For volunteers & donors
How to actually help
Most people who want to help don't know where to start, so they donate used clothes or hand out granola bars from their car. This page is opinionated about what has impact — based on the same research summarized in our Learn section.
Ready to act?
Find shelters near you that accept volunteers
Type your city, zip, or postal code and we'll list nearby resources with phone numbers so you can ask about their current volunteer needs.
Find places near me →If you have $20 to give
Give cash to a local organization that provides housing — not stuff, not religious counseling, not "transitional" programs that gatekeep on sobriety. National charities are fine; small, local Housing First providers are often more effective dollar-for-dollar because they spend less on overhead and know their local landlords.
See Charity Navigator or GiveWell to vet specific charities.
If you have a few hours — volunteer
- Serve a shift at a soup kitchen or shelter. Most need volunteers for meal prep and serving. Call ahead — they usually have a sign-up.
- Make hygiene kits. Gallon ziplocs filled with: travel toothbrush + toothpaste, deodorant, bar soap, washcloth, comb, lip balm, hand wipes, a granola bar, and a pair of new socks. Drop off at the nearest shelter, or carry a few in your car to hand out directly.
- Run a sock drive. Clean socks are the single most-requested item at almost every shelter. Easy to organize at a workplace, school, or church.
- Join a street-outreach team. Most cities have an organized outreach team — sometimes through the library, a Continuum of Care, or a volunteer-led group like Mary's Place or Operation Sack Lunch. They can pair you with experienced outreach workers.
What to donate (and what not to)
Most useful
- • Cash (lets organizations buy exactly what's needed today)
- • New socks (the #1 requested item)
- • New underwear
- • Hygiene items (full size, not hotel)
- • Sleeping bags & tents (for outreach)
- • Sturdy backpacks
- • Reusable water bottles
- • Hand warmers (winter), sunscreen (summer)
- • Bus passes / transit cards
- • Pet food (many people have pets they won't leave)
Least useful
- • Used clothing (overwhelmingly oversupplied)
- • Stuffed animals, holiday decorations
- • Old electronics
- • Expired or perishable food in bulk
- • "Inspirational" books, religious tracts
- • Anything that requires storage shelters don't have
Rule of thumb: cash > new items > clean used items > old used items. When in doubt, call the shelter and ask what they actually need this month.
Effective charities by population
A non-exhaustive starting list of organizations that work at scale and publish outcomes. Always do your own diligence on local groups — small effective ones often beat large famous ones.
Veterans
National Coalition for Homeless Veterans
USVeterans · US national
Umbrella organization coordinating local veteran homelessness providers; lobbies for HUD-VASH funding.
Veterans Inc.
USVeterans · US Northeast
One of the largest providers of veteran-specific housing and employment services in the country.
VETS Canada
CAVeterans · Canada national
Volunteer-led; provides emergency assistance, outreach, and rehousing for homeless Canadian veterans.
Youth
Covenant House
US & CAYouth (16–24) · US & Canada
Largest youth-serving homelessness charity in North America. LGBTQ+ affirming.
Trevor Project
US & CALGBTQ+ youth · US national (24/7 crisis line)
Crisis line, chat, and text for LGBTQ+ young people. Not housing, but often the first call.
Ali Forney Center
USLGBTQ+ youth · New York City
Largest LGBTQ+ youth housing provider in the US.
Eva's Initiatives for Homeless Youth
CAYouth (16–24) · Toronto
Three youth shelters and transitional housing in Toronto with strong outcomes.
Families & women
St. Vincent de Paul Society
US & CAFamilies and individuals · US & Canada (network)
Decentralized network — money usually stays local. Strong eviction-prevention programs.
National Network to End Domestic Violence
USWomen & families fleeing DV · US national
Operates the national hotline and supports local DV shelters in every state.
Volunteers of America
USFamilies, veterans, seniors · US national
Operates housing, addiction recovery, and family shelters in 46 states.
Chronic & general
National Alliance to End Homelessness
USPolicy & research · US national
Best policy and data shop in the field. Donate here if you want to fund evidence-based advocacy.
Community Solutions (Built for Zero)
US & CAChronic & veteran homelessness · US & Canada
Coordinates 100+ cities running data-driven Housing First programs. Multiple cities have reached 'functional zero' under this model.
Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness
CAPolicy & research · Canada national
Coordinates the Built for Zero Canada campaign and lobbies the federal government.
Indigenous
Siloam Mission
CAIndigenous-led shelter & housing · Winnipeg
Largest provider in Manitoba; works closely with Indigenous communities disproportionately affected by homelessness.
Native American Connections
USNative American housing & recovery · Arizona
Culturally specific recovery and housing for Native communities.
If you have political energy
The single largest lever on homelessness is the housing supply. Most of the variance between cities is explained by housing costs — and housing costs are set by zoning, permitting, and construction policy. Supporting more housing being built, of all kinds and especially at the low end, is the most consequential thing most voters can do.
- • Show up to local zoning meetings.
- • Support YIMBY ("yes in my backyard") groups in your city.
- • Push your representatives to fund vouchers (Section 8 in the US; portable housing benefit in Canada).
- • Oppose encampment criminalization laws; support outreach-and-housing alternatives.