Tots

It is important to understand that this is relevant for the Chester / Central Montgomery PA campaigns  only. Each Toys for Tots campaign is run independently, and have their own processes and procedures. Just like our campaign cannot be expected to offer something another campaign does that we cannot, applicants outside our area should not expect their local campaign to work this way. Your local campaign is solely responsible for how their campaign is organized

Q: What kind of support can I get for my event?

A: Toys for Tots is happy to work with people hosting events that support our program. 

It is important to keep in mind that our campaign is run by volunteers, and has support primarily generated from community resources. Some of the, for lack of a better term, niftier things you may have seen online simply aren't available to our campaign

The baseline support we are able to offer is supplies such as Toys for Tots boxes. While other promotional materials are sometimes available, there is a long lead time associated with ordering them, and there is a cost to our campaign to bring those in. We therefore need as much notice as possible if you are requesting anything besides Toy Drop boxes, and we cannot guarantee our ability to supply anything else - we need to understand your event to determine how much support we are able to offer.

Q: How can I get Marines for my event?

A: While Toys for Tots is supported by the Marine Reserve, there are no Marine Reserve units within Chester or Montgomery Counties. We therefore do not have Marines who can support your event. While our neighboring counties have Marine Reserve units, they have their own responsibilities and cannot travel to our area outside exceptional circumstances. 

• Do not reach directly out to a county with a Marine Reserve unit and request support for an event in Chester or Montgomery Counties. 

Q: How can I get volunteers for my event?

A: Toys for Tots volunteers are able to assist with events on a case by case basis. There is a finite number of them available, and many event requests occur during our busiest time of year. Again, it is important to request assistance as early as possible, but as with event supplies, our ability to support your event with volunteers will depend on the nature of the event. 

Q: Where do I bring my gifts after an event

A: Generally speaking, Events are treated similar to Toy Drop Sites - they need to pick up their own supplies from a Supply Site, and drop them off at a Consolidation Site during the Consolidation Period. If the event is occurring at a time that outside of our Consolidation period, we will set a time to receive your donations at one of our warehouses. Please email  montgomery.county.pa@toysfortots.org  or chester.county.pa@toysfortots.org 

Q: Can I get a donation receipt for items from my event?

A: It is my understanding that donations received by an organization at an event are not generally tax deductible. Just like gifts dropped in a box, the tax credit would go to the donor, not the organization collecting. There are exceptions, but please discuss with us before your event to ensure you are covered if you are expecting a tax receipt