# Things 4 Good > Things 4 Good is the Thingelstad family's annual handmade-candle fundraiser in Minneapolis. Since 2021 the family has hand-poured wooden-wick candles for a fall sale; every candle is a $25 donation, and 100% goes to the nonprofits the four family members pick each year. That has added up to $32,512 for 22 organizations. The 2026 sale is Nov 7–8, 2026 in Minneapolis. Buyers split their donation across that year's four causes; the family covers the materials. Orders of six or more can be preordered for Sunday pickup. Per-nonprofit amounts on the site are estimates; each sale's total is exact. ## Pages - [Home](https://things4good.xyz/): the fundraiser, how it works, the makers and the sale dates - [Impact](https://things4good.xyz/impact/): every nonprofit supported, filterable by who picked it and by event - [Numbers](https://things4good.xyz/stats/): dollars raised, candles sold, growth by year and candle math - [Preorder](https://things4good.xyz/preorder/): preorder steps, pickup and payment methods - [FAQ](https://things4good.xyz/faq/): how it works, what it costs and where the money goes ## Sales - 2025 Candle Sale: $9,048 from 321 candles and 73 participants, for 4 nonprofits. Our biggest year yet, with the tightest split between causes and the clearest proof that this has become a community tradition. - Holiday Market (2025): $725, for 1 nonprofit. A friend hosted a holiday market in December and sold our candles. - 2024 Candle Sale: $7,010 from 264 candles and 76 participants, for 5 nonprofits. Opening part of the sale to the public at the holiday boutique brought a big jump and introduced the candles to a wider community. - 2023 Candle Sale: $5,755 from 226 candles and 82 participants, for 4 nonprofits. More scents meant more learning. This was the year we started treating the sale like a tiny retailer and using the data to plan better. - 2022 Candle Sale: $5,217 from 180 candles and 84 participants, for 4 nonprofits. The second sale grew beyond the first and gave us better notes on what people loved, from scents to the little extras around the table. - 2021 Candle Sale: $4,757 from 134 candles and 85 participants, for 4 nonprofits. The first year proved this could be more than a candle project: friends and neighbors showed up, chose causes, and made it a tradition worth repeating. ## Nonprofits supported Newest first, with the family member who picked each one ("Everyone" for a shared pick). - [Second Harvest Heartland](https://www.2harvest.org/) (Holiday Market, picked by Everyone): One of the nation’s largest hunger-relief organizations, getting nutritious food to neighbors across Minnesota and beyond. - [Animal Welfare Institute](https://awionline.org) (2025 Candle Sale, picked by Tyler): Works to end human-caused suffering for animals everywhere — from labs to farms. - [Border Angels](https://www.borderangels.org) (2025 Candle Sale, picked by Mazie): Supports migrants and refugees along the US–Mexico border with water, bond aid, and supplies. - [The Food Group](https://www.thefoodgroupmn.org) (2025 Candle Sale, picked by Tammy): Gets local, healthy food to people in need and runs a sustainable teaching farm. - [Sandy Hook Promise](https://www.sandyhookpromise.org) (2025 Candle Sale, picked by Jamie): Works every day to protect children from gun violence — the leading cause of death for kids in America. - [Mt. Olivet Lutheran Church](https://mtolivet.org) (2024 Candle Sale, picked by Everyone): Mt. Olivet is a church in our neighborhood that has a strong commitment to racial justice and equity, and they have a lot of programs that support people in need in our community and around the world. - [World Central Kitchen](https://www.worldcentralkitchen.org/) (2024 Candle Sale, picked by Jamie): Serves fresh meals to communities in the wake of disasters worldwide. - [Sprint to Cité Soleil](https://www.sprinttocitesoleil.org/) (2024 Candle Sale, picked by Tammy): Empowers kids in Cité Soleil, Haiti through basketball, mentorship, and a meal. - [Water to Thrive](https://www.watertothrive.org/) (2024 Candle Sale, picked by Mazie): Builds wells bringing clean, safe water to communities across sub-Saharan Africa. - [SynGAP Research Fund](https://curesyngap1.org/) (2024 Candle Sale, picked by Tyler): Funds research toward treatments and a cure for SYNGAP1-related disorders. - [American Prairie](https://americanprairie.org/) (2023 Candle Sale, picked by Jamie): Building one of the largest nature reserves in America across the Montana prairie. - [Heart to Care Tanzania](https://www.hearttocaretanzania.org/) (2023 Candle Sale, picked by Tammy): Builds and grows a school in a small Tanzanian village, founded by a Twin Cities woman. - [Food Recovery Network](https://www.foodrecoverynetwork.org/) (2023 Candle Sale, picked by Mazie): Rescues surplus food from 200+ college campuses to fight waste and feed communities. - [Oceanites](https://www.oceanites.org/) (2023 Candle Sale, picked by Tyler): Studies Antarctic penguins and ecosystems to track the health of a warming planet. - [Free Guitars 4 Kids](https://fg4k.org/) (2022 Candle Sale, picked by Mazie): Puts guitars and music lessons into the hands of kids who want to play. - [Save the Snakes](https://savethesnakes.org/) (2022 Candle Sale, picked by Tyler): Protects snake populations and eases human–snake conflict through conservation and education. - [Agate Housing + Services](https://agatemn.org/) (2022 Candle Sale, picked by Tammy): Works to prevent and end homelessness through shelter, housing, and food programs. - [United Help Ukraine](https://unitedhelpukraine.org/) (2022 Candle Sale, picked by Jamie): Delivers humanitarian aid and medical supplies to Ukrainians affected by the war. - [Feed My Starving Children](https://www.fmsc.org/) (2021 Candle Sale, picked by Tyler): Volunteers hand-pack nutritious meals for malnourished kids around the world. - [Appetite for Change](https://appetiteforchangemn.org/) (2021 Candle Sale, picked by Mazie): Uses food as a tool to build health, wealth, and community in North Minneapolis. - [Free Bikes 4 Kidz](https://fb4k.org/) (2021 Candle Sale, picked by Tammy): Collects and refurbishes used bikes, then gives them to kids who need a set of wheels. - [Constellation Fund](https://constellationfund.org/) (2021 Candle Sale, picked by Jamie): Fights poverty across the Twin Cities by funding the region’s most effective local nonprofits. ## Optional - [Updates](https://buttondown.com/things4good): the email list for sale announcements and preorders - [Blog posts](https://www.thingelstad.com/categories/things-4-good/): each year's story on thingelstad.com - [Sitemap](https://things4good.xyz/sitemap.xml)