Donation Guidelines

Madonna’s Center is a volunteer-run 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charitable nonprofit organization which is completely supported by contributions and may accept cash, gift card, and non-cash (in kind) donations of materials or equipment, IF the items can be specifically used to benefit its mission, services or program goals.

All donations, in any form, must be processed through the Madonna’s Center nonprofit corporation procedures. Donors will be provided a receipt and/or a letter of acknowledgement for acceptable contributions.

Items which cannot be accepted by our outreach office and/or cannot be used by teen parents can still greatly help our mission. GivSmart will pick up clothing, shoes, books, housewares, home decor, games, tools, etc. at your doorstep. You may select Madonna's Center as the nonprofit organization you would like the proceeds of your contribution to be given to - see more details at the GivSmart website for how this program works

CASH Contributions

Madonna’s Center accepts cash monies from individuals, clubs, groups, grants, benefit fundraisers, foundations, and corporations, which may be unrestricted or restricted to specific purposes. All unrestricted monies will be used in accordance with the mission, values and beliefs of Madonna’s Center. No monies can be restricted by the donor, nor will be accepted, which is in contradiction with these basic principles.

All checks are made payable to: Madonna’s Center. Online donations are made possible by and are handled through Network for Good.

GIFT Cards

No gift cards are given directly to teen parents for making any purchases! Madonna’s Center utilizes a volunteer staff, who are “on-call” to respond to the urgent needs of teen parents and their children. Thus, gift cards in the amounts of $25 or less are often used for purchasing food, diapers, formula, shoes, cleaning supplies, bedding, or anything else ($25 or less) from the Essential Items Checklist. Purchases made with gift cards are tracked and monitored carefully.

In-kind Donations

Madonna’s Center is very grateful for the generosity of anyone who can supply donated items towards its mission. However, it is important to realize a nonprofit organization which responds to the ongoing, urgent needs of teen parents with children, using volunteer staff, cannot spend its time, energy, and revenues for collecting, sorting, cleaning, recycling, discarding, storing, moving, lifting and distributing items which may be of little or no value.

Therefore, Madonna’s Center reserves the right to refuse items which are deemed as:  unsafe, broken, missing parts, damaged, obsolete, not in working condition, dirty, unsanitary, stained with food or bodily fluids, may contain hazardous materials, too heavy or awkward to handle,non-functional or unrelated to its mission, values, purposes or beliefs.

Many USED items simply cannot be accepted due to the potential risks or liabilities which may be inherently attached to them, such as used car seats, cribs, or other baby equipment i.e. swings, bassinets, bouncy seats, strollers, high chairs. Many of these items may be on a recall list for serious safety reasons. Teen parents are asked to sign a Terms and Conditions form for items which are donated directly to them.

In the health interests of all volunteers, teen parents, and their children, all items must come from smoke-free, and pet-free environments. Also, items which can become infested with lice, bedbugs, etc. or cannot be easily cleaned - such as pillows, comforters, fully upholstered furniture, fabric covered baby equipment, bumper pads - will NOT be accepted.

The estimated value of in-kind donations will be in accordance with the IRS Publication 561. It is helpful, especially in the case of used contributions, for the donor to inform Madonna’s Center of the item’s fair market value, if known. If the item is new, it is helpful to leave merchandise tags/prices on the items. The donor may include a copy of the purchase receipt and keep the original receipt for their own records.

No clothing for teen parents is accepted, due to the large range of sizes and styles, and our limited storage capacity. We maintain a small on-hand inventory of high quality maternity clothing.

Clothing for infants and children must not require any laundering, nor have any offensive odors, in addition to meeting all other donation conditions, as stated above.

Ask Before You Give

If you are not certain if your gift will be welcome or well-utilized, please contact us before deciding to make your contribution. If Madonna’s Center cannot effectively use the contribution, we can recommend an organization that can.

Please help Madonna’s Center to be fully dedicated towards fulfilling its mission: to serve teens who are “with child” and without essential support.

Thank you for your consideration and generosity!