Birthday Buds | Pairing children that can give with children in need
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OUR MISSION

The Mission of Birthday Buds is to make a positive difference in the lives of under-resourced children by supplying them annually with fun as well as essentially needed birthday gifts. 

WE’RE GROWING!

We currently support kids and families in New York, Massachusetts and South Carolina with new states on the horizon . . . but YOU can live in any State as long as you can ship presents!

GOOD TIMES!

Click PLAY to watch video!

HOW IT WORKS

IT’S EASY PEASY!

First, you sign up! We then match your child(ren) with a Buddy who has a birthday close to your child’s birthday and is close in age.

WHEN WILL I HEAR FROM YOU?

Approximately 3-4 weeks in advance of your Buddy’s birthday, we will reach out to them and get a list of fun requests as well as a list of essential needs from his/her parents. Once we receive those requests, we will email you with the list. Some parents take longer than others to get ahold of. As soon as we receive the list, we will share it with you. On rare occasions, we are not able to get ahold of your Buddy for reasons beyond our control. If that happens, we will let you know and we will reassign your child with a Buddy for the following year.

KIDS WANT EVERYTHING!!

Once you receive the list, it is completely up to you on what and how much you send. You can send the gifts directly to your Buddy, as we will provide you with an address. In some circumstances, your Buddy may need a messenger. If that is the case, we will let you know beforehand and you can send the presents directly to us and we’ll messenger them over. Most Buds spend between $50-$150 on their Buddy.

HELP! I GOT BUSY AND DON’T HAVE ANY TIME TO BUY GIFTS!

If you run out of time, no problem. You can always make a donation and we’ll buy the presents for you.

MS. MANNERS

After your Buddy receives their gifts, we’ll do a follow up with them. They often send photos, videos and an emailed note-which we will share with you. We do not require your Buddy to do this, however, so you may only receive a confirmation that the gifts were received and a GIANT thank you from us at Birthday Buds!

IS THIS PROGRAM JUST FOR NEW YORKERS?

NO!! We’re growing! You can live anywhere and be a Bud…as long as you can ship presents! We’ve expanded our services to South Carolina and will be expanding to other states soon!

BECOME A BUD

Please fill out our contact form to become a Donor Birthday Bud. To receive presents as a Buddy, you must be associated with one of our partners: Room to Grow, Halos, and Mary Ford Early Learning & Family Center.

    Parent's First & Last Name (required)

    Parent's Email (required)

    Parent's Phone Number (required)

    Child 1's Name

    Child 1's Birthday (Please include year so we can match up!)

    Child 1's Gender Identity

    girlboy

    Child 2's Name

    Child 2's Birthday (Please include year so we can match up!)

    Child 2's Gender Identity

    girlboy

    Child 3's Name

    Child 3's Birthday (Please include year so we can match up!)

    Child 3's Gender Identity

    girlboy

    What city do you live in?

    How did you hear about us?

    The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.

    PARTNERSHIPS

    We are honored to work with several great partners that keep the Birthday Buds program successful.

    STATE BAGS

    STATE was created to address the immediate needs of American children living with challenging – and in some cases critical – circumstances. For every STATE bag purchased, STATE hand-delivers a backpack – packed with essential tools for success – to an American child in need; but our commitment goes beyond simply a material donation.

    ROOM TO GROW

    Room to Grow is dedicated to enriching the lives of babies born into poverty throughout their critical first three years of development. Parents are referred to Room to Grow by a network of prenatal programs assisting low-income families.

    THE BROOKLYN KINDERGARTEN SOCIETY

    For more than 125 years, Brooklyn Kindergarten Society has worked to ensure children from low-income families receive quality education in a nurturing environment that cultivates the skills they need to succeed in kindergarten and beyond. BKS strives to stop the cycle of poverty where it does the most damage—in early childhood.

    EL NIDO

    El Nido is an exciting new faith-based program of Christ Church NYC designed to support parents with 0 to 3-year-old children in the Washington Heights and Inwood area of Manhattan.

    MEETING STREET SCHOOLS

    Meeting Street Schools (MSS) is a groundbreaking initiative dedicated to the creation of a new mandate for education in South Carolina and beyond. MSS was founded upon the belief that all children deserve an excellent education regardless of their geographic or socioeconomic circumstances, and all children have the ability to excel in the classroom. Where access to quality public education or affordable private alternatives is often severely limited, MSS is providing children with transformational educational opportunities.

    COMMUNITIES IN SCHOOLS

    Working directly in 32 schools across 3 geographic regions in South Carolina, Communities In Schools of South Carolina builds relationships to ensure over 18,000 students receive a quality education. Our school-based staff partner with teachers to identify challenges students face in class or at home and coordinate with community partners to bring outside resources inside schools through our evidence-based model of Integrated Student Supports. From immediate needs like food or clothing to more complex ones like counseling or social emotional support, we do whatever it takes to help students succeed.

    HALOS

    The mission of HALOS is to promote safe and nurturing homes for children in kinship care. You likely know someone who was raised by grandparents, an aunt or family friend. Or maybe you know the adult who took a child into their home. This is called kinship care – loved ones caring for a child when the parents are unable to do so. The number of children being raised by extended family is growing 6 times faster than the general population.

    EVENTS

    In addition to birthdays, we have a couple of events throughout the year that allow our buds to be generous.

    The more you celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.

    — OPRAH —

    OUR TEAM

    Our team is dedicated to all of the families we work with. They are guided by the belief that every kid deserves to feel special!

    GRACE COWAN

    FOUNDER

    AMANDA PROHASKA

    SPANISH SPEAKING & SOUTH CAROLINA FAMILY COORDINATOR

    NICOLE LAWRENCE

    FAMILY COORDINATOR

    SAMANTHA HAWLEY

    NEW YORK FAMILY COORDINATOR

    OUR DEDICATED BOARD MEMBERS

    Joanna Della Valle  |  Sudie Anning  |  Pauline Nakios  | Comer Aebersold   |  Grace Cowan  |  Danielle Faris  |  Gia McBride  |  Nicole Lawrence  |  April Meier  |  Audra Alexander Grant

    QUESTIONS

    Give the Gift of Giving and make a positive difference in the lives of low-income children living in New York City.

    AmazonSmile is a simple way for you to support your favorite charitable organization every time you shop, at no cost to you.