In The News: Chapman student rallying gift givers to answer 1,075 letters...
Read The Article Samara Fitzgerald is organizing Direct Effect’s first year in California out of her dorm room at Chapman College.In The News: More than 1,000 at Madison Elementary School get their letters...
Read The Article Samara Fitzgerald is organizing Direct Effect’s first year in California out of her dorm room at Chapman College.In celebration of our 17th year, we expanded our work to Orange County, California, where there is a large population of underprivileged children. We are excited to continue our work in both Chicago and California!
We look forward to working with old and new elves and it’s never too early to place your 2019 order!
Please be sure to specify if you are ordering letters from children in Chicago, along with how many you’d like and where to send them. No order is too big or too small! Why not join us with your school or business and sponsor a few classrooms, or even a whole school?
Click the PLAY button below to watch the video.
Q. How does the program work and is there a spending limit?
We collect Letters to Santa written by the neediest children in our schools, which are at 95% poverty or higher. We encourage children to ask for items they need and they will often request winter coats or personal items. Sometimes, they will ask for something for a sibling or parent, instead of themselves. We then distribute their letters to donors throughout the country and ask that a gift in the $25 - $30 range be purchased, wrapped and delivered to the child's school. If possible, we ask that you send us an additional $5 per letter to help defray our program costs, for a total limit of $35 per letter.
Because we are a hands on charity, we do not heavily fundraise. Our goal is to create programs that directly affect children in need, and touch the hearts of our supporting donors as well. This is exactly what we have done. As a result, we are an extremely low budget charity and your contributions are vital to help us grow and cover basic expenses. Please send donations to:
Direct Effect Charities
4044 N. Lincoln Ave
#400
Chicago, IL 60618
Q. What age range are the children?
We serve students 3-14, from preschool through 8th grade. We also serve a Vocational High School for disabled children in Chicago.
Q. Can I request a specific letter from a girl or boy?
You can request a boy or girl, as well as age range. We encourage you to request letters from children the same age as yours! It's a wonderful project that will touch them in a very personal way.
Q. Can I spend more than $40 on my gift?
We ask that you try and stick to that limit. It is not fair to students when one child receives 5 presents, while others may receive one. If you wish to spend more, we ask that you answer an additional letter, or make a donation to help us with program expenses.
Q. Are my donations tax deductible?
Yes, Direct Effect will be happy to send you a tax exempt receipt for your donation.
Q. When does the program begin?
We are already under way! PLEASE ORDER YOUR LETTERS today and we'll put you at the top of Santa’s list! There is NO LIMIT to the number of letters you can order. Whether you want 1 or 2000, we will be happy to accommodate you!