Government Surplus Non-Profit Donations

Vehicles manufactured for the Federal Government or vehicles owned by the Federal Governmen, which includes tactical military vehicles, are given away to non-military Federal departments and Agencies, state and local governments, or private non-profit organizations such as Red Cross or Boy Scouts.

This page describes the surplus property donation programs and provides links and other information so you can see if your organization can qualify.

usmc fire pumper from yuma az, at drmo san diego, ca
USMC Fire Pumper from Yuma AZ, at DRMO San Diego, CA.

Today in WW II: 27 Nov 1942 Operation Lila: German Army units reach Toulon, on the Mediterranean coast, to capture the Vichy French fleet based there.  More ↓
27 Nov 1942 French Navy at Toulon scuttles its ships and submarines to prevent German confiscation.
27 Nov 1944 Thousands of tons of ordnance explode at RAF Fauld underground munitions storage depot in Staffordshire, England, leaving about 75 dead and a huge crater.
Visit the Olive-Drab.com World War II Timeline for day-by-day events 1939-1945! See also WW2 Books.

Government Surplus Property Life Cycle

The life cycle goes like this, starting with the military organization that utilized it originally:

  • Military user organization (Army, Air Force etc.)
  • When surplus to above, offered to non-military government agencies (Border Patrol, Forest Service, etc.)
  • If no takers, offered to State and Local Governments.
  • If no takers, offered to qualified non-profit organizations (Red Cross, etc.)
  • If no takers, sold at property disposal auction.

Under current regulations, this breaks down into three categories of activity called RTD -- Reutilization, Transfer, or Donation -- each covered in a section below and on this DLA web page.

Reutilization of Surplus U.S. Government Property

Agencies within the Department of Defense (DoD) are Reutilization customers. DoD screens and requisitions for the first two weeks after receipt of inventory. If you qualify, you have first pick of inventory through restricted search capability on this DLA web page.

Transfer of Surplus U.S. Government Property

Federal agencies outside DoD are all considered transfer customers. Transfer customers are allowed to screen inventory starting the 15th day after the accumulation close date. When requesting property that is located in the United States, Federal Agencies must do so via the General Service Administration's Federal Excess Disposal System (FEDS), an automated property management system for reports, property searches and ordering. Other details on this DLA web page.

Donation of Surplus U.S. Government Property

If you are a public agency or non-profit organization, you might be eligible to receive DoD surplus property under this program. The State Agencies for Surplus Property (SASPs) withdraw DoD property from the DRMO or military site for direct issue to their Donation Customers. To find out if your organization is eligible, you have to contact the SASP in your state. More information is available from the GSA web site on this page describing the GSA Personal Property Disposal Program.

Special Programs for Receiving Surplus U.S. Government Property

If you do not qualify to receive DRMS property as a DoD, Federal, or Donation customer, you may qualify under one of these special programs. This is a partial list:

U.S. government surplus fire fighting gear

  • Humanitarian Assistance Program (HAP)
  • Law Enforcement Support Office (LESO)
  • DoD or Service Museums
  • DoD Computers for Learning Program (CFL)
  • National Guard Units
  • Senior Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) Units
  • Morale, Welfare, Recreation Activities (MWRAs)/Services
  • Military Affiliate Radio System (MARS)
  • Civil Air Patrol (CAP)
  • DoD Contractors
  • Foreign Military Sales (FMS/Grant Aid)

If your organization falls under one of these special programs, you may be able to obtain inventory from the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service. This page on the DLA web site explains the programs in more detail and gives contact information.