Give every month
Become a monthly giver
A recurring gift is the steadiest thing we have: it lets us promise a hospital that the kits will be there next month, not just this one. Write to us and we'll set it up with you.
For donors & friends
Give a family a place to hold their love
Every gift here becomes treasure a parent can hold forever. Choose an amount below, or enter your own, your donation goes straight into the hands of a family leaving the hospital without their baby.
McKenzie's Rays of Sunshine is a tax-exempt charitable organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code · EIN 41-3375360. Your donation is tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law, and no goods or services are provided in exchange for your gift.
Choose your gift
What your gift becomes
$50
micro-preemie and preemie clothing for a baby
Dresses a baby in clothing made to fit. Preemie and micro-preemie babies need clothing sized for them, and this gift puts it in a family's hands, so a mother and father can dress their child themselves.
Give $50$75
one family's butterfly
Sponsors one family at the annual butterfly release, where their child's name is read aloud and, for a little while, the grief is shared rather than carried alone. Families are never charged to attend.
Give $75$130
a complete bereavement kit for one family
Packs and delivers one complete memory kit: a weighted bear with a recorder for the baby's heartbeat, clothing sized for their child, hand- and footprint casting and ink, a personalized keepsake plaque, and a place to preserve a lock of hair.
Give $130$650
about five families
Places about five complete kits with the NICU and labor and delivery teams we partner with. Each one holds a weighted bear with a recorder for the baby's heartbeat, clothing sized for their child, hand- and footprint casting and ink, a personalized keepsake plaque, and a place to preserve a lock of hair.
Give $650$1,300
about ten families
Places about ten complete kits with the hospitals we serve. Each one holds a weighted bear with a recorder for the baby's heartbeat, clothing sized for their child, hand- and footprint casting and ink, a personalized keepsake plaque, and a place to preserve a lock of hair.
Give $1,300Your choice
any amount, large or small
Give whatever is right for you. Nothing is too small — a gift of any size helps us pack the next kit, and every dollar stays in the work of caring for families in Southeast Louisiana.
Enter my own amountGifts are processed securely by Stripe. We never see or store your card details.
Major gifts
Considering a larger gift?
Gifts at this level change what we can promise a hospital for the year ahead. We would be glad to talk with you about where it would go.
- $5,000
- about 38 families
- $10,000
- about 75 families
Other ways to help
In memory or in honor
Give in a child's name
Many gifts come in memory of a baby who is deeply missed. Tell us the name and we will make sure it is honored in the work your gift makes possible.
Beyond giving
Volunteer or partner
Kits are packed by hand, and hospitals come to us through people who know them. If you have time, a connection, or a workplace match, we would love to hear from you.
Where your gift goes
McKenzie's Rays of Sunshine reaches families through two area hospitals, one hand-packed kit at a time, alongside direct help toward funeral costs for families who need it.
Kit giving levels are based on an estimated $130 material cost per kit and are
intentionally approximate.
501(c)(3) Nonprofit · EIN 41-3375360 ·
Tax-deductible to the full extent of the law