Frequently Asked Questions

Questions about donating milk? Read frequently asked questions about donating milk here.

Organizational Questions:

1. What is International Breast Milk Project?
   International Breast Milk Project is an international humanitarian aid organization dedicated to finding solutions to help infants in urgent need get donor milk.
   
   IBMP has provided donor milk to infants in need in South Africa, where an estimated 1.4 million children were orphaned due to HIV/AIDS in 2007. By the end of 2009, IBMP donors provided over 64,800 bottles of breast milk to infants in need in South Africa and an emergency shipment the Philippines after the catastrophic typhoon in October 2009 and to Haiti after the recent earthquake.
   
   IBMP has also awarded over $185,000 to fund health care and milk banking initiatives in Africa in order to spur local sustainability. IBMP has received numerous awards for social entrepreneurship and innovation and been featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show, ABC World News, and Time.com.
   
   
2. Is the International Breast Milk Project a non-profit organization?
   Yes. The International Breast Milk Project is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Our Federal Identification Number is 20-8711843. International Breast Milk Project was recently awarded the prestigious Charities Review Council seal of approval by earning top ranks in the Council's rigorous accountability assessment. The assessment addresses a nonprofit organization's performance in four critical areas: Public Disclosure, Governance, Financial Activity and Fundraising. We demonstrated our responsibility, integrity and transparency to our donors and constituents by earning top ranks in this program.
   
   
3. Does IBMP charge a processing fee or any other fees to the hospitals, milk banks or orphan homes in Africa?
   No. The milk is provided free of charge.
   
   
4. What has the International Breast Milk Project granted in the past?
   International Breast Milk Project has raised over $185,957 to help organizations in Africa improve the lives of infants and children in their community. Our current area of focus is breast milk banking initiatives that support infants in South Africa.
   
   $13,000: Lewa Children's Home - Clean water project
   $5,100: Beryl Thyer Memorial Africa Trust, Cameroon - Hospital equipment for a local breast milk bank
   $10,000: Village Life Outreach, Tanzania - Clean water project
   $5,000: PADI/Rivuma Mission to the Poor, Tanzania - Clean water project
   $40,000: Village Life Outreach, Tanzania - Operations and support of a local health care clinic to serve three rural villages
   $77,566: Lewa Children's Home, Kenya - Support of health care for orphans
   $22,448: Milk Matters, South Africa - Milk bank operations and development
   $12,843.23: iThemba Lethu, South Africa - Collection and processing of donor breast milk
   
   
5. How can I donate to infants in South Africa?
   If you live in South Africa, we need your help. Orphan homes and milk banks in South Africa are in desperate need of donor milk.
   
   Find out how to donate now if you live in: Durban, South Africa - or - Cape Town, South Africa
   
   
6. How is the breast milk shipped safely to Africa? Who is Quick International Courier?
   Quick International Courier, a Manhattan based priority transportation and logistics company with offices throughout the world, has again and again generously donated the transport of the milk to South Africa. Quick has been involved with IBMP for two years and is an instrumental partner in the project due to their expertise with the transportation and logistics of life-critical and time-sensitive items. They ensure the safe transport of the milk from start to finish.
   
   
7. How is the milk stored in Africa?
   The Global Cold Chain Alliance, working through three member companies of the International Association of Refrigerated Warehouses (IARW), have teamed up to help International Breast Milk Project safely store frozen donor breast milk for infants affected by HIV/AIDS, malnourishment, disease, and poverty in Durban and Cape Town, South Africa. The milk is stored at temperature-controlled cold storage facilities until checked out by local medical staff.
   
   
8. How is the milk distributed in Africa?
   We believe that the physicians, medical directors, and staff on the ground at our partner hospitals and orphan homes are best able to determine who should receive the donor milk and for how long. We ask that our partners provide us with periodic reports to help us track the impact of this life-saving gift. For more information on our research, please check out our Impact Project.
   
   
9. Does International Breast Milk Project support local milk banking in Africa?
   Yes. The strategy of International Breast Milk Project is to improve infant nutrition in Africa through a four-pronged strategy that includes:
   
   
   1. Encouraging local milk donations in Africa where feasible
      
   2. Providing donor breast milk from the US
      
   3. Funding local milk bank development in Africa
      
   4. Advocating for policies that promote, protect and support appropriate infant feeding
      
      
10. What are some websites/organizations that recognize International Breast Milk Project?
• The Oprah Winfrey Show featured International Breast Milk Project founder Jill Youse.
  
• ABC World News has featured the organization 3 times, including recognizing Jill Youse as their Person of the Week in October 2007.
  
• Good Morning America, Time.com, Foreign Policy Magazine, Women's Health, Fit Pregnancy, New York Daily, NEED Magazine and numerous other media have recognized International Breast Milk Project.
  
• Charities Review Council awarded IBMP their highest available ranking for financial accountability, governance, public disclosure, and fundraising practices.
  
• Social Venture Partners recognized IBMP for social entrepreneurship and innovation.
  
• Countless moms have twittered and blogged about their IBMP donor experience.
  
  
11. What are some websites that criticize International Breast Milk Project? Are they accurate?
    We encourage you to read through any blogs that criticize International Breast Milk Project and it and compare the information you find with our up-to-date FAQs and website.
    
    We greatly appreciate and encourage continued feedback and invite your direct questions as it allows us the opportunity to improve. We are always piloting new programs, conducting focus groups and surveys and asking you for your opinion and ideas.
    
    We invite anyone to contact us if in need of clarification. We are happy to answer any question and embrace all opinions. If a question does not exist on our site, we will post your question and our answer. We believe in transparency and embrace respectful discussions.
    
    We also invite and encourage old blogs to be updated with current, accurate information.
    
    We are a fluid, flexible organization. We are open to change and believe that the best way to provide the best service is to ask for criticism and feedback and to regularly review and evaluate our programs and business model. So please, let us know what you think and help us grow.