There are so many ways crocheters share their talents, and one of the most 
inspirational ways is through giving crocheted items to charity. There are charity organizations centered specifically around crochet items, and there are charity events that accept crochet items for their fundraising efforts.
In the past I've donated crochet items to benefits for cancer patients, local schools, and Special Olympics. Most recently, I spent the past weekend making a little doggy coat for the local animal welfare center silent auction! It's my first time crafting for an animal, and it was lots of fun!
There are many other worthy causes out there, benefiting dozens of different populations. If you are interested in crocheting for charity, here are some links to help you find a cause that matches your own interests and talents:
Friends of Pine Ridge Reservation - Friends of Pine Ridge Reservation focuses on specific needs of the many schools and social service organizations such as shelters, children's organizations, and clinics physically located on the reservation in South Dakota.
Afghans for Afghans - A humanitarian and educational people-to-people project that sends hand-knit and crocheted blankets and sweaters, vests, hats, mittens, and socks to the beleaguered people of Afghanistan.
Care Wear Volunteers - Care Wear is a nationwide group of volunteers who provide handmade baby items to hospitals. Volunteers who knit, crochet, and sew are invited to join the effort. (US and Canada)
Head Huggers - Head Huggers distributes caps to hospitals, oncology offices, hospices, etc. so that they can more readily be available to those who have lost their hair due to chemotherapy.
Knit- a- Square - Contributions of squares to this crochet and knitting project add to the many thousands of 8"/20cm squares from around the world, which are joined into blankets and distributed to orphans and abandoned children with AIDS in Africa.
Project Linus - Their mission is to provide love, a sense of security, warmth and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need through the gifts of new, handmade blankets and afghans, lovingly created by volunteer “blanketeers.”
Purple Stitch Project - Designer Vickie Howell founded this charity for people to knit, crochet, or sew purple (the epilepsy awareness color) gifts for kids with seizure disorders. These gifts will serve as a reminder that they are not alone — that they have community support.
This is by no means an exhaustive list! There are even more charities accepting donations listed at The Daily Crocheter, groups on Ravelry, a forum for giving on Crochetville, and don't forget about local families that have suffered fires, floods, and other tragedies, shelters for the homeless and animals, and school fundraisers. There are lots of opportunities to donate your time and talents if you are so inclined. And I always give permission to use my patterns for charity projects - as do most designers. If in doubt, just ask!
Be sure to check out and like the moogly Facebook page to get the latest updates, links, sneak peeks, and to order your own ooak moogly items – I’m taking commissions! Moogly is also on Pinterest, Twitter, and now Tumblr – come join the fun!
Erin says
Thanks for the links. Project Linus won our Make My Non-Profit Run Better contest a few years ago.
moogly says
Awesome!
Angela Ivey says
Is their a link to this pattern? I'm unable to find it. Thanks.
moogly says
Hi Angela! Click on "little doggy coat" in blue above. It'll take you to the Bernat site, where you have to log in or create a free account, but then you'll be taken to the pattern. 🙂
Marrie says
nice... Tamara!
Michelle says
Your dog sweater pattern is no longer available. Is it possible to get a copy of it?
Tamara Kelly says
Hi Michelle! The Yarnspirations site redo moved it, you can now find it at http://www.yarnspirations.com/pattern/crochet/dog-coat 🙂
Helen salzer says
How con I get this pattern stripey dog coat
Tamara Kelly says
http://www.yarnspirations.com/dog-coat.html 🙂
Shelley says
Hi. This has again disappeared. Would you mind sharing it please 🙏
Tamara Kelly says
Hi Shelley! All the links I checked still worked, can you tell me which one isn't working for you?
MAry anne says
i make hats for Knots of Love (knotsoflove.org). They collect and distribute knit and crochet caps for cancer patients and veterans and NICU blankets. They're based in California, but distribute all over the country.
sharondb says
Operation Gratitude accepts hats & scarves to send to troops & emergency responders worldwide! I have not yet contributed but I noticed this when I sent our excess Halloween candy to them (oh yeah, they take that too). Sounds like a wonderful program! https://opgrat.wordpress.com/2010/08/05/scarf-hat-cool-tie-project-details-materials-size-patterns/
alisha says
Mine! Kitten's Needle Work! http://Www.kittensneedlework.com and fb page (more active there), http://www.facebook.com/kittensneedlework
prabha says
Tamara, could you also include this link - http://www.projectchemocrochet.com/site/
https://www.facebook.com/projectchemocrochet
As you can see from the site, they make blankets from donated crochet squares for chemo patients
warm regards
Prabha
Tamara Kelly says
This is an older post, but I hope to soon gather all the links into a new updated list! Thank you for adding this one! 😀
Sue atkinson says
There's also the Warm Hands Network here in Canada. We are a small organization that sends warm knitted clothing and crocheted/knitted blankets to communities in the far North of Canada where it is extremely cold for a lot of the year.
http://www.warmhandsnetwork.org
Charlotte says
Can anyone help me with the leg holes please? The pattern kindly linked to seems to magic stitches out of thin air and I'm horribly stuck. My elderly dog will thank you!
Tamara Kelly says
As I recall (and it's been a while!) the leg holes didn't appeal to me either, and I just single crocheted around the openings. 🙂
carol whitehead says
Hi i am in a group called the KNITTERS AND NATTERS group at the Carers Rescourse in Rochdale Lancahsire, and we have just celebated Carers week by making Twiddle muffs for the hospital for people with dementia and also Knittedknockers for ladies who have sadly lost their breast to cancer and we make bra insert rather than go through more surgery these just insert into the bra i also donated to of my afghans we raised £45 that day for the local hospice but the the local counci approached us and ask does any of us mak dog coats i sait i do next news carers rescoures recieved and email off her she wants me to make a couple of dog coats a month and the mayor of Rochdale wants us to make blankets for the care home as many as we can is there any way you could help me in way of quick and easy patterns for dog coats for small terriers to small staffies and was wondering could you send me the pattern for the stripey dog coat please thank you
Tamara Kelly says
Hi Carol! The stripey dog coat is at http://www.yarnspirations.com/patterns/dog-coat.html, and you can find more dog coat patterns free on Ravelry, at http://rav.to/29to10A Thank you for all you do to support your community!
Jill - Charitypaws says
I totally love this idea for a nonprofit fundraiser! The doggy coats are absolutely adorable. Although I am not a knitter - I am an animal lover so this hits me in the heart! Thank you for all you do.
Mandy Stevens says
What I find VERY FRUSTRATING IS you click on the pattern you want then it takes you to the patterns..ALL BUT THE ONE YOU WANT!!!!
Tamara Kelly says
Hi Mandy! I'm so sorry you're having trouble. Can you tell me which pattern you're looking for? Perhaps one of the links is broken? This is a post from 2012, so lots of URLs have probably changed in the last 9 years.