How are books received by BFA and sent to Africa?
When is BFA open to receive books?
What kinds of books does BFA send?
BFA sends large quantities of English-language books to recipient non-government organizations (NGOs) in Africa who distribute the books to individual schools and libraries. To ship a container the first step is to find an NGO willing to receive a shipment of books. Next, you'll need to raise the funds to send the shipment. Any registered NGO is eligible to receive books from BFA. Possible NGO partners are Rotary Clubs, YMCAs, Catholic and Protestant Church Dioceses, and education organizations. BFA typically sends shipments to benefit a number of schools in a particular region in Africa. Individuals and organizations send books to our warehouse located in St. Paul, MN from all over the United States. BFA only collects books at our warehouse in St. Paul and individuals sending books to our warehouse need to pay the shipping cost. However, the out-of-pocket cost of shipping your books to BFA, as well as the fair market value of the books, are tax-deductible. BFA funds are used to cover the high costs of shipping books to Africa.
What do BFA volunteers do?
BFA needs volunteers in the warehouse to help sort books. With the constant flow of texts into the warehouse, the bottleneck of our operation is the painstaking task of sorting the books we receive by subject matter, grade level, condition and appropriateness. In addition to the warehouse, BFA volunteers also work on special events, communications, fundraising, and public speaking.
(See Support BFA: Volunteer for more information.)
When is BFA open to receive books?
BFA is open to receive books every Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and the first and third Saturday of each month from 9 am to noon. For other times or for special deliveries, call the BFA office at 651-602-9844.
Where is BFA located?
BFA’s office is located in the Lowertown neighborhood of St. Paul, Minnesota, at 253 East 4th Street, near the St. Paul Farmer’s Market and Union Depot. BFA’s warehouse for volunteering and book drop off is located at 715 E. Minnehaha Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55106 in the old Stroh’s Brewery complex that is just north of 94, just east of downtown St. Paul.
How do I get to BFA?
Click here for a map showing the location of our warehouse.
From the west, a donor would get off on 7th Street and go east (or left) and go north on Payne Avenue (or left) and go east on Minnehaha Avenue (or right) for one block and then take a left and go into the fenced area and the warehouse is in a row of warehouses right straight ahead. A Books For Africa sign is on the building—dock level—under the over hang.
From the east, a donor would get off on Mounds Boulevard and go west (or left) on 7th Street and go right (or north) on Payne Avenue and go east on Minnehaha Avenue (or right) for one block and then take a left and go into the fenced area and the warehouse is in a row of warehouses right straight ahead. A Books For Africa sign is on the building—dock level—under the over hang.
© 2006 Books For Africa / This page last updated: July 27, 2006