Spreading joy to children through
simple, meaningful, and transparent giving.
Hi, I’m Maahi Prakash
The Story Behind Bag of Joy
I started Bag of Joy in 2019 when I was in fifth grade. I wanted to give back but didn’t really know how, so I started small by adopting holiday wishlists for children in foster care.
That first year, I felt happy opening my own gifts, but knowing another child—someone I would never meet—was opening theirs because of me felt different. That feeling stayed with me and kept pulling me back each year to fundraise and find better ways to help.
Over time, I noticed many kind people wanted to give but wanted it to be simple, transparent, and meaningful. I used technology to make giving easy from anywhere, and learned that impact doesn’t have to be big to be meaningful—it just has to matter to you. That idea shaped the causes I chose to support and how Bag of Joy continues to grow.
Today, people from around the world support our trusted partners through Bag of Joy.
Our work is shaped by reflection, learning, and real experiences of giving.
Research Behind Bag of Joy
How Bag of Joy Works
We connect people who want to give with trusted nonprofits—making it simple to support kids locally or around the world.
Step 1: Choose to give locally or globally.
Step 2: Adopt a wishlist or support a student.
Step 3: Reflect on your giving experience and explore ways to encourage others to give in ways that matter to them.
What started as one act of giving has grown into a way for others to spread joy too — through our local and global partners.
Our Local Partner: Friends of Foster Kids
They bring holiday joy to children in foster care.
Friends of Foster Kids (FoFK) is a nonprofit based in Shelby Township, Michigan, founded by Ms. Theresa Toia in 2006. Each year, they collect wishlists from kids in foster care and make sure every gift is wrapped and delivered with care.
Bag of Joy has partnered with FoFK since 2019, helping make holiday wishes come true for children in foster care year after year.
Click below to adopt a wishlist that connects with you.Your kindness can help make a child’s holiday brighter.
Our Global Partner: Project Okurase
They help students in Ghana go to school and receive daily hot meals.
Based in Charleston, South Carolina, Project Okurase was founded by Dr. Cynthia Swenson of the Medical University of South Carolina. The nonprofit supports children in the rural village of Okurase, Ghana by making education and meals accessible.
Bag of Joy has partnered with Project Okurase since 2024 to help support students at Nkabom Sundrops Montessori.
Your support helps kids in Okurase learn, dream, and stay connected to a brighter future.
Why Give with Bag of Joy
Because we make giving simple, transparent, and meaningful.
Every child carries a bag—for books, dreams, and hopes for the future. Bag of Joy exists to help fill those bags with care, kindness, and opportunity.
Simple: Giving is easy and accessible from any device, so anyone can help, anytime.
Transparent: You always know where your gift goes—directly to the trusted nonprofits we partner with.
Meaningful: Giving doesn’t have to be big to matter. Bag of Joy helps people support causes they care about in ways that feel personal and intentional.
Give joy. Feel joy. Spread joy