The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, an IRS recognized 501(c)(3) not-for-profit public charity, was created at the behest of the Marine Corps in 1991 to provide fundraising and other necessary support for the annual Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program.

Talking Points

• Marine Toys for Tots Program was created by the Marine Corps in 1947.
• Mission: Through the gift of a new toy, help bring the joy of Christmas and send a message of hope to economically disadvantaged children.
• In 1948 Walt Disney designed the first Toys for Tots poster which included the three-car train that now serves as our logo.
• Since 1947, Marines and our tens of thousands of volunteers have distributed 708 million toys, books, and other gifts to 314 million economically disadvantaged children.
• In 2024, 873 local chapters covered all 50 States, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Washington D.C.
• In 2024, our Marines and volunteers distributed over 30 million toys to nearly 13 million economically disadvantaged children. The Census Bureau reports that nearly 15 million children in our country live in poverty.
• For over four decades one of our areas of focus has been the Native Americans living on remote Reservations across the U.S. In 2024, the Program distributed toys, books, and games to over 237,000 Native American children in 104 Reservations/Tribal Groups.
• In 2024, the Toys for Tots Literacy Program distributed nearly over 3 million books to disadvantaged children to include over 570,000 books to Title I funded schools.
• In 2024, the Toys for Tots Foster Care Program distributed toys, books, and school supplies to over 519,000 at-risk children, including those living in Foster Care.
• Through our Disaster Response and Recovery Program, over 10,000 toys, books, and games were provided to nearly 3,000 children in Henderson County, N.C., whose families were impacted by Hurricane Helene in 2024.
• Toys for Tots provided 123 truckloads of emotional relief gifts to our non-profit partner, Good360, to be distributed to children in need across the Nation through the Spring and Summer months.
• The Marine Toys for Tots Program was recognized as the official charity of choice for the 27th Annual Family Film and TV Awards, presented by CBS.
• People often ask how they can help. If you are in business, we are always looking for donated warehouse space to store and sort toys and donated vehicle support to assist in the collection and distribution of toys. For individuals, just purchase a toy (or better yet, several toys) and drop them in one of our iconic Toys for Tots collection boxes. If it’s not convenient to shop for toys, one can make a monetary donation on our website: www.toysfortots.org. One can also volunteer to work in one of our warehouses sorting toys or assist with the collection and distribution of toys.
• Key supporters and volunteers in 2024 included First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden, Montell Williams, Dean Cain, Laura McKenzie, Elizabeth Stanton, Richard Childress Racing and Austin Dillon’s No. 3 Chevrolet, featuring the Program’s logo.
• Marine Toys for Tots meets all twenty standards established by the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance and is thus designated an Accredited Charity.
• It’s important for our donors to know that the Marine Toys for Tots Program has a very enviable Program to Support Ratio of 98:2, which means 98% of donations are spent on the Program with only 2% spent on overhead. In this regard, Marine Toys for Tots is the envy of the non-profit world. It would also be worth noting that not one donated dollar goes to pay anyone’s salary.