Frequently Asked Questions

International Breast Milk Project is an international humanitarian aid organization dedicated to finding solutions to spare infants from needless suffering and hunger by ensuring that moms with extra life-saving donor breast milk have a way to donate it. Currently, IBMP provides donor milk to infants in emergent 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 will have provided over 65,000 bottles (262,679 ounces, 2052 gallons) of breast milk from donors across the US to infants in South Africa. That is equivalent to the amount of milk needed to feed 2,188 babies one bottle of milk a day for 30 days. IBMP has also awarded over $184,000 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. International Breast Milk Project is a federally registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization.

Thanks to people like Oprah Winfrey, who covered International Breast Milk Project, and Salma Hayek, who recently breastfed a malnourished infant in Africa, the demand to donate milk to International Breast Milk Project has been skyrocketing. Three years ago the organization had less than 10 donors. Today, International Breast Milk Project receives around 400 - 600 requests per quarter to donate milk and demand continues to grow.

This outpouring of support from mothers has outpaced the 100,000 ounces that our partner, Prolacta Bioscience has committed to process in 2009. As coolers full of milk continue to arrive each day, we anticipate that we are on track to meet the 50,000 ounce goal for our December 2009 shipment.

We are currently evaluating our business model and will announce information as it becomes available. We don't anticipate being able to accept donors through the end of the year.

Prolacta has again generously agreed to donate the processing and packaging of at least 25% of the total milk collected for our Africa shipments, although it is projected that more than that amount will end up being donated.

Prolacta will process at least 100,000 ounces of donor milk for International Breast Milk Project for infants suffering from HIV/AIDS, malnourishment, poverty and disease in Africa during 2009.

The milk that is not applied toward the Africa shipments will be processed by Prolacta to make the only available human milk fortifier made from 100% human milk, H2MF, for premature and critically ill babies in neonatal intensive care units in the U.S. For every ounce that remains in the U.S., Prolacta will provide at least $1 to IBMP. These funds help IBMP to operate and fund long-term health care solutions in Africa, including local milk banking. This partnership of a non-profit with a for-profit organization provides a model that creates sustainability for urgently needed donor milk and funding for longer-term solutions. It also helps moms provide milk both for infants in Africa and the US, a win-win situation.

Every drop is making a difference.

International Breast Milk Project spends less than 1% on administrative costs.

Yes. 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: