Five Frequently Asked Questions About House Needs
House needs, and in-kind donations go well beyond food items, toiletries, study materials, and supplies. Not only do these gifts help to meet immediate, tangible needs for our programs, but they also provide opportunities to build community and empower others to “pay it forward.”
If you've visited The Magdalen House, subscribed to our newsletters, or are part of any of our Facebook groups, you’ve likely seen our House Needs list. So why do we ask for help providing House Needs? We’re glad you asked.
Frequently Asked Questions about House Needs
- What is an in-kind donation?
An in-kind donation is a non-cash contribution of goods or services given to a cause or organization. Examples of in-kind gifts include:
- Tangible items such as food, clothing, equipment, or supplies
- Services including legal advice, accounting services, or marketing assistance
- Allowing the use of a facility or venue without charge, like providing space for events
- Skilled labor or expertise offered without charge
- Gift cards or certificates
2. Why not just buy the items ourselves?
In-kind donations are valuable to nonprofits as they help reduce operational costs and allow organizations to allocate more financial resources directly to their mission. Similar to monetary donations, these contributions are often tax-deductible for the donor.
The Magdalen House is privately funded—we accept no government funding—so in-kind donations significantly impact our budget. When an item or service is donated, we have one less thing to spend money on, freeing up funds to allocate elsewhere. Additionally, offering a house needs list allows members of our community to provide tangible items for the women and men in the programs, allowing them to pay forward what was freely given to them.
3. How does my donation help?
By offering free services to the community, we provide everyone with meals, toiletries, and study supplies during their two-week stay. By donating, you give our clients the supplies they need to build a foundation of life-long recovery. As our programming continues to reach even more alcoholic women and men in crisis, the need for these in-kind gifts continues to grow.
4. What items are needed?
We accept donations of food, toiletries, paper goods, study materials, comfortable clothing, health supplies, and more. The needs at the house are ever-changing, but a great place to find our most up-to-date needs is on our Amazon House Needs list, posted in our Facebook groups, or, if you’re at the house, on the whiteboard in the meeting room.
5. How do I make an in-kind donation to The Magdalen House?
- In-Person: Visit the women’s or men’s house between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm to drop off any items with our staff or volunteers.
- Order Online: You can order items from any online retailer and ship them directly to The Magdalen House at 4513 Gaston Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75246. A full list is available on our Amazon House Needs list, and the most-needed items are marked as high priority.
- Host a Drive: Host a donation drive at your workplace, place of worship, neighborhood, or civic organization to collect items for donation to The Magdalen House. Encouraging your friends, co-workers, neighbors, or congregation to participate is a fun way to give back and raise awareness for The Magdalen House in your community. Questions on how to start a drive? Contact our Community Manager for help and ideas!
- Provide a Meal: Donate a “meal kit” for women or men in our First Step program to cook. Contact volunteer staff to confirm a date, choose a recipe, buy the groceries needed for the meal, and bring it all to the house. Interested? Learn more on our Volunteer Portal.
- Donate Professional Services: If you would like to offer your professional services, we appreciate your generosity! Please contact us to discuss.
If you donate in-kind items to The Magdalen House, be sure to fill out a Gift in Kind Donor Form on our website so we can keep a record of everything we receive. We appreciate your support!
