A Little LIFT is a Blueprints initiative that mobilizes donations from caring community-minded people to prevent small problems from becoming catastrophes for Blueprints participants who are on a path to self-sufficiency. 

Blueprints is a nonprofit organization that works with more than 19,000 individuals and families in need each year in Pennsylvania’s Washington and Greene counties. Its 30+ programs enable families and individuals to attain the skills, knowledge, motivations, and opportunities to become self-sufficient.

A “barrier” is a tangible obstacle that keeps a person or family from moving towards stability or maintaining self-reliance. In contrast, a “problem” is a life circumstance that must be resolved before a plan for stability may be implemented. 

For example, repairing a car to pass inspection so an individual can get to work, keep their job, and keep pursuing self-reliance is a barrier LIFT can address. Whereas, paying someone’s rent because they can’t afford it is a problem that has to be solved before a path to self-reliance can be identified. You can find out more about How A Little LIFT Works to eliminate barriers.

Yes, you must be involved in a Blueprints program to be eligible. You can learn more about how the Blueprints programs can help you reach self-reliance at www.myblueprints.org. When you are enrolled in a Blueprints program, you can make a request for consideration through a staff member. However, not all LIFT requests are appropriate.

A Little LIFT is open only to current Blueprints program participants.

A Little LIFT receives a range of donation amounts. Most people donate around $20 to any given LIFT. All donations help LIFTs reach the goal and support someone in need.

You can donate as a guest without creating an account, or you can create and log into your account.

A Little LIFT account can help you better manage your donation and donation history. You can also fund a donor account by sending a check or deposit online payments, so you can easily make future LIFT donations.

No. Blueprints mobilizes and maximizes the donations by working with vendors and suppliers directly on the participants’ behalf. Participants do not receive funds directly from Blueprints. You can see how the funds are used through A Little LIFT success stories and LIFT updates.

100% of your LIFT donations go to support LIFT individuals and families. Blueprints pays for all payment processing fees from agency funds.

People often ask about donating everyday necessities such as furniture, kitchen essentials, bathroom essentials, appliances, or clothing. However, A Little LIFT and Blueprints do not have the capacity to pick up, store, or deliver these donations to our participants.

We are open to finding a partner and discuss how to capitalize on this kind of generosity. If you have suggestions or ideas regarding this, please let us know by 877.814.0877 or give@alittlelift.org. 

Absolutely! You can contribute to the LIFT Funding Pool to make nonspecific LIFT donations that will be used to help a nearly funded LIFT reach its goal. 

A Little LIFT’s success stories do not stop when the LIFT reaches its crowd fundraising goal. We send updates on successful LIFTs through email and website blog posts, so you are never left wondering what happened to the contributions you’ve made.

In addition to donating, you can also consider being a dedicated Blueprints champion. Share our story with your neighbors, colleagues, friends, and family!