Eligible organizations and activities

The following activities are eligible to receive donations of federal property through the state agencies for surplus property. SASPs are state-run organizations that coordinate the federal program for the donation of federal surplus property to public, tax-supported entities and eligible, private, nonprofit, tax-exempt organizations.

State and public agencies

State and public agencies generally include:

• States, their departments, divisions, and other instrumentality.
• Political subdivisions of states, including cities, counties, and other local government units and economic development districts.
• Instrumentality created by compact or other agreements between state or political subdivisions.
• Indian tribes, bands, groups, pueblos, or communities located on state reservations.
• Instrumentality created by compact or other agreements between state or political subdivisions.

Nonprofit educational and public health activities, including programs for the homeless and impoverished

In order to obtain federal surplus property through donation, nonprofit educational and tax-exempt public health activities must intend to use the surplus personal property to aid education or public health, either directly or through research. Eligible organizations include:

• Medical institutions
• Hospitals
• Clinics
• Health centers
• Historic light stations
• Drug abuse treatment centers
• Schools, colleges, and universities
• Schools for persons with mental or physical disabilities
• Child care centers
• Educational radio and television stations licensed by the Federal Communication Commission
• Museums attended by the public
• Free libraries serving all residents of a community, district, region, or state

Nonprofit, tax exempt organizations that provide food, shelter, or support services to homeless or impoverished people may also be eligible to receive donations of surplus property. Such organizations include:

• Soup kitchens and day centers.
• Food banks that supply shelters and soup kitchens serving homeless and/or impoverished individuals.
• Overnight, daytime, and around-the-clock shelters helping homeless individuals, regardless of the cause or duration of the homelessness (includes shelters for battered spouses, abused children, and orphans and half-way houses for temporary residence of homeless parolees, recovered mental patients, and recovered substance abusers).

Nonprofit and public programs for the elderly

Certain state or local government agencies and nonprofit organizations or institutions that serve older individuals can receive donations of surplus personal property. Organizations must receive funds appropriated for programs for older individuals under the Older Americans Act of 1965, Title IV or Title XX of the Social Security Act, Titles VIII and X of the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, or Community Services Block Grant Act.

Appropriate programs include:

• Adult day care
• Social services
• Transportation services
• Nutrition services
• Legal services
• Multi-purpose senior centers

Public airports

Any state, political subdivision, municipality, or tax-supported institutions can receive donations of surplus property if the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) deems it essential, suitable, or desirable for the development, improvement, operation, or maintenance of a public airport. FAA regional offices provide information on FAA-administered programs. Airports can obtain permission to screen for federal property on the Personal Property Management System (PPMS) by contacting their National Utilization Officer (NUO).

In addition, public airports can, as public agencies, receive property donations through the state agencies for surplus property.

Educational activities of special interest to the armed services

Certain schools and the following national organizations are eligible to receive donations of Department of Defense surplus property:

• American National Red Cross
• Armed Services YMCA of the USA
• Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America
• Boys and Girls Clubs of America
• Boy Scouts of America
• Camp Fire, Inc.
• Center for Excellence in Education
• Girl Scouts of the USA
• Little League Baseball, Inc.
• Marine Cadets of America
• National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education
• National Civilian Community Corps
• National Ski Patrol System, Inc.
• Naval Sea Cadet Corps
• United Service Organizations, Inc.
• U.S. Olympic Committee
• Young Marines of the Marine Corps
• League/Marine Corps League

These Service Educational Activities (SEAs) have a formal donation agreement with DoD that outlines the general terms and conditions for obtaining DoD surplus property. State Agencies for Surplus Property (SASPs) can provide general information concerning designation of schools or organizations as an SEA. Formal designation as an SEA comes from the Department of Defense.

Individual units of the national organizations, such as Boy Scout or Girl Scout Troops and Red Cross Chapters, should contact their regional or national headquarters for guidance regarding the donation and use of DoD surplus property.

Veterans service organizations

Certain Veterans service organizations whose membership comprises substantially of veterans and are recognized by the Department of Veterans Affairs  pursuant to 38 U.S.C. 5902. VSOs are eligible to receive donations of property for purposes of providing services to veterans. A listing of VA-recognized VSOs can be found at: www.va.gov/ogc/apps/accreditation/index.asp

Special categories (other)

The donation program also has provisions for donating special types and categories of surplus property. Examples of these programs include:

• Donations of forfeited distilled spirits, wine, and beer to charitable institutions for medicinal purposes.
• Donations of blood plasma and other property to the American National Red Cross for charitable purposes. Donations are limited to property identified as having been processed, produced or donated by the Red Cross to the federal government. This program is separate and distinct from the program under which the Red Cross may receive DoD surplus property as an SEA.
• Donations of surplus equipment and supplies to state and local governments for use in Presidentially declared emergencies or major disasters.
• Donations of property with no market value to public bodies (any public agency, Indian tribe, or agency of the federal government) in lieu of abandoning or destroying it.