Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Who founded KidFlicks?
Why was KidFlicks created?
What prompted the idea?
Who was the first recipient of a donation?
How do you find donations?
Do other people organize donation drives for KidFlicks?
Do companies donate movies to you?
How often do you send out movies?
How often do you receive donations?
Do you accept videotapes?
What geographical area do you cover?
Do you do fundraising to cover shipping and other costs?
Are donations tax-deductible?
How can I contact Kid Flicks?
Who founded KidFlicks?
Kid Flicks was founded by the Barta sisters in Spring 2002.
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Why was KidFlicks created?
Kid Flicks’ purpose is to solicit and collect new and used DVDs to donate to Pediatric Departments and Children’s Hospitals throughout the United States.
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What prompted the idea?
We came up with the idea after one of our friends was treated for Leukemia at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. We had been doing some “Spring Cleaning” and found we had a large number of movies that we had either outgrown or no longer watched. We knew our friend watched movies while she was in the hospital receiving chemotherapy treatments to pass the time and distract her.
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Who was the first recipient of a donation?
We took our own movie donations to the Pediatric Oncology Center at Cedars-Sinai and when the Child Life Specialist told us that “movies are the first things kids ask for when they are in the hospital,” we decided to collect as many movies as possible to donate to as many hospitals as possible.
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How do you find donations?
We came up with the name Kid Flicks and then wrote solicitation letters to friends, family, and entertainment executives. Within the first week, we had over 100 movies. We increased our donor base by organizing the following: movie collection drives at our former nursery school, elementary school, and religious school; our pediatrician sends a weekly newsletter to the 2,000 families in her practice in which she publishes information on Kid Flicks (families can either drop off their donations at the doctor’s office or contact Kid Flicks directly to have their donations picked up). Word-of-mouth and media attention bring in donations from across the country.
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Do other people organize donation drives for KidFlicks?
Individuals who have heard about Kid Flicks have organized their own “collection drives.” For a complete list of all the schools, temples, churches, businesses, clubs, and other organizations that have conducted Kid Flicks DVD collection drives see Donors.
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Do companies donate movies to you?
Several movie studios and production companies have donated movies to Kid Flicks, including MGM, DreamWorks SKG, 20th Century Fox Home Video, Warner Bros. Studios, Dualstar Productions, and Wee Sing Productions. We cannot accept more than 20 copies of one particular title. To see a complete list of the dozens of movie studios and production companies that have donated DVDs see Donors.
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How often do you send out movies?
Every time we collect another 100 movies, we find a new hospital to donate to. Each hospital receives a “movie library” of 100 assorted films that appeal to toddlers through teenagers.
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How often do you receive donations?
Hardly a week goes by that we don’t receive movie donations.
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Do you accept VHS videotapes?
We used to accept VHS videotapes as donations, but hospitals have started phasing out their video collections as VCRs become harder to find. DVDs are smaller, lighter and higher quality, therefore we are limiting our donations to DVD movies only. DVDs must be rated G, PG, or PG-13 and be in their original boxes.
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What geographical area do you cover?
We cover the entire United States. Initially, we delivered movie libraries to Los Angeles area hospitals. Once we had serviced all of those hospitals, we expanded their deliveries to Orange County, Palm Springs, San Diego County and Santa Barbara. Once Kid Flicks had serviced all Southern California hospitals (and any others that were within a 5-hour round-trip driving range), we began to raise funds to cover the cost of shipping movie libraries to hospitals that were further away. Our goal is to provide a “movie library” to every Pediatric Department and Children’s Hospital in the United States. We were recently contacted by an organization that helps poor hospitals and clinics that treat children in South Africa; when they requested movies, we donated 500 movies to five different hospitals there.
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Do you do fundraising to cover shipping and other costs?
Yes. Kid Flicks continually applies for grants and awards to cover shipping costs. We also accept financial donations; to make a financial contribution see Make a Donation.
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Are donations tax-deductible?
Kid Flicks has been granted 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit status; donations are tax-deductible. If you would like a thank-you note/receipt, please include your name and email address INSIDE the box with your donations.
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How can I contact Kid Flicks?
You can e-mail us at kidflicks@aol.com.
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