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VietnameseWelcome to Giving Factory® Direct!
Thank you for your interest in Giving Factory Direct, an innovative, new clothing donation program that allows you and your family to directly support children facing Clothing Insecurity in our communities!
Why Giving Factory Direct Matters
Nearly 20 million American children currently live below 200% of the federal poverty line (a total of $53,000 for a family of four, annually). All are at risk of being clothing insecure. Not having appropriate clothing harms a child’s health, safety, and self-esteem, factors known to impact a child’s academic performance and long-term success.
Cradles to Crayons® believes that all children should have what they need at home, at school, and at play. We’ve been connecting communities to provide no-cost access to these essentials since 2002. Now, thanks to Giving Factory Direct, we can go beyond our current service areas to support those 20 million children across the country.
Giving Factory Direct easily matches you with a child in our communities so you can donate high-quality, gently used clothing from the comfort of your own home. When you sign up with Giving Factory Direct, you are helping to meet a child’s immediate needs.
Just head to your closet and get ready to pick, pack, ship, and share!
Questions? See the FAQs below. More questions? Email support@givingfactorydirect.org
“Thank you for the new coat because some of the coats at my house don’t fit me because they are not my size. And I also like the coat because it’s nice and comfy.”
–Love, Andrew
“Thank you so much for the outfits. You just don’t know how much it means to us. I had just said to myself, ‘My child needs bigger clothes!’ The next day, we received the outfits…and they fit PERFECTLY! THANK YOU GUYS sooooooooo much.”
–Parent from one of our NYC Service Partners.
What goes in my KidPack donation?
Reminder! KidPacks must be seasonally appropriate and include two complete outfits, a pair of pajamas, and a sweater/sweatshirt.
Watch this video to walk through our quality standards!
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the goal of Giving Factory Direct?
Giving Factory Direct delivers clothing straight from families who would like to make a difference to families facing clothing insecurity. Children receive a KidPack—a package of high-quality, seasonally appropriate, essential clothing—packaged and shipped by participating donors, and delivered by one of our service partners.
How can I get involved and what's expected?
Signup is easy! Go to givingfactorydirect.org and create an account. From there you will be prompted to take our Quality Quiz to ensure your donations meet our standards. Enter the sizes of complete KidPacks you have to donate (as detailed on the site), and you will be matched with an outstanding order. If matched, we will provide a downloadable, pre-paid UPS shipping label. Then, just pack and ship your complete KidPack within seven days of being matched. If not matched, your donation stays live for 30 days. All of your account information and status can be accessed by logging into givingfactorydirect.org at any time!
If you don’t have a complete KidPack to donate, you can still support Giving Factory Direct by making a financial donation to help us get more clothes to children in need.
What are Cradles to Crayons’ quality standards?
At Cradles to Crayons, we believe that Quality = Dignity. Giving Factory Direct uses donated clothing that has been hand-selected with care to meet a local boy or girl’s specific needs and wants. Please ensure that your gently used donations are washed and high-quality (no rips, stains, or inappropriate messaging). Click here to watch our quality standards video.
What is considered “seasonally appropriate”?
All donors are matched to children in the areas where they live—and should ship clothing that is appropriate for the current weather! If it is close to a change in season, it is appropriate to include some items for the months ahead.
Should I wash the clothes before I ship them?
All donations should meet our Quality = Dignity standards and should be cleaned prior to shipping. Please make sure that your clothing is clean and high-quality before including it in your KidPack.
What sizes do you accept?
All KidPacks are given to children ages 0–12. We accept sizes 0–3 months to youth 18/20 (adult medium). If donating adult sizes extra small, small, or medium, please make sure the clothing is appropriate for a child to wear.
How do I ensure that the items I send are in the correct sizes?
Every child matched is a specific request from a family, and our Service Partners are meticulous about providing accurate sizing information. Please only donate clothing in the exact size requested. We cannot accept completed KidPacks in sizes that do not match the child’s request. (Even if your child is the same age and a different size or same size and a different age, please follow the size as listed in the match.)
Who receives the KidPacks from Giving Factory Direct?
Our network of Service Partners place orders for the families they work with—and we match donors to those orders! When a Giving Factory Direct package is delivered to the Service Partner who placed the order, they make arrangements to deliver it to the child within days.
How do I ship my donation?
All packages must be shipped using the auto-generated pre-paid UPS label provided through Giving Factory Direct. You must provide your own box. The label provided will contain all the appropriate information to process your package and deliver it to the child you have been matched with. Click here if you would like to make a financial contribution to support Giving Factory Direct.
Can I ship more than one KidPack in a single box/bag?
No! All donations must be shipped separately using the auto-generated UPS label provided to ensure they are processed correctly and delivered to the matched child. Please do NOT put multiple KidPacks into one box even if they are going to the same location.
Do I have to ship my KidPack? Can I drop it off?
All donations must be shipped using the auto-generated UPS label provided to ensure they are processed correctly and delivered to the matched child. PLEASE DO NOT DROP KIDPACKS OFF AT THE LOCATION.
If I am matched with a child and I am unable to send it within the time frame, can I send it at a later date?
No! If you are unable to ship your KidPack within seven days of being matched, we will cancel the match so another donor can provide clothing for that child. We encourage you to sign up again at another time that is more convenient.
Can I buy new clothing for any child or match to donate for any size?
You are welcomed to buy new clothing as long as you are able to pack and ship your KidPack using the auto-generated UPS label within seven days of being matched. DO NOT ship new clothing from online retailers directly to the Service Partner as they will not be able to identify who the clothing is for or fulfill the match.
If you’d like to buy all new clothing for a child, or don’t have any size constraints on your donation, please email support@givingfactorydirect.org and we can let you know which sizes are most needed.
I have more to give. Can I ship extra items?
Not yet! Please only donate the clothing requested as specified by the information on the match. Many children and families receiving a KidPack must transport their items on public transportation and the predetermined KidPack contents are easy to carry. It also helps to keep the cost of shipping reasonable!
If you live near Boston, Chicago, or Philadelphia, you can bring additional items to a drop-off location near one of our Giving Factories.
I have already donated a significant amount of my clothing or I don’t have a complete KidPack to donate today. How else can I support Cradles to Crayons?
Right now, we cannot accept items that do not meet the criteria of a complete KidPack. However, you can help us grow the Giving Factory Direct program by making a financial gift here.
How is Cradles to Crayons upholding health standards in light of COVID-19?
Keeping our staff, partners, and volunteers safe and minimizing the spread of the COVID-19 virus is our top priority. We are incorporating a 48-hour hold when packages are received to minimize the risk of surface contamination at each stage of the logistics process and are working with service partners who we know uphold the same standards.