Have you thought about donating some of your reborn dolls to help others? Once you have some experience with reborning under your belt, chances are you'll find yourself in possession of more reborn dolls than you know what to do with. Instead of letting them sit in your reborn nursery room, you can give them away for a good cause. It's a simple and easy way to pass the joys of the hobby along to those less fortunate. If this sounds like something you are interested in doing, keep reading and we'll reveal where and how to go about donating some of your reborns.

Contrary to what some people may believe, you don't need to give away a dozen or more of your reborn dolls to make a difference. While I'm sure there are donation centers and places who would take this many, you can still make a positive impact with just one or two dolls. If you are a reborn artist, try designating some of your "in-work" dolls for future donations. This will make it easier for you to part with later, and it will give you something to strive for as you work on them each day.

Why you should donate some of you reborn dolls:

• Gives you a warm, fuzzy feeling inside knowing that you are helping others.
• Reborn dolls are proven to make people happier.
• You can receive tax credits for reborn doll donations here in the US.
• Spread the word about reborning, making the hobby even more popular.
• Oh yeah, did I mention you get a tax credit for donations?

Where NOT To Donate Your Reborn Dolls

To make the most impact with your reborn doll donations, it's imperative that you avoid some common mistakes, one of which is donating to the wrong centers. Because reborn dolls are such a unique, one-of-a-kind item, you'll need to choose an appropriate donation; otherwise, your dolls will just get picked up by someone looking for a regular ol' doll.

Goodwill is arguably the single most widely known donation center in the country. They are a non-profit organization with a focus on providing job training, placement, education and more for people in need. Goodwill is funded by a network of thrift stores where people can donate products and items they no longer want or need. Once donated, these items are then placed for sale in the store, which is how they generate revenue.

At first glance, some people probably wouldn't think twice about donating their reborn dolls to a place like Goodwill, but there are a couple problems in doing so. The biggest issue with donating reborn dolls at Goodwill is the fact that most people don't know how to properly price them. As a result, an employee might price it the same as a traditional toy doll without realizing its true value. Instead of your doll generating several hundred dolls for the charitable organization, it may only generate $20 or $30 bucks, which is kind of depressing considering how much time and energy goes into making a reborn doll.

Donation Option #1 -Nursing Homes

A better place to donate some of your reborn dolls is to a local nursing home in your area. Here, they can be given to female patients suffering from Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia. In a previous article on our site, we talked about the potential benefits of using reborn dolls as a therapeutic treatment option for patients suffering from dementia. In short, there's an instinctual calming reaction that occurs once you place a lifelike reborn doll in the hands of a female patient. Some people believe it brings them back to happy thoughts of motherhood, while others believe it's the realistic expressions of reborns. For whatever the reason, we now know that reborn dolls are an effective way to help calm and alleviate some of the aggression caused by dementia.

If you are interested in donating one or more of your reborn dolls, start by calling some of the nursing homes in your area to see if they are interested in your dolls. Let them know you are a doll artists who's looking to donate some of your creations to various nursing homes, and that you want to know if they would be willing to use them as a form of therapy. You might be surprised at just how many nursing homes already use reborn dolls as an integral part of their therapy sessions.

Donation Option #2 - Children's Hospitals

Another option available is to donate your reborn dolls to a children's hospital. There are hundreds of wonderful hospital organizations throughout the country that specialize in medical services and treatment for children. Giving up some of your reborn dolls will allow some of the less-fortunate children in this world to enjoy them, and that's something you can't put a price on.

The process for finding a children's hospital to donate your reborn dolls to is pretty much the same as locating a nursing home. Just pick up the phone and do some cold calling to ones in your area. Once you get someone on the phone, ask them if they are interested in some of your uniquely-realistic dolls to hand out to some of their patients. They might not know what a reborn doll is, so just tell them that your dolls are ultra realistic.

Donation Option #2 - Charity Auction

A third option available is to sell your reborn doll through a charity auction, allowing all (or some) of the revenue made to go towards a cause of your choosing. Although you aren't technically donating your reborn doll, you are donating the money earned from the sale. If you want to take this route, it's recommended that you use eBay's charity auction platform, as this will most likely maximize the amount of money you generate.

Most artists sell their dolls on eBay simply to turn a profit, but they also have a charity platform available. The eBay Giving Works Charity program was originally launched back in 2003, and since then it's raised over $200 million. Basically, you will list your reborn doll along with a picture, description, category, etc. (like you would a normal auction), but you can then select the option to donate 10-100% of the proceeds to a charity of your choosing. After the sale is made, you will have a donation receipt send to your email.