Edited by Shayna Mace
Meet the nonprofits that are making a difference across the city — and learn about meaningful ways to lend a hand this season.
Brought to you by Park Bank
Logan’s Heart and Smiles: Where Every Child Can Thrive
Logan’s Heart and Smiles builds home modifications that provide accessibility, safety and sensory support for children with disabilities and their families while growing relationships among the families we help and our community. We have completed over 500 accessible, safe and sensory friendly home modifications for children with disabilities.
Badger Prairie Needs Network: A Pantry Powered by People
Badger Prairie Needs Network’s (BPNN) mission is to fight poverty and end hunger in Dane County. We envision a strong, healthy community where access to nutritional food is readily available and where hunger, at its worst, is a temporary state and not a way of life.
Czar’s Promise: Paws With Purpose
Czar’s Promise supports families whose cherished dogs and cats are facing cancer by providing financial assistance for chemotherapy and/or radiation treatment, along with emotional support and trusted resources throughout their journey. We also invest in innovative cancer research in Madison, bringing together experts in human and veterinary medicine to advance treatments and create hope for children and companion animals facing cancer.
Madison Reading Project: Books That Give Back
Madison Reading Project (MRP) connects our community with free books and literacy resources to ignite a love for reading that reflects and affirms the unique identities of young readers. The nonprofit’s core programs and services are designed for children ages birth to 18. We work with families, caregivers and educators who support children and youth in the greater Dane and Sauk Counties. We prioritize partners who work with historically marginalized communities, and/or families experiencing low income.
Briarpatch Youth Services: Support When It Matters
Briarpatch Youth Services offers a broad array of services to youth who have run away, are experiencing homelessness and/or facing other life challenges. Briarpatch works closely with local governments and other nonprofit organizations to provide unique programs that fill service gaps in Dane County.
Morgan’s Caring Connection: Planning With Heart
Morgan’s Caring Connection (MCC) helps families raising children and adults with disabilities plan for a secure future. We connect families with trusted professionals, provide free education and resources, and offer financial assistance to help cover the cost of essential estate and future planning, including special needs trusts, guardianship and financial planning. Our goal is to make a complicated and often overwhelming process easier to navigate, so families can take action today knowing their loved one will be protected and supported in the future.
Centro Hispano, Inc.: A Community of Support
Centro Hispano, Inc. (Centro) is a welcoming home for the Latinx community in Dane County. Our mission is to empower youth, strengthen families and engage the community. For many families, their journey starts with our Family Support team, often the first friendly face they meet. The team helps with urgent needs and connects families to education, career training, immigration legal services, and mental health support.
Other Ways to Give
- Sweeten the season by putting together a holiday baking basket consisting of shelf-stable holiday baking essentials for the WayForward Resources food pantry. Think: brown or white sugar, baking soda, flour, salt and more. Then, make it extra-festive by packaging it up with fun baking items, such as sprinkles, a cookie sheet or a rolling pin. wayforwardresources.org/baking
- The Birthing Center, Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and Center for Perinatal Care at UnityPoint Health–Meriter support infants and families during the earliest stages of life. Gifts from the Birthing & NICU Holiday Gift Guide helps provide resources and support that allow families to focus on their babies’ care. Select items from the wish list, including yarn to make a baby hat ($4), an isolette crib sheet ($15), a gas card ($25), an infant car seat ($105) and more. give.unitypoint.org/babygiftguide2026
- The Village Diaper Bank supplies diapers to Dane, Green, Columbia and Jefferson counties via partner social service agencies including The Salvation Army, Badger Prairie Needs Network, The Road Home and more. You can help The Village in a few ways: simply drop off diapers at its distribution warehouse at 3302 Dairy Dr. in Madison; purchase items off its Amazon wish list; volunteer in its distribution warehouse or give a monetary donation. villagediaperbank.org
- Help make the holidays magical for local children and teens experiencing homelessness through Santas Without Chimneys, a Madison-based, volunteer-run nonprofit that delivers personalized gifts based on each child’s wish list. Sponsor a child or family, donate new toys or gift cards, or volunteer to sort, shop for and wrap presents. santaswithoutchimneys.org
