Ways You Can Help

MONTHLY SUSTAINING DONOR

By joining our monthly sustaining donor program, you will help us have a continuous source of funds to cover our important work helping individuals living with HIV/AIDS right here in our community. All of our clients live below the poverty line and your monthly donation will go directly to our programs and services that improve the quality of their lives. You will also receive a Sunburst Projects T-shirt and our bi-annual newsletter along with invitations to our community events and fundraisers. Please consider a monthly donation today and join our treasured group of donors. Donors who give $125 per month will automatically become part of our Leadership Circle, with special recognition on our website and VIP status at our events. Click on the DONATE MONTHLY button to see how every dollar impacts the lives of our clients.

DONATE MONTHLY →

EMERGENCY FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FUND

You can make a dramatic impact on the lives of those in financial crisis by donating to our newly established Emergency Financial Assistance Fund. Your donation will immediately be distributed to Sunburst clients who are coming up short on rent payments and essential utility bills, clients who need transportation vouchers to access HIV-related health services, repairing client vehicles used for transportation to work and medical appointments, and purchasing prescription eyewear. This fund is also used to help our clients who are food insecure by providing food vouchers to those with immediate nutritional needs. Many of our clients struggle to provide food for their families and make ends meet each month. Additionally, the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in job losses and reduction in work hours and wages for some of our clients. Donating to our Emergency Financial Assistance Fund is a gratifying way to help our clients and their families when they need it the most.

DONATE AUCTION ITEMS

Do you have a business that sells products or services that would make great auction items for our fundraisers? Do you make beautiful gift baskets? Can you donate wine? Do you have an art piece you’d like to donate? Do you own a timeshare? A cabin in Tahoe? All of these make wonderful live and silent auction items and we’d love your help! We are always in need of auction items! Contact us today and we will gladly come and pick up your donation! Call (916) 440-0889 or email diana@sunburstprojects.org.

DONATE CLOTHING

Sunburst has a clothing closet for our clients. We gladly accept clean clothing, shoes, and accessories in gently used condition for children, teens, and adults. For more information contact us at (916) 440-0889 or email admin@sunburstprojects.org.
(Note: donations to non-profit organizations may be tax deductible. Our Tax ID is 68-0239282. We gladly issue receipts for donations.)

GIFTS OF IN-KIND SERVICES OR PRODUCTS

In-kind gifts are gifts of goods or services. You can support Sunburst Projects by providing professional services such as printing, catering, etc., or by donating goods we might otherwise pay for such as silent auction items for fundraising events, gift certificates, décor, food, etc. For more information on donating in-kind gifts and services, please email diana@sunburstprojects.org or call our office at (916) 440-0889.

ESTATE/PLANNED GIVING

Planned gifts ensure the future of community organizations. With a planned gift to Sunburst Projects, you can combine your desire to give to a charity with your overall financial, tax, and estate planning goals. Planned giving offers you a special connection with Sunburst. You will help those touched by HIV/AIDS for now and for years to come. To learn more about Estate/Planned Giving to Sunburst Projects or to notify us of a gift included in your estate planning, please contact Diana Pretzlaff at diana@sunburstprojects.org or call (916) 440-0889.

HOST A FUNDRAISER

Do you have an event idea to help us raise funds for our programs? Perhaps you’d like to invite your friends for a virtual cocktail party to benefit Sunburst Projects or host an event in your home, organization, or business? If you’d like to help, we’d love to hear from you! Email diana@sunburstprojects.org or call (916) 440-0889 today!

EVENT SPONSORSHIP

Sponsoring Sunburst Projects Events are a great way to get involved and support social responsibility right here in our community. Event sponsorships allow us to enhance programming and services for our clients. Sponsors receive special recognition at our events, on social media, and on our website.
Some examples of our events include:

One Love Conference: Our yearly One Love Conference for teens and young adults focuses on medication adherence, stopping the spread of HIV, sexual health, disclosure and stigma. Your sponsorship will provide youth with meals, boarding and leadership programs.
Weekly Support Groups: Sunburst offers weekly support groups for men, women, children, adolescents and long-term HIV/AIDS survivors and their families. Your sponsorship will provide refreshments, therapeutic and support materials for participants living with HIV/AIDS.

Sunburst Youth Nights: Throughout the year youth impacted by HIV/AIDS are invited to watch movies, eat popcorn, create fun art projects, and socialize with other kids infected and affected by this disease. Your sponsorship will provide food, projects, and a lot of fun for these children.

Camp Sunburst: For over 30 years Sunburst Projects has served children and youth in Northern California living with HIV/AIDS. Our yearly Camp Sunburst, a week-long residential summer camp program, has been used as a model for similar programs around the world. Camp Sunburst is held every summer through the generous support of the Taylor Family Foundation. Our camp program includes outdoor activities, ropes courses, swimming, art, dance and sports. We also offer therapeutic sessions that address medication adherence, disclosure, stigma, stress reduction, grief counseling and life skills. Your sponsorship helps us continue this vital program for marginalized kids who would not otherwise have a summer camp experience.

Annual Holiday Party: Your sponsorship helps to provide gifts for children and youth impacted by HIV/AIDS at our Annual Sunburst Holiday Party. Most of our clients live below the poverty line and this is a unique opportunity to bring joy to the lives of children and teens during the holidays who are living in difficult circumstances. We accept educational toys for children ages 0-12 and gift cards for youth ages 13-17.

For more information on how you can become an event sponsor please email us at diana@sunburstprojects.org or call (916) 440-0889.

VOLUNTEER

Become a Sunburst Projects “Magic Maker” and Make a Difference!
Our Sunburst volunteers are called “Magic Makers” because they truly do bring a touch of magic into the lives of our clients struggling with HIV/AIDS. Whether you’d like to volunteer at one of our events, help us in our office, volunteer as a Camp Sunburst counselor or offer your assistance in a variety of other ways, joining our Magic Makers program is a rewarding way to give back in our community. Our Magic Makers also have the opportunity to help other non-profit organizations in need. Whether it’s a couple of hours a year or a couple of hours a week, your passion to serve others is needed now more than ever.

Camp Sunburst Magic Makers
We are looking for energetic and compassionate Magic Makers who want to make a difference in the life of a child living with HIV/AIDS. Our yearly Camp Sunburst is a week-long therapeutic residential summer camp for kids from Northern California impacted by HIV/AIDS. Magic Makers are volunteer counselors, nurses, social workers, and community members who foster a safe, loving environment for our Camp Sunburst kids and create memories that last a lifetime. All of our campers live below the poverty line and would not have a summer camp experience without Camp Sunburst. For more information on how you can become a Magic Maker and bring joy to a young person affected by HIV/AIDS please contact our office at (916) 440-0889.

​Sunburst Event Magic Makers
Sunburst needs Magic Makers throughout the year for fundraising events. If you’d like to volunteer a few hours to assist with guest check-in, set-up, clean-up, ticket sales, etc., we need your help! If you have a special talent such as running a live auction, being a D.J. or entertaining a crowd, please become a Magic Maker today! For more information please call our office at (916) 440-0889 or complete the Event Magic Maker form below.

General Magic Makers
Sunburst has many opportunities for Magic Makers to help in our office, assist us with conferences, help with our holiday programs, etc. Just fill out the form below or call our office at (916) 440-0889 for more information.

WISH LIST

AMAZON WISH LIST →
Sunburst Projects is a non-profit organization serving underprivileged and marginalized members of our community. We are always so appreciative of gifts that we can incorporate into our programs and those which are used directly by children at our yearly residential Camp Sunburst. The following are our most-needed items:

Electronics:
Laptop Computers
I-Pads
Cell Phones
Digital Cameras
LCD Projector
Printers

Camp Sunburst Items:
Keyboards
Guitars
Percussion Instruments
Megaphones
Virtual Assistant (Alexa)
Sleeping bags
Blankets
Sheets
Pillows
Swimming Goggles

Arts and Crafts Supplies:
Glass Beads
White T-shirts for Tie Dye
Fabric Paints
Face Paints
Fimo Clay
Acrylic Paints