Locks of Love
Encyclopedia
Locks of Love is a non-profit
charity
based in the United States
. The organization accepts donations of human hair and money, with the stated intention of making wigs for needy children who have lost their hair due to a medical condition in Canada
and the USA.
Locks of Love representatives are frequent guests on The Oprah Winfrey Show
and other daytime television shows, where they provide haircuts to guests and audience members. The organization was formed to help children with several conditions that cause hair loss, including alopecia
, burn trauma, and cancer treatment.
Parent or Guardian must provide:
Locks of Love does not provide all hairpieces free of charge. According to its website, prices for human-hair wigs are set on a sliding scale based on the recipient's family income.
, in 2002 alone Locks of Love had raised over $150,000 by selling donated hair and had received another $213,000 in charitable contributions and grants, but, despite receiving enough hair to make over 10,000 hairpieces, provided only 113 human-hair wigs. In 2005, they made $352,401 from "unusable sale materials" which is nearly 40% of their reported income. LoL reports that it receives over 2000 donations of hair through the mail each week and an equal amount from hair salons (it takes 6-10 ponytails to make a wig, according to their website).
According to its tax returns, Locks of Love made $1.9 million from hair sales from 2001 to 2006, and took in another $3.4 million in donations. Besides paying for wigs, the money goes for overhead and other costs, including grants for alopecia research. Locks of Love sends the best of the hair it receives to a wig manufacturer, Taylormade Hair Replacement in Millbrae, Calif., which weeds through the selection still further, rejecting up to half.
The BBB 2010 report currently lists Locks of Love as a reputable charity, as of their evaluation done August 2009.
's maternal uncle suffered from leukemia
as a child, underwent chemotherapy
while he was in second grade, and lost his hair in the process. At nine years old, he died. He was mentioned often in family discussions. Carimi thought he would do something "that wouldn't take a lot of my time but would help other people." He grew his hair out for 20 months, until it was long enough in 2010 to donate to Locks of Love.
National Hockey League player George Parros
has grown his hair long since the start of his professional hockey career, so he can donate it to Locks of Love.
Ashley Argota from True Jackson V.P. also donated her hair to the locks of love organization. She donated 10 inches of her hair.
Jason Derulo, famous musical artist also donated his hair to the locks of love organization. He donated 13 inches of his hair.
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
charity
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
based in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The organization accepts donations of human hair and money, with the stated intention of making wigs for needy children who have lost their hair due to a medical condition in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and the USA.
Organization's History
Since the charity began in December 1997, it has provided about 2,000 wigs to recipients for free or a reduced price. To compare, Pantene Beautiful Lengths, started in June 2006, has received 18,000 ponytails and distributed 2,000 wigs to women with cancer.Locks of Love representatives are frequent guests on The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
and other daytime television shows, where they provide haircuts to guests and audience members. The organization was formed to help children with several conditions that cause hair loss, including alopecia
Alopecia
Alopecia means loss of hair from the head or body. Alopecia can mean baldness, a term generally reserved for pattern alopecia or androgenic alopecia. Compulsive pulling of hair can also produce hair loss. Hairstyling routines such as tight ponytails or braids may induce Traction alopecia. Both...
, burn trauma, and cancer treatment.
Requirements for recipients
- Child must be 21 years or younger.
- Child must have long-term or short-term hair loss from alopecia areataAlopecia areataAlopecia areata is a medical condition in which hair is lost from some or all areas of the body, usually from the scalp. Because it causes bald spots on the scalp, especially in the first stages, it is sometimes called spot baldness. In 1–2% of cases, the condition can spread to the entire scalp ...
(an autoimmune illness), scalp burnsBurn (injury)A burn is a type of injury to flesh caused by heat, electricity, chemicals, light, radiation or friction. Most burns affect only the skin . Rarely, deeper tissues, such as muscle, bone, and blood vessels can also be injured...
, or a similar medical condition
Parent or Guardian must provide:
- Proof of financial need by mailing a copy of the parent/guardian's tax return or state/federal benefits, as well as "any documents that verify extenuating financial circumstances."
- Detailed information about the child's medical diagnosis, including the cause, how permanent or temporary the hair loss is, and who their doctor is. It is suggested that the doctor fax this information to the organization.
- A photo of the child without a hairpiece or hat
- At least two letters of recommendation from a parent, a teacher, a friend, coach, etc. explaining why the child would benefit from a hairpiece
Locks of Love does not provide all hairpieces free of charge. According to its website, prices for human-hair wigs are set on a sliding scale based on the recipient's family income.
Requirements for donors
Locks of Love accepts donations from people of all ages, races, and nationalities. However, they do have some specific requirements for hair donations they accept.- Donated hair must be ten inches or longer. (Curly hair can be straightened to meet the requirement.)
- Hair may not be bleached, chemically damaged, or overprocessed; permed or coloured hair is acceptable.
- Hair must be in the form of a clean, dry ponytailPonytailA ponytail is a hairstyle in which most or all of the hair on the head is pulled away from the face, gathered and secured at the back of the head with a hair tie, clip or similar device, and allowed to hang freely from that point. It gets its name from its resemblance to the undocked tail of a...
or braidBraidA braid is a complex structure or pattern formed by intertwining three or more strands of flexible material such as textile fibres, wire, or human hair...
. DreadlocksDreadlocksDreadlocks, also called locks, a ras, dreads, "rasta" or Jata , are matted coils of hair. Dreadlocks are usually intentionally formed; because of the variety of different hair textures, various methods are used to encourage the formation of locks such as backcombing...
are not accepted. - Hair that is less than ten inches or grey is separated from the donations and sold to offset manufacturing costs.
Tax deductions
As the hair is considered to be a body part and is analogous to blood, any hair donations are not tax deductible according to IRS guidelines but financial donations are deductible.Criticisms
Locks of Love has received criticism for its practice of selling donated hair, rather than using it in wigs as the donors expect. They refer to the hair they sell as "unusable material," but the buyers are using it to make wigs. According to a 2003 report by the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving AllianceBBB Wise Giving Alliance
The BBB Wise Giving Alliance is an association of charities formed by a merger of the National Charities Information Bureau and the Council of Better Business Bureaus' Foundation and its Philanthropic Advisory Service . It publishes a set of standards of accountability for charitable...
, in 2002 alone Locks of Love had raised over $150,000 by selling donated hair and had received another $213,000 in charitable contributions and grants, but, despite receiving enough hair to make over 10,000 hairpieces, provided only 113 human-hair wigs. In 2005, they made $352,401 from "unusable sale materials" which is nearly 40% of their reported income. LoL reports that it receives over 2000 donations of hair through the mail each week and an equal amount from hair salons (it takes 6-10 ponytails to make a wig, according to their website).
According to its tax returns, Locks of Love made $1.9 million from hair sales from 2001 to 2006, and took in another $3.4 million in donations. Besides paying for wigs, the money goes for overhead and other costs, including grants for alopecia research. Locks of Love sends the best of the hair it receives to a wig manufacturer, Taylormade Hair Replacement in Millbrae, Calif., which weeds through the selection still further, rejecting up to half.
The BBB 2010 report currently lists Locks of Love as a reputable charity, as of their evaluation done August 2009.
Famous donors
All American football player (and Chicago Bears first-round draft pick) Gabe CarimiGabe Carimi
Gabe Carimi , nicknamed "The Bear Jew", is an American football offensive tackle for the Chicago Bears.Carimi had 49 starts at left tackle in his four-year Wisconsin Badgers college career, which culminated at the 2011 Rose Bowl. He was awarded the 2010 Outland Trophy, as the nation's top...
's maternal uncle suffered from leukemia
Leukemia
Leukemia or leukaemia is a type of cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal increase of immature white blood cells called "blasts". Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases...
as a child, underwent chemotherapy
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the treatment of cancer with an antineoplastic drug or with a combination of such drugs into a standardized treatment regimen....
while he was in second grade, and lost his hair in the process. At nine years old, he died. He was mentioned often in family discussions. Carimi thought he would do something "that wouldn't take a lot of my time but would help other people." He grew his hair out for 20 months, until it was long enough in 2010 to donate to Locks of Love.
National Hockey League player George Parros
George Parros
George James Parros is an Greek American professional ice hockey player, who plays right wing for the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League. He is known as one of the enforcers for the team. He was part of the 2007 Stanley Cup winning Anaheim Ducks.- Early life :A native of Scenery Hill,...
has grown his hair long since the start of his professional hockey career, so he can donate it to Locks of Love.
Ashley Argota from True Jackson V.P. also donated her hair to the locks of love organization. She donated 10 inches of her hair.
Jason Derulo, famous musical artist also donated his hair to the locks of love organization. He donated 13 inches of his hair.
See also
- Little PrincessesLittle PrincessesLittle Princess Trust is a charity in the United Kingdom which supplies and funds high quality wigs made of real hair to children suffering hair loss as a result of cancer treatment....
- Sofia's Hair 4 Health
- Wigs for KidsWigs for KidsWigs for Kids is a non-profit organization started by Jeffrey Paul which creates wigs for children who have lost their hair either permanently or temporarily due to a medical condition. This organization accepts donations of both hair and money...
- Pantene Beautiful LengthsPantene Beautiful LengthsPantene Beautiful Lengths is a charity campaign that allows individuals to donate hair for women who have lost their own due to cancer treatment...
- Zichron MenachemZichron MenachemZichron Menachem is the Israeli association for the support of children with cancer and their families. It offers immediate, practical and long-term solutions to the wide range of problems that must be overcome from the moment that a child has been diagnosed with cancer. It also provides support...
External links
- http://www.locksoflove.org/ Locks of Love
- http://www.locksoflove.org/images/990.pdf [Locks of Love IRS Form 990 for tax year 2008]
- http://www.locksoflove.org/recipient.html
Reports by charity-monitoring groups
- http://www.bbb.org/charity-reviews/national/toc/locks-of-love-in-lake-worth-fl-1839 BBB Wise Giving Report: Locks of Love]
- http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm/bay/search.summary/orgid/9285.htm Charity Navigator Report: Locks of Love
- http://www.guidestar.org/pqShowGsReport.do?npoId=579069 GuideStar Basic Report: Locks of Love (registration required)