The financial burden of the "back-to-school" season continues to increase, with the average cost per student often exceeding several hundred dollars. To combat this, a robust network of national charities, corporate sponsors, and local community groups (as listed below) provide free school supplies. For low-income or struggling families, single parents, and those living on fixed incomes, the need to provide new backpacks, calculators, electronic devices, and specific school uniforms can create an impossible choice between education and basic necessities - but help is out there.

These programs are designed to level the playing field, ensuring that students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds can start the school year with the same tools as their peers. While many of these charitable type initiatives peak in July and August, there are also year-round resources available for clothing, hygiene items, and technology through clothing closets and non-profit computer refurbishers.

Key Points for Receiving School Assistance

Before applying for any program, keep the following strategies in mind to ensure you receive help before resources are exhausted:

Early Application: Most "Back to School" drives open for registration in June or July. If you wait until the week school starts or even late August, most supplies will already be distributed.
Documentation: Be prepared to provide proof of residency, a valid photo ID, and documentation of the child’s enrollment in a local school district. Many programs also require proof of income or participation in programs like SNAP or Medicaid.
School Liaison: Every public school district has a homeless or low-income liaison (often mandated by the McKinney-Vento Act). Contact your school's front office and ask to speak with the social worker or liaison for internal supply lists.
One-Time Help: Most charities limit assistance to once per academic year per child to ensure as many families as possible receive support.

National Charity Programs for School Supplies

These major organizations operate large-scale distribution networks across the United States.

The Salvation Army: The Salvation Army is very localized and regional, but there are programs available in many areas. As the Salvation Army "Back-to-School" drives, “Stuff the Bus”, “Apple Tree” and other local versions are among the largest in the nation. This program works to ensure the child receives a personalized kit. Local corps locations distribute pre-filled backpacks containing pencils, notebooks, folders, and often new school outfits or shoes. Families must typically register through their local Salvation Army community center during the early summer months. Use our Salvation Army list to find a center.
Assistance League - Operation School Bell: Operation School Bell is the signature philanthropic program of the Assistance League, focusing on providing brand-new school clothing and shoes to children in need. Many local chapters partner with retailers like Walmart, local retailers or Target to host "shopping days" where children can pick out their own outfits, which builds self-esteem and peer acceptance. In addition to clothing, many chapters also provide hygiene kits, backpacks, and literacy materials to ensure students are fully prepared for the academic year. See https://www.assistanceleague.org/community-impact/operation-school-bell/ and we also have more information about the Assistance League on Needhelppayingbills.
Volunteers of America - Operation Backpack: Operation Backpack focuses specifically on the most vulnerable students, including those in the foster care system or living in homeless shelters. The program provides high-quality, professional-grade backpacks filled with top-brand supplies to help reduce the stigma of poverty. They categorize their kits by grade level (Pre-K, Elementary, Middle, and High School) to ensure students receive age-appropriate tools like protractors or scientific calculators. Operation Backpack operates in over 20 states and coordinates directly with local shelters with details at https://www.voa.org/operation-backpack. We also have more information on programs from Volunteers of America.
Operation Homefront: The Back-to-School Brigade from Operation Homefront is for kids of military service members. The national non-profit, partnering with local distribution sites and retailers, helps kids of active duty service members (including Reserve or National Guard) get the stuff they need for the upcoming school year. View ttps://operationhomefront.org/back-to-school-brigade/.

Kids In Need Foundation (KINF): The Kids In Need Foundation focuses its resources on "Title I" schools where at least 70% of the student population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch. They operate a national network of "Teacher Resource Centers" where educators from these schools can "shop" for free supplies for their entire classroom, ensuring no student goes without basic tools. Their "Supply A Student" program also provides individual backpacks to thousands of children in underserved communities through direct partnerships with local non-profit agencies. View https://www.kinf.org/programs/.
Community Action Agencies: These agencies can use federal funds to provide one-time educational grants for families in crisis, helping to cover the cost of school uniforms or required technology to prevent a student from falling behind. Find our list of statewide community action agencies.
United Way: They give free referrals to local school supply programs from their 211 service. The national non-profit, as well as its hundreds of local offices, may also partner with charities in a community to directly help raise donations for giveaways. Everything from free clothes to shoes, school bookbags or backpacks, pens, dresses, slacks, and other goods may be passed out. Look at 211.org, local resource page https://211.org/about-us/your-local-211, dial the 211 phone service, or find more details on United Way school assistance programs.
Neighborhood Focused Churches and Charities: Many communities may have very localized school supply assistance programs. There may be events such as “Back to School Bashes”, supply giveaway events or “Community Family Days” and other events in which students may get free school supplies, clothes, hygiene kits and other goods. Events may be organizations by Love Inc. programs for the poor, local faith based groups and churches, Catholic Charities and their partners, the Urban League and countless other small, localized chapters of charities.

Corporate and Company Giveaways

Many private companies provide direct assistance or technology grants to help bridge the "digital divide" for students.

T-Mobile Project 10Million: This initiative provides free internet access and mobile hotspots to millions of eligible student households to ensure they can complete homework and research at home. Families receive a free hotspot device, even a free tablet, and hundreds of GB of high-speed data per year for up to five years. View https://www.t-mobile.com/brand/project-10-million.
Verizon Innovative Learning: Verizon provides middle school students in under-resourced communities with access to technology and STEM enrichment programs. They partner with Title I schools to provide tablets and data plans to students and teachers to ensure technology costs are not a barrier to modern learning. See https://www.verizon.com/about/responsibility/digital-inclusion/verizon-innovative-learning.

Retailer Grants (Walmart and Target): While these retailers do not typically give away items directly at the register, they provide "Community Grants" to local non-profits. Local charities use these funds to purchase bulk supplies for their own "Back to School" events.
Company Specific Programs: Other corporations, both small and large, often give away school backpacks full of supplies, often in partnership with local non-profits. Companies like Staples, AT&T, Target, Walmar, local banks or credit unions and others try to help both students and teachers and find how to get school backpacks from corporate give aways.

Local Apps and Community Giveaways

Digital community platforms are an excellent way for families to find "hyper-local" school supply donations directly from their neighbors.

The Buy Nothing Project: This is a "gift economy" network where members post items they are giving away for free with no strings attached. During the summer, parents often post outgrown uniforms, backpacks, and unused supplies; you can also post an "Ask" for specific items like a scientific calculator or a musical instrument. See https://buynothingproject.org/.
Freecycle Network: A non-profit movement dedicated to reuse and keeping items out of landfills, where everything listed must be free. It is a reliable resource for finding larger items like desks, lamps, or refurbished computers that other families no longer need. View https://www.freecycle.org/. We also have a more extensive guide to how to get the Freecycle app to find items.
Nextdoor: By joining your local neighborhood on Nextdoor, you can access the "Free" section, which frequently features "Back to School" items in late August as families finish their shopping and clear out extras.
Freebies Alert: This is a free app that provides information on where to get free stuff in your area, including school supplies. It is available to anyone to use, but a number of low-income and/or single parent run families rely on it to find free online school supplies. Get details on Freebies Alert.

Community Moderated School Supply Resources

For local updates and discussion on which charities still have backpacks available in your area, visit the community forum topics on school supplies. It is free to use and register and real people use it to find local programs, maybe post about local school supply giveaways or pop up events and list other options.