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Make Your In-Kind Donations Go Twice as Far
Supporting Survivors at First Step Through Matching Grants
Why In-Kind Donations Matter for Matching Grants
In-kind donations—items like clothing, hygiene products, household goods, and other essentials are a critical part of how we care for survivors at First Step. But their value goes beyond immediate needs.
Many of the grants we rely on require a “match”—meaning we must show that our community is also investing in our mission, either through financial donations or the fair market value of in-kind contributions.
Here’s Why this Matters:
🟣 Eligibility for Grants: Some grant funders will only award funds if we can show that we've secured a certain amount of support from other sources.
🟣 Meeting Match Requirements: If a grant requires a 1:1 match and we receive $5,000 worth of donated goods (with documented value), that can be used to "match" $5,000 in grant funding.
🟣 Maximizing Impact: Your donated items allow us to dedicate more cash resources to essential services like housing, counseling, advocacy, and case management—while still meeting funder requirements.
By simply telling us what you’ve donated and its estimated value, you help First Step access more funding—and help more survivors.
How It Works:
Many of the grants we receive are matching grants, which means we must show an equal value of community support to receive the full funding. In-kind donations can count toward this match—but only if we know their value.
What We Ask:
When making an in-kind donation, please include:
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A brief itemized list of what you're donating
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The estimated fair market value of each item
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Your name and contact information (optional, for acknowledgment)
**Refer to the links below for fair market value of items
When you shop our Amazon Wishlist, you're helping us provide exactly what our residents need—quickly and efficiently. These items go directly to survivors and families in our care, making their stay more comfortable and helping them rebuild with dignity.
It's one of the easiest and most impactful ways to support our mission. Thank you for standing with survivors!