Full Guidelines: Please click here for a PDF document of our in-depth guidelines, which includes our list of items needed.

What We Accept

• • Condition: We are only able to accept donations of NEW, unopened, and unexpired items. Please be sure to double-check all labels on food and infant formula donations before donating. Why only new? Not everyone’s definition of “gently used” is the same, and so we want to ensure that our moms and their children are only receiving top-quality items.
  • Food:
    • Order online through Food Pantry Registry
    • Download printable Food Pantry List
  • Essentials:
    • Order online through Family Care Baby Registry
    • Download printable Family Care List
  • Board Books:
    • Order online through Board Book Registry
    • Download printable Board Book Drive List
  • Christmas/Operation Santa:
    • Donation drop-off deadline: Monday, November 28
    • Order online through the Amazon Christmas Registry
    • Download printable wish list to shop in-person
    • See more details in “How to Donate” section below to get involved in this year’s Christmas donation drive. 

What We Can’t Accept

• • Used items, even gently used
  • We are no longer accepting CLOTHING OF ANY KIND (unless new, unused baby clothing) [see below for organizations who may accept clothes or click here for more options)
  • Cribs
  • Car seats
  • Travel-sized (hotel) toiletries
  • Furniture
  • Expired food or baby formula

Organizations that Accept Used Items:

• • Share Our Spare (our partner) – shareourspare.org – (312) 877-5884
  • Humble Design (our partner–they accept furniture) – humbledesignchicago.org – (844) 486-2533
  • Chicago Furniture Bank – chicagofurniturebank.org – (312) 752-0211
  • Cradles to Crayons – cradlestocrayons.org – (312) 767-1008
  • Dress for Success (our partner–to donate gently used professional clothing) – dressforsuccess.org – (312) 527-0925
  • Salvation Army (they do pickups!) – satruck.org (note: SA no longer accepts strollers, baby carriers, or used cribs) – (800) 728-7825

1) Online

You can help the mission of New Moms when you shop our Amazon Registries. We receive the items you purchase from our wishlists directly. Shop for specific program and event wishlists below:

• • New Moms Family Care Registry
  • Food Drive Registry
  • Board Book Registry
  • Christmas Drive Registry (October through December – see below for more details!)

IMPORTANT NOTE: Please write your name and your organization’s name, as well as your street address and phone number in the “Gift Message” section once you have proceeded to the “Gift Options” page of the checkout process. This allows us to know who sent us a gift so that we may thank you!

2) In-Person

There are several ways to donate goods in-person. You can read our full In-Kind Donation Guidelines for more information on shopping for our families!

• • Download our Family Care Shopping List for our most needed items.
  • Download our Board Book Drive List. Help us collect books for New Moms! We accept board books (thick cardboard or wooden pages, not paper) and encourage donations of vibrant multicultural books that feature characters of all ethnicities, races, and abilities.
  • Shop from our Food Drive List for those interested in giving non-perishable food items for our food pantry.
  • Download our Christmas Drive/Operation Santa Shopping List – drop off by Monday, 11/28 at 5317 W. Chicago Ave. – see the section below for more details about Operation Santa!

To drop off items, contact our Engagement Specialist at volunteer@newmoms.org or 773.252.3253 ext. 135 to schedule a drop off time.

3) Host a Donation Drive

Enlist the help of the people you know to make an even greater impact and multiply your donations! Contact our Engagement Specialist at volunteer@newmoms.org or 773.252.3253 ext. 135 to coordinate hosting a drive for your organization.

Ideas for drives:

• • Board Book Drive – Use our printable Board Book List or visit our Board Book Registry
  • Food Drive – Use our printable Food Drive List or visit our Food Drive Registry
  • Enfamil infant formula drive
  • Toiletry drive
  • Christmas Donation Drive:
    • What it is: New Moms’ annual Christmas event is possibly our most anticipated celebration of the year! We are continuing our new tradition of “Operation Santa.” In lieu of an in-person Christmas celebration for participants, “Operation Santa” is a virtual Christmas gift experience in which donors can purchase gifts for families off our Amazon registry. Moms then choose which gifts they want for their children, and volunteers and coaches pack and deliver the orders to their homes. All moms receive pre-packed “mom gifts” just for them as well! This is a way to ensure that every family has a happy and special Christmas, and we are so grateful for all partnering organizations who contribute to the event each year to make it a success.
    • How to give:
      • Donation drop-off cutoff date: Monday, November 28th to New Moms (5317 W. Chicago Ave., Chicago, IL 60651)
      • Please contact Jane at volunteer@newmoms.org to confirm you’d like to do a drive for the event. She can coordinate drop-off times with you.
      • Shop from the lists below for moms and kids. Most of the kids in our programs are ages 2 and under, so we prioritize shopping for that age group. Please leave gifts unwrapped–we give our families wrapping supplies so they can wrap gifts for each other.
        • Order items through Amazon to be directly sent to New Moms: Amazon Christmas Registry
          • NOTE: If you want to donate a gift card, please only choose PHYSICAL gift cards (no e-cards) in amounts of $25 or $50.
        • Print the wish list to shop in-person.

4) Provide Services

Make use of your professional expertise & build your résumé by contributing pro-bono work to New Moms.  A variety of professional skills could be needed at any time, such as:

• • Graphic design
  • Carpentry
  • Interior decorating
  • Interior / exterior painting
  • Photography
  • Professional organizing

Contact our Engagement Specialist at volunteer@newmoms.org or 773.252.3253 ext. 135 with any questions.

5) Amazon Smile

You can help the mission of New Moms when you shop on Amazon through Amazon Smile, in which we’ll receive a percentage of what you spend!

GET YOUR DONATION RECEIPT

New Moms takes its responsibility to maintain the dignity & privacy of our participants seriously. Therefore, we do not introduce in-kind donors to our participants.  If a donor would like to learn more about our programs or participants, we encourage donors to sign up for our eNewsletter, attend a special event, or register to become a volunteer.