Donating Quilts to Charities

Illustration by Shannon Wright

Choose a Cause. There are hundreds of charities out there, which can be overwhelmed to research. To help narrow it down, start with a cause near and dear to your heart. Odds are if you take a moment to think, you'll feel a calling to a few specific causes to support.

Choose a Project. Consider the type of project you want to sew. Depending on your available time and your budget, you may want to make throw-size quilts or something smaller like a pillowcase. Thinking through these things can help you narrow down a potential charity.

Do your research. Make sure the charity is legitimate by checking out their website – make sure they have clear contact information and address listed. You may even want to call or send an email to their charity to see if you get a response from a staff member or volunteer. You may also want to see if the charity has a social media page where others are engaged with the charity and are sharing positive experiences working with them.

Read requirements. Many sewing charities have specific requirements for the projects they accept – everything from size and fabric requirements, quilting and washing requirements, or even specific ways they want you to mail or drop off your donation. Take note of these requirements before starting to sew.

Find a pattern. Some charities will offer suggested patterns or have free ones on their website that meet all their requirements. But if you're picking your own pattern, it's best to keep it simple. This doesn't mean your finished project won't be pretty – but many times, charities would prefer more donations versus the most beautiful and intricate donations.

Get free patterns sized for charity here.

Consider other ways to help. Many charities accept donations of fabric and supplies, so if you have a large stash or tools you never use, consider donating them to an organization who will use it. If you're short on time, you can also give a monetary gift to help cover the organization's cost of operations. Or, even share about their charity on social media to help raise awareness and get your quilter friends involved, too!

• Freedom Quilts
• Quilts of Honor
• Quilts of Valor
• Soldiers' Angels

• Project Linus
• Quilts Beyond Borders
• Quilts for Kids
• Sleep in Heavenly Peace

• Enchanted Makeovers
• The Giving Quilt

• Bags of Love (bags full of necessities for children in crisis)
• Days for Girls International (menstrual health products)
• Dolls of Hope (toys to bring joy to underserved children)
• Little Dresses for Africa (dresses for girls around the world)
• Newborns in Need (essentials for ill, premature, or impoverished babies)
• Ryan's Case for Smiles (pillowcases for children in the hospital)

If you don't see a charity in this list that fits your interests, reach out to a local charity to see what their needs are. Many organizations have needs for handmade items, but don't have the resources or staff to manage large-scale donations like larger, national charities. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Animal shelters
• Child Welfare Services
• Children's hospitals
• Dialysis centers
• Homeless shelters
• Hospice centers
• Missions
• Nursing homes
• Oncology units
• Pediatric Surgery Centers of local hospitals
• Red Cross
• Ronald McDonald House
• Runaway shelters
• Transitional residences
• Veteran's clinics/hospitals
• Victims of fires, floods, hurricanes, and other natural disasters
• Women's shelters
• Youth shelters
• YMCA's/YWCA's