The short version
Giving things away is easy. Giving things that get used takes one phone call. Ask the group that will receive your donation what it needs before you collect anything, bring what is on the list, and treat money or gift cards as a good gift when the group says it prefers them.
This guide is for donors and for anyone running a drive at work, school or a club. If a foster or kinship family needs gear now, see free gear and closets. If you want to volunteer your time with a group, the Georgia list below includes volunteer pages.
Ask before you collect
Closets and donation centers are not all the same. One may be full of winter coats and short on underwear. Another may want gift cards more than anything. Check the group's own donation page, or call or email and ask three things: what do you need most right now, what do you not accept, and where and when can we drop it off?
What tends to get used
- New socks and underwear. A common ask. Check the group's list for whether it wants them new.
- Bags that a child can keep their things in. A suitcase or duffel is a gift. A trash bag can make a child feel their belongings are garbage.
- Items in good condition. Give what you would give a friend: clean, working, with all the pieces.
- Gift cards and money. Gift cards and money can let a group buy the exact size or item a child needs. Ask which it prefers.
- Items for every age. Babies get the attention. Teenagers need clothing, toiletries and school supplies too.
Car seats and cribs: safety guidance, not policy
Do not donate a used car seat or crib whose history you cannot vouch for. A car seat that has been in a crash, is past its expiration date, or is missing its labels or manual can't be trusted. The same worry applies to a crib of unknown age or history. If you want to give one, buy it new, or ask the receiving group first whether and how it takes these items. This is community safety practice, not a state rule.
Run a drive that works
- Pick one recipient and ask whether it welcomes drives. If it does, ask for its current list.
- Keep the list short. Three to five items collect better than a long list.
- Set a start date, an end date, and a drop-off place that people pass anyway, such as the office lobby.
- Name one person who will take the donations to the recipient and send the thank-you. Without that person, boxes sit in a storeroom.
- Ask about off-season needs. Holiday and back-to-school drives are common, so groups often run short in the months between.
- Decide whether it is a one-time gift or the start of something. Both are fine. Say which. See the fizzle problem.
Do not post photos of children or details about who will receive the donation. Describe the need, not the child. See What not to do.
Georgia rules that affect a donor
We use this box for something we couldn't confirm with an official source, or that is changing. See it on our list of everything we're still confirming
Tax credit: check the list before you give
Georgia has a state income tax credit for some donations to qualified foster child support organizations, and our taxes guide explains it, including that preapproval is required. The Department of Revenue publishes a list of qualified foster child support organizations, certified by DFCS. The version we opened was dated August 24, 2026. Oct 18, 2026 Check the list for the group you plan to give to, and talk to a tax professional. Bloom Our Youth, Inc. (DBA Bloom) is on that list. Oct 18, 2026 We did not check the other groups below.
Georgia donation and volunteer pages
Each group below has its own page for donors or volunteers, separate from its page for families. We opened each on Oct 18, 2026. Check the page before you drop anything off, because needs and hours change.
Bloom (Fayetteville and Rome)
- Bloom's Foster Closet says it accepts new or nearly new items for infants, children and teens, dropped off at its donation center. Oct 18, 2026
- Its page lists "items always needed," including outerwear, pajamas, books, new socks and underwear, new full-size toiletries, school supplies, gift cards, diapers and wipes, and baby gear. Oct 18, 2026
- It invites schools, churches, workplaces and other groups to contact it about hosting a donation drive. The contact is on the page. Oct 18, 2026
- Bloom Closet donations
Foster Care Support Foundation (Roswell)
- Volunteers at its distribution center sort and restock clothing, check and assemble infant equipment, sort toys, and fill orders for children who live too far to visit. Oct 18, 2026
- It sets rules for young volunteers: those under 16 need an adult chaperone, and those under 18 need a waiver signed by a parent or guardian. Oct 18, 2026
- Groups, school groups and mission trips can arrange to volunteer through its form. Oct 18, 2026
- FCSF volunteer page
We use this box for something we couldn't confirm with an official source, or that is changing. See it on our list of everything we're still confirming
FCSF donation page not located
The donation page we had on file for FCSF returned "not found" on Oct 18, 2026, and we have not located another page that says how to donate goods or what it needs. Call or use the contact form on its site to ask. For how families use the closet, see free gear and closets.
Clark's Christmas Kids (Georgia DFCS)
- DFCS runs this holiday gift program for children in foster care with Clark Howard, WSB Radio and Walmart. Oct 18, 2026
- The program page says you can give through its online donate link or by check or money order made payable to "DFCS Secret Santa." Read the page for the current mailing address and contact. Oct 18, 2026
- Clark's Christmas Kids
Others we have not verified
We use this box for something we couldn't confirm with an official source, or that is changing. See it on our list of everything we're still confirming
County-level foster closets, diaper banks and other groups exist in Georgia, but we have not verified their names, hours or needs, so we do not list them. If you know one, send it in.
Sources & verification
- Bloom, Bloom Closet donations: items accepted, drop-off, drive hosting, items always neededbloomfosters.org Oct 18, 2026
- Foster Care Support Foundation, Volunteer: tasks, groups, age rulesfostercares.org Oct 18, 2026
- Georgia Department of Revenue, List of Qualified Foster Child Support Organizations (as of Aug 24, 2026)dor.georgia.gov Oct 18, 2026
- Georgia DFCS, Clark's Christmas Kids: program description and donation routedfcs.georgia.gov Oct 18, 2026
Organization details come from each group's own page on the date shown. Needs, hours and requirements change; confirm with the group before you give or show up. This page is not tax advice.