FEMA School Donation Policy

Web site noted is relevant federal statute outlining
FEMA disposition toward post-disaster donations.

The short of it:

Schools seeking FEMA's 90% reimbursement for replacement
of items lost in disaster will not receive remibursement
for such items if they have also accepted donations of
used versions of such items. For example, when Jackson
County schools accepted used school buses purchased by
Chicago school children, FEMA took two buses off the list
of things Jackson was having reimbursed. It doesn't matter
that the buses were old and that the schools were seeking
new.

The shorter of it:

It's not in the schools' interest to accept used items.

What they can accept without running afoul of regulations:

• Items they have not sought reimbursement for (e.g., consumables
like student school supplies)
• Items on loan (if we loan them used computers and they agree to
pass them along to others thereafter)

We can help schools by donating items they would otherwise have
to pay for fully out of oeprating funds.