DONATE TO OUR YEAR-END CAMPAIGN

As we close out 2026, Indigo Hippo has celebrated 10 years of stewardship in environmental sustainability and accessible creative arts in Cincinnati. We thank all of you for continuing to support Indigo Hippo by shopping at our storefront, participating in our programming, volunteering your time, or donating to our cause! We look forward to more years of service in the creative arts community of Cincinnati and beyond! 

Over the past two years, Indigo Hippo has put together its first-ever strategic plan, opened a satellite location in collaboration with Tide Pool in Hamilton, OH, and paved the way for more in-house programming at our OTR shop, following much-needed storage and donation-intake improvements in our back-of-house and shop basement. We could not have gotten here without our community! 

As we look ahead, we have some very clear goals. We want to:

  • Keep the lights on at your favorite little community hub for creative reuse, inspiration, and connection. 

  • Maintain our affordable pay-what-you-can system amid rising prices.

  • Continue to fund accessible creative arts programs and workshops so people of all ages can learn new crafts from local artists while incorporating reuse and sustainability. 

  • Grow our team and increase wages because our small team works hard and deserves fair pay!

You can support all of these goals by donating to Indigo Hippo during our year-end campaign, becoming a recurring donor to fund creative sustainability year-round, or attending our annual fundraising event and gallery show, ReMADE! ReMADE will take place on Friday, December 4, 2026, from 6:00-9:00 PM at The Art Academy’s Site 1212 at 1212 S. Jackson Street. Tickets can be purchased here. Artists interested in participating can review our call for artist opportunities. 

If you have any questions about corporate sponsorship or corporate matching, please contact our Executive Director, Emily Dake, at emily@indigohippo.org

WHY DONATE?

Creative reuse is good for our community and your donation supports the work we do:

Affordable, Accessible Supplies for All: Everything at Indigo Hippo is priced based on condition and original retail value. From there, we mark items down 30-50% or more and fit them into our pay-what-you-can model. Many items end up on our Free Shelf, and when possible, we donate bulk amounts of materials to community centers, schools, summer camps, and artist groups. No one gets turned away at Indigo Hippo because we believe that art is for everyone.

Donating, Not Dumping: Reuse gives your materials new life. Instead of adding to the landfill with piles of fabric scraps or broken crayons, your generous donation of supplies will find a good home and new purpose once it’s cycled through our storefront. Nothing is ever wasted.

Inspiration Leads to Local Impact: Every material that comes through our store inspires the next project, crafts the next gift, or tells a new story in Cincinnati’s creative community. Imagine entering a gallery made of materials from your donated supplies!   

FAQ

Is my donation tax-deductible? 

Yes. Indigo Hippo is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Any donation made to Indigo Hippo is tax-deductible, less the amount of any goods you receive in exchange for recurring pledges. Our federal tax ID is 81-0962110. The IRS does not require a receipt except for donations of $250 or more, in which case we will email you a receipt next January, or earlier upon request. 

What are the different donor levels?

✨A glitter pledge is any donation from $10 to $364 and directly supports our creative reuse system. Much like glitter, there’s stuff everywhere we have to maintain to be a creative reuse center, and it never goes away. Paying the bills, keeping the lights on, maintaining our unique pay-what-you-can system, and paying our lovely little staff. Without that, we wouldn’t be here!

🦛 A hippo pledge is any donation of $365 or higher. This pledge directly funds Indigo Hippo’s ability to grow and maintain our creative arts programs, such as Material Play, our gallery, and paying local artists to lead in-store workshops. 

🌱A sustainability pledge is any pledge of $1,000 or higher. These pledges are invested into our long-term projects: increasing staff size, raising staff wages, storefront improvements, web shop, or equipment upgrades. These dollars go a long way toward sustaining Indigo Hippo's future. 

What is the Swim Team? 🛟

The Swim Team is a recurring, monthly pledge of $10/mo or more! These recurring donations mean the world to us, because we know we can count on your support. Swim Team members will receive a special quarterly report from the Hippo team, early access to Indigo Hippo workshops and events, and an annual gift! This year’s gift is our special 10-year anniversary tote bag.  

How Do I Donate?

Using the form above! We accept donations via card, cash, or check. Cash and checks may be made out to Indigo Hippo and mailed to 1334 Main Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202, in ℅ Emily Dake.

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