Your financial support is a crucial lifeline, ensuring we can continue our mission of training and placing service dogs for those in need. Every donation directly contributes to the cost of raising each service dog, making a tangible impact on the lives of disabled teens and young adults across Connecticut and surrounding areas.

Monetary Donations

Please use the DONATE button at the top of the page to make an online contribution. Personal one-time donations may be mailed to: The Exceptional Sidekick, 3 Simm Lane, Newtown, CT 06470, or consider a reoccurring donation through a payroll deduction or monthly credit card charge. 

Appreciated Assets

You can support our mission by donating appreciated assets like stocks, securities, real estate, or works of art.  This one time gift provides us with ongoing operations and endowment funding, allowing us to expand and shorten the current 2 year wait for most people needing a psychiatric service dog. You may also benefit from an income tax charitable deduction at the current market value and not pay capital gains tax on the asset’s appreciation. 

Corporate Matching Gifts

Double your donation today! Many employers offer matching gift programs in which your contribution is matched by your company with a donation of its own, usually dollar for dollar. In effect, your contribution is doubled and sometimes even tripled. Companies often want to support nonprofit organizations that operate in their own local areas. Contact your human resources department to see if your employer participates. If you already sent your donation without checking, it may not be too late – check with your human resources department for their filing deadlines. Most employees match gifts from the current year.

Frequent Flyer Miles

Our dogs need to be comfortable flying with their new handlers. With your gift, we will take short flights that expose the dog to airport security lines, foot traffic, rolling bags, people movers, and a stressful/hectic environment. On the plane, the dog will learn to back into the footwell, lay quietly during the flight, ignore all of the new sights and smells, stay calm during takeoff and landing, and deal with air pressure changes. The last thing we want is an anxious flyer to have an anxious dog. The IRS recognizes award points and miles as a gift or an award from the corporation to the individual. Therefore, points and frequent flier miles donated to us are not tax deductible.

Donations for Training

Gift Certificates for training equipment, harnesses, leashes, etc.
From local Pet Stores, Chewy.com, Amazon.com, Walmart.com.
Gift Donate Tickets for Local Training Trips for our teams:
Zoos, Metro North Passes, Museums & Aquariums, Amusement Parks.