Make an Impact,
Become a ‘ShedHead!
Support Creative Reuse and Your Local Creative Economy
Sounds Cool, But What is a ‘ShedHead?
Since its inception in 2014, The WasteShed has become part of the fabric of Chicago, stubbornly pursuing its original mission: to be an accessible and reliable creative reuse resource for the city and the region at large.
Accessible, by having a wide open door, welcoming staff, and materials priced at a fraction of their new cost. In 2022, our Chicago store shifted to a by-donation model, making our inventory truly accessible to everyone. No memberships, no gatekeeping, just getting the people what they need.
Reliable, by having consistent hours for shopping and intake, communicating our policies clearly and unapologetically, and working to maintain stability and consistency in our operations, no matter what comes our way.
As a result, thousands of teachers, artists, families, and small businesses have made us part of their routine, whether they stop in twice a week or twice a year. We refer to our regulars, with the greatest love, as “ShedHeads”.
Some ‘ShedHeads’ we love:
The ChiArts high school kid who found nice drawing materials he otherwise couldn’t afford at The WasteShed, and as a professional artist still visits us a decade later when he’s home from New York City to see his parents.
The after-school art teacher who visits both WasteShed locations to get supplies for her classes. Every. Single. Week.
Sometimes, we wonder if these folks take us for granted a little bit. But that’s ok!
We want to be taken for granted. We would love to be as much a part of the Chicago landscape as Humboldt Park, or the Sears Tower - an amazing thing that you don’t really have to think about, because it’s just there.
Here’s where you come in: a small monthly donation can help The WasteShed become sustainable… so we can continue to serve 30,000 people a year with $800,000 worth of art materials that would otherwise be landfilled.
Help us reach our goal of 300 sustainers by August 30th!

Why Donate?
The WasteShed is 65% self-supported through sales. For the rest, we depend on donations from our friends to keep our mission thriving. Even modest (under $25) recurring donations by folks in our community make a big difference!
When you become a sustainer, you help us:
Divert an average of 9,987 lbs (nearly 5 tons) of usable materials from the landfill every month
Keep our shelves stocked with affordable creative supplies
Offer low-cost and free programs like Craft Night events, Radical Mending, and Teacher Events
Support artists, educators, kids, and curious makers across Chicagoland
How Your Contribution Helps
We need 300 donors willing to help support our programming with small monthly donations. This is a sustainable, impactful, and adaptive way our community can help us to continue our work.
Your donation allows us to:
Pay our staff and teaching artists
Host arts education and re-skilling workshops
Keep providing low-cost & free resources to our community
Serve an average of 60 teachers with $1,346 worth of totally free materials every month
‘ShedHead Gifts for Sustaining Donors
Sign up to donate monthly by August 30th and receive a token of our appreciation
Sign up for a $20+ monthly donation and we’ll send you a limited edition “Minimum Waste, Maximum Joy” ‘ShedHead Votive Candle made by Snail Catalog to lighten the dark days. This item is not dishwasher safe but it is very cute.
Choose to give $15 a month, and we’ll send you a limited edition ‘ShedHead Button made by our button guru, Susan Gomez. Wear your ‘ShedHead with pride!
A $10/month donation snags you a fabulous holographic ‘ShedHead Sticker by Snail Catalog.
If you are currently a sustainer and would like a gift, please drop us an email with your mailing address at admin@ thewasteshed.com and we’ll get you one! Thank you!
Can’t commit to a recurring donation?
We hear ya. Consider a one-time contribution!
Checks can be made payable to The WasteShed:
The WasteShed
1754 N Kimball Ave,
Chicago IL 60647.