In-Kind Drive FAQs

BASICS

Do the pajamas have to be new? 

Yes. For health and safety, federal guidelines require that pajamas be new.

What kinds of pajamas should I collect? 

  • Brand-new and unused pajamas only. 
  • Pajamas should be a complete set—a top and bottom, or an appropriate nightgown. 
  • Pajamas for all seasons.

What pajama sizes are needed most? 

Pajama Program accepts brand-new pajamas for children ages 0-12.

Do the books have to be new?

Yes. Pajama Program accepts only brand-new and unused story books  for children ages 0-12.

I filled out the Pajama Program online in-kind donation form, but I did not receive an email.

Please check your spam/junk mailbox. If you still cannot find the email, reach out to us at anna@pajamaprogram.org.  

COMMUNITY PARTNERS

The contact information for Community Partners provided in the email is out of date.  
Since Pajama Program is a small team that works with thousands of Community Partners, our records may not always be up to date. If contact information is out of date, please let us know by sending us an email with a subject line containing “Community Partner contact info update”. We then recommend conducting an online search to find current contact information. If you still experience issues, reach out to us at anna@pajamaprogram.org.

I reached out to one (or more than one) of the Community Partners on the provided list, but… 

The Community Partner has not responded to me. 

  • If 2-3 attempts to contact the ComPar go unanswered, try conducting an online search to find other contact information. 
  • Try contacting another Community Partner on the provided list. 

The contact information for the Community Partner provided is out-of-date.

  • Try conducting an online search to find up-to-date contact information.  
  • Try contacting another Community Partner in the list. 

The Community Partner does not have a need for my pajama and book in-kind donation.  

  • Contact another Community Partner on the provided list. 

None of the listed Community Partners are within a reasonable distance from me. 

How should I reach out to/communicate with a Community Partner? 

The email you receive will contain the contact information for the five Community Partners located closest to you. If you would like guidance on how to communicate with a Community Partner, please feel free to use the email template and/or phone script below. 

Email template: 

Hello! I recently conducted a pajama and/or book drive on behalf of Pajama Program. Since you are a Pajama Program Community Partner, I am reaching out to see if your organization has a need for an in-kind donation of new pajamas and/or books. 

I can offer [# pajamas] brand new children’s pajamas and [# books] brand new children’s books.  

Please let me know if your organization is willing to accept all or part of this donation, and we can move forward with arranging a drop off time and location. 

Sincerely, 

[Name] 

Phone script: 

Hello, my name is [Name]! I recently ran a pajama and/or book drive on behalf of Pajama Program. Does your organization have a need for an in-kind donation of new children’s pajamas and/or books? We collected [#] pajamas and [#] books. 

If yes: Great! When and where can I drop off my collection of pajamas and/or books? 

If no: Okay, I will look elsewhere. Thank you for the good work that you do. 

TRANSPORTING MY IN-KIND DONATION 

Will someone come to pick up my in-kind donation? 
Pajama Program cannot provide pick up services. All organizers of pajama and/or book drives are responsible for transporting, or arranging the transport, of their pajama/book collections to a Pajama Program Community Partner. However, we do provide a list of the five Community Partners located closest to each organizer.   

Where should I send my in-kind donation? 
Once your drive is complete, you will fill out this form. Upon submission of that form, you will be receive an email containing key information, including a list of five Pajama Program Community Partners located nearest to you. You may choose a Community Partner from this list. See details on the complete process here.  

Can I drop off my in-kind donation or ship it? 
Yes. All organizers of pajama and/or book drives are responsible for arranging transportation of their pajama and/or book collection to a Pajama Program Community Partner. Coordinate with the Community Partner selected from the provided list before deciding whether to drop off or ship your donation. 

REPORTING 

How do I report my pajama collection totals and the Community Partner I donated it to? 

You will need the email containing the list of the five closest community partners to report your donation. 

After your drive is over and your chosen Community Partner has confirmed that they are prepared to receive your donation, click your Community Partner’s Report Link. This will open a Report Form–please fill it out completely and submit. Once you submit, you’re done! 

I can’t find that email! What do I do now? 

Please reach out to us at anna@pajamaprogram.org. 

GENERAL 

The FAQs page does not answer my question or address my concern. Who can I reach out to for further information? 

If the FAQs page does not answer your question or address your concern, you may email your questions to anna@pajamaprogram.org. 

I sent a question to Pajama Program but I haven’t heard from anyone. 

Since we typically work with thousands of Community Partners around the nation, our responses may be delayed. We deeply appreciate your patience as our staff works to get back to you as soon as possible. If more than 14 or more days have passed without a response, we encourage you to send a follow up email.