View of Warehouse Filled with Boxes from Above

Donate Inventory for Kids in Need with First Book

Donating inventory to First Book directly impacts the life of a child in need– and improves your bottom line.

Inventory Donations Change the Story for Kids in Need

For more than 30 years, First Book has transformed the lives of children in need by making brand-new, high-quality books, school supplies, toys, personal care items, and other essentials available and affordable to the educators and kids who need them most. Each year, we reach more than 5 million children. To date, we have distributed more than 225 million critical resources to educators and kids in all 50 states and Canada.

We partner with outstanding companies that care about making a difference on behalf of kids and heroic educators. Tax-deductible gifts of brand-new excess, obsolete, or discontinued inventory support and empower educators to address the critical needs of their students and communities.

Why Donate Inventory to First Book?

Donating inventory to First Book is not only good for kids and educators, but also for companies. There are immediate benefits– like freeing up warehouse space and diverting hundreds of tons of inventory from landfills– as well as long-term benefits:

  • Move Large Quantities Quickly: We are a national program and can accept and distribute large quantities of inventory from a single pallet to multiple truckloads.
  • Gain Corporate Tax Benefit: Companies may be eligible to qualify for tax deductions. Consult your tax advisors for details.
  • Protect Your Brand: Liquidating or remaindering inventory can often end up in the secondary market-competing with your new stock, cannibalizing sales, and degrading your brand.
  • Grow Your Philanthropy: We make it easy. Ship your donation to First Book and we’ll handle the rest. We provide documentation and manage distribution to our pre-vetted community of over 575,000 educators in schools and programs serving kids in need.
man standing in a warehouse holding a tablet
young boy holding a Pokémon card in a school library

We Get Resources to Kids – Fast!

Product donations are available to educators through the First Book Marketplace. Unlike other programs, educators have 24-hour, year-round access to choose the resources that best meet the needs of their individual students. No need to wait for a local event or be chosen from a list! Educators pay nominal shipping and handling, and products are shipped right to their door.

Most Requested Products

We accept only brand-new products. Don’t see your product on this list? We love getting creative and are happy to chat with you!

  • Children’s books for ages 0-12 in single title cartons
  • School and office supplies,
  • Toys, games, puzzles, STEM kits, and other hands-on learning tools
  • Personal care items at least 6 months from expiration, and
  • Seasonal items (e.g., holiday, winter apparel, summer activities)
  • We are unable to accept food, Hazmat, or self-published book donations at this time.

Ready to donate?

We would love to explore ways to work together and provide many more books and resources to kids who need them. To learn more about donating inventory to First Book, email us at productdonations@firstbook.org. If you’re ready to make a donation, share details about your gift with us using the link below!

graphic with text that says: "Double Your Impact to Help Give a Million Books! Help give a million books to kids in low-income communities this holiday season and beyond. The book you send may be the only holiday gift a child gets, and helping a child love books makes a lasting difference. Give by December 31 to double your impact through a Matching Challenge Fund from our generous friends at Pizza Hut — twice as many books with a single gift!" There is a red donation button in the lower right corner. On the left side of the graphic is an image of a young girl holding up a book and smiling.