Geri B

Do you make "charity quilts" just to satisfy the need to sew something and give it away to a good cause, or doing it as a business.....can that be done? Just curious.....

In our guild we personally make quilts then donate thru the guild to our "designated cause"...... Is that how most do it?

ManiacQuilter2

I know that if you have the documentation that you can write off the expense of the quilts on your taxes. I always wanted to make charity quilts but was always too busy. Now that I am disable, I have lots of time on my hands and it makes me feel good to be helping others.

dd

I make tote bags for Sadies Dream. My friend makes pillowcase dresses and prayer shawls. We had a donation sewing day at church and we sent them off afterward with donations from people who couldn't come. We also made post-mastectomy pillows and gave them to a local surgeon. Mostly because we want to give.

gigigray032447

The mission of my guild is to make and give as many comfort quilts as we can each year to the cancer center of the local hospital. Typically the 20 or so members donate around 135 quilts and prayer shawls each year. We use our dues and the proceeds from a quilter's yard sale to buy the batting and backing material. As we are a ministry of the church, we are not charged for using the fellowship hall. Each member sews what they wish to, some fabric is donated by a local company, and three times a year we have retreats where everyone is sewing the same pattern.

dunster

I can't see how charity quilts could be done as a business, although some of the bigger organizations - Quilts for Kids, Quilts of Valor, etc. - may be run in some sense like a business, in that they probably have fixed overhead expenses, possibly a few employees, have to keep records, etc.. The guilds that I belong to accept quilts from members and distribute them to various causes in our community. As far as taxes go, you can deduct the cost of materials or the value of the item - whichever is less - but not the labor involved in making it - as a charitable deduction.

Jeanne S

My quild selects a designated charity at the beginning of the year, then members make as many quilts as they want for the charity. They are accumulated and delivered to the charity at the end of the year. Members do it at their own expense and out of the goodness of their hearts for a worthy cause. I have started saving receipts for tax deduction purposes. I don't know how it could become a 'business'--I doubt that any non-profit could or would pay for the quilts.

ckcowl

I am not sure what you mean by doing it as a business... All of the people I know who make quilts for charity do it because they want to give to a particular 'cause' that is meaningful to them. If you keep good records you can use the material costs for a charity tax deduction.

Jan in VA

Yes for me.

Jan in VA

Blackberry

I make lap throw quilts for several charity groups. I would not do it as a business because as a charity giver I can work at my own pace and they are so appreciative of the quilts.

Peckish

This was my thought as well. As a business, you need to make money to pay your overhead, so you'd have to charge, which negates the term "charity".

I belong to a group that is not a guild, just a loosely-organized group of quilt whackos who enjoy getting together. When one of us finds a need, we approach the group and whomever wants to help, will. I like this because no one feels obligated to contribute and the charity quilts stay in our community, which is very important to me. We've donated hundreds of quilts; some went to a local veteran's shelter that recently opened and had very little bedding; some go to our local Linus chapter; and every terminal patient at one of our hospitals gets a quilt. When they pass, the quilt goes to the family.