General Participation Guidelines
ᰔᩚ General Participation Guidelines
Brighten A Heart™ is built on the belief that small acts of kindness can make a big difference, and that everyone has something to offer. Whether you’re an individual, a company, a school, or a group of friends, there are meaningful ways to help us bring Comfort Care Totes, handcrafted flowers, and hand-drawn canvases to patients and seniors who may be feeling alone.
We also invite children, families, and classrooms to join in through Brighten A Heart Kids™, our children’s program for hospital-friendly art and kindness projects.
We continue to thoughtfully build partnerships with hospitals, nursing homes, hospice programs, and community organizations. If one of the ideas below speaks to you, we’d love to hear from you.
ᰔᩚ Guidelines
Before You Begin: Canvas & Card Guidelines
If you’re creating artwork or written messages, please take a moment to review our 6 × 6 Canvas and Card Guidelines. We use 6 × 6 artist-grade canvas panels that are non-toxic, acid-free, and primed with low-odor gesso, helping make them durable and appropriate for use in care settings.
Whenever possible, please use child-safe, non-toxic, low-odor art supplies such as paint markers, washable markers, crayons, and colored pencils that are clearly labeled non-toxic. To support patient comfort and facility guidelines, please avoid strong chemical odors, aerosol or spray paints, solvents, and glitter.
follow our wording guidelines, avoiding “Get well soon,” illness-focused phrases, and religious language
use child-safe, non-toxic, low-odor art supplies and avoid glitter, aerosols, and strong chemical smells
work through care facilities or other appropriate coordinating organizations rather than giving items directly to individual patients, helping protect privacy and support appropriate distribution
Thank you for helping us keep every gift hospital friendly, safe, and made with kindness in mind.
ᰔᩚ Guidelines Matter
Why These Guidelines Matter
Our canvas and card guidelines are designed to reflect practices commonly recommended by hospitals and patient-focused programs. Many organizations ask volunteers to avoid phrases such as “Get well soon” and religious messages, because patients may be facing serious or long-term illness. Our goal is for every note to feel welcoming and supportive to people of all backgrounds and beliefs.
For anyone who would like to learn more, here are a few examples and resources:
-
This national nonprofit explains that, at the request of hospitals, volunteers should avoid “Get well” and other illness-focused comments and instead write uplifting messages that focus on the child as a whole, not their diagnosis.
https://www.cardsforhospitalizedkids.com/stepsformakingcards.html -
Their guidelines state that cards should be positive and that they prefer no “Get well soon” or religious messages, for the same reasons of sensitivity and inclusivity.
https://www.cardsforbravery.com/about-making-cards -
Montefiore’s Healing Arts Program asks staff making “Care Cards” for patients to avoid messages related to a particular religion or belief system and to avoid messages related to health or illness, noting how sensitive it can be to be unwell in hospital.
https://montefioreeinstein.org/documents/healingarts/greetingcards/Care-Cards-Guidelines-Nov-2016.pdf -
This nonprofit, which serves people with cancer, advises avoiding references to illness, death, or treatments that may be upsetting—underscoring how easily well-meant words can hurt when someone is very ill.
https://kitstoheart.org/pages/guidelines-what-to-avoid-in-gifts-for-cancer-patients -
CAPC summarizes a Mayo Clinic Proceedings article on “never-words”—phrases clinicians should avoid with seriously ill patients because they can cause distress and shut down honest conversation.
https://www.capc.org/blog/never-words-what-not-to-say-to-patients-living-with-serious-illness/ -
This peer-reviewed article introduces the concept of “never-words”—words and phrases that may sound harmless but can actually cause emotional harm to patients facing serious illness, and argues for more thoughtful, compassionate language.
https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/article/S0025-6196(24)00256-8/fulltext