Skip to content
Helping Hands for NICU Moms

Donation drive toolkit

Host a donation drive for NICU moms

A classroom, a church lobby bin, or an office break room can fill a lot of baskets. Here’s everything you need to run a drive for NICU moms in the Treasure Valley.

How it works

Four steps to a great drive

  1. 1

    Tell us you’re in

    Send a quick note with your group’s name and rough dates. We’ll confirm what we need most this year and how to get items to us.

  2. 2

    Pick your drive

    Collect wish-list items, focus on one category (say, cozy socks or preemie clothes), or run a gift-card drive — meal and coffee cards are some of the most-used items in our baskets.

  3. 3

    Spread the word

    Print the wish list below, post it in your break room or bulletin, and share our story so people know where their gifts go.

  4. 4

    Drop off & celebrate

    We’ll arrange a drop-off or pickup. Then we’d love to thank your group — with your permission — on our social media.

A finished NICU care basket with snacks, drinks, a coffee mug, lotion, gift cards, and a note of encouragement

Ideas

Drive ideas for every kind of group

Schools & classrooms

A class-vs-class sock drive, or student-made cards and notes of encouragement for moms.

Churches & faith groups

A collection bin in the lobby for a few weeks before Mother’s Day.

Workplaces

A gift-card or snack drive, a casual-day donation, or a team basket-building day.

Teams, clubs & moms’ groups

Collect one category together, or sponsor a set of baskets as a group.

Printable

The basket wish list

Helping Hands for NICU Moms — Care basket wish list

Help us fill 75 Mother’s Day care baskets for local NICU moms. We welcome new, unused items for mothers and babies, along with gift cards that help ease the cost of long days at the hospital. Small comforts can make a meaningful difference.

Comfort and essentials for moms

  • Soft blankets and cozy socks
  • Journals and pens
  • Lip balm, hand lotion, and gentle self-care products
  • Travel-size toiletries, such as deodorant, toothbrushes, and toothpaste
  • Individually packaged snacks and drinks
  • Handwritten notes of encouragement

Items for babies

  • New preemie and newborn clothing
  • Soft baby blankets and swaddles
  • New, sealed pacifiers and age-appropriate baby essentials

Gift cards

  • Coffee shops and restaurants
  • Grocery stores
  • Gas stations

Supplies and services

  • Tissue paper, ribbon, and packaging supplies
  • Printing for cards, tags, and event materials
  • Help with basket assembly and event preparation

Please donate only new, unused items, with personal-care products and food in their original sealed packaging. Contact us before purchasing large quantities so we can share our current needs and coordinate delivery. For our Mother’s Day 2027 baskets, please arrange donations by May 1, 2027. For baked goods, please coordinate delivery with us for May 7 or 8, 2027.

Helping Hands for NICU Moms Inc. · 501(c)(3) · EIN 33-3552086 · nicubaskets1@gmail.com

Questions

Donation drive FAQ

Want ideas for what goes in a basket? Read our NICU care package guide.

What items are needed most?
Needs change a little each year, so check in with us when you start — but gift cards for coffee shops, restaurants, grocery stores, and gas stations, soft blankets, cozy socks, toiletries, snacks, and preemie clothing are always useful. Please only donate new, unused items in sealed packaging.
When should we run our drive?
Our baskets go to NICU moms for Mother’s Day, so drives that wrap up a few weeks before then are ideal. Our Fundraising Dinner & Silent Auction is Saturday, January 30, 2027, and drives anytime before spring help us plan.
Can we collect money instead of items?
Yes. Your group can give online through our donation page, and every gift receives an email receipt. If you’d like a group name noted on the gift, tell us and we’ll make sure we know who to thank.
Are donations tax-deductible?
Helping Hands for NICU Moms Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN 33-3552086). Donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law — we’re happy to provide documentation for in-kind gifts.

Start your drive

Let us know you’re hosting

Tell us your group’s name and when you’re thinking of running your drive. We’ll follow up with this year’s most-needed items and drop-off details.

Can’t run a drive? A gift online works too.

Every donation helps fill care baskets for NICU moms in Boise and across the Treasure Valley.

Donate todayGet involved