DONATIONS

To donate online:

Please follow the link below to make an online donation.

To donate by mail:

Please send a check or money order payable to Open Door Next Door Shelters to the following address:

PO Box 50102
Kalamazoo, MI 49005

Your financial support helps homeless men and women have housing and become self-supporting, contributing members of our community.

Help Homeless People Get Jobs and Become Self-Supporting
You know the old proverb about giving a person or fish or teaching a person to fish… We are not in the business of handing out fish, we are in the business of teaching-to-fish.

Two-thirds of the homeless men and women who enter our shelter program have jobs by the time they complete our program. Once they get jobs, everyone is expected to save 30% of their earnings for future housing costs. Those who haven’t finished High School go back and get their GED to improve their chance of getting employment. Those with substance abuse issues make a covenant with us for maintaining sobriety and deepening their recovery.

A Local Organization with Low Overhead
We are a small organization, close at hand. We don’t have large overhead costs or fancy headquarters. We run a very lean program. Almost 90% of our funds are used to provide services, with only 8% for management and general, and 2.6% for fundraising.

We are an Independent, Non-Profit (501.c.3) Charitable Organization
While many housing organizations depend on public government support, we depend on private financial support from caring individuals, churches, and local organizations. Government grants cover only 7% of our operating costs.

Tax Benefits Cut the Cost of a Gift and Maximize Your Donation
Michigan income taxpayers get a tax credit of 50% of their gift to us (up to a maximum credit of $100 for a gift of $200 for an individual and up to a maximum credit of $200 for a gift of $400 for a couple.). This means a $400 gift saves a couple $200 on their Michigan taxes! Federal tax deductions further reduce the cost of the gift. For many couples the total cost of a $400 gift is less than $100.

To Continue this Work, We Depend on Local Individuals
Your financial support is critical:
- $30 pays for bus tokens for job search transportation for one guest for a week.
- $50 pays for food for all the guests at each shelter for one day.
- $130 pays for the water and sewer costs for one shelter for 3 months
- $300 pays for the heat and electricity used at one of our shelters for one month
- $1,000 pays for maintenance and repairs at one of our shelters for 6 months