University of Wisconsin–Madison

Basic Needs Request

Purposity

Every day you show up, balancing classes, work, family, and countless responsibilities while working hard to build your future. You deserve access to basic essentials like toilet paper, body wash, laundry detergent, and winter boots so you can focus on the areas of your life that matter most to you.

That is why the Basic Needs Team has partnered with the national organization Purposity. Together, we connect students with community members who believe in their potential and want to help by purchasing essential items that support overall wellbeing, and academic success, ensuring you can make the most of your time at UW-Madison!

Before Submitting a Request

We want to make sure Purposity works best for you! So, please take a moment to read this before getting started:

Purposity connects you with community members who choose to purchase your requested item(s), on a one-to-one basis. Because support depends on the generosity of individual community members, the Basic Needs Team cannot guarantee when your requests will be fulfilled or that every item you request will be provided. Unmet requests are typically posted for 90 days before being removed from the Purposity platform.

**Due to variable wait times, Purposity is not designed to meet urgent needs. 

We encourage you to explore the community resources listed on the right. You may find that what you need is already available and more quickly accessible through one of these options!

Alternative Resources

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Round, white, and blue logo with the name "Society of ST. Vincent de Paul Madison" bordering the circle.
Furniture such as couches and chairs.
Racks of clothing.

St. Vinny’s is a chain of thrift stores with several locations in Madison.

They offer clothing vouchers and furniture vouchers to use at any of their locations.

Items you can find here:

  • Furniture including chairs, tables, desks, bed frames, and mattresses (availability subject to change)
  • Seasonal clothes including coats, boots, and shoes.
  • Kitchen utensils and appliances
  • Bedding, linens, and bath towels

Blue and orange letter W logo with the name, "WayForward resources" at the bottom of the W.
Shirts hanging on a rack with "Clothing Center" in blue letters on a white background.

Located in Middleton, the WayForward Clothing Center offers free clothing, in season for children and adults living in Dane County.

Open Seat Logo
A black fridge with cartons of milk next to two silver storage shelves full of snacks, canned goods, and bread.

The Open Seat is a free grocery store located on the 3rd floor of the Student Activities Center (333 East Campus Mall).

Items you can find here:

  • Hygiene products (toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, deodorant, menstrual products, and more.
  • Fresh produce, shelf-stable food, snacks, etc.

Red and gold crest with a white W in the center next to the word "SuccessWorks" in red with "at the College of Letters & Sciences" underneath in black.
Students viewing clothes in a store.

The Success Works Career Closet is conveniently located on the 3rd floor of the University Book Store (711 State St.). Offers free professional and business attire to all students.

Submitting a Purposity Request

Purposity is a great fit when you are looking for something specific, like a particular size, brand, or hypoallergenic product, or when accessing in-person resources is challenging for you. If that sounds like your situation, then we encourage you to submit a request below.

If you have any questions along the way, we are always here to help at: basic.needs@finaid.wisc.edu.

A Few Things to Know Before You Submit

  • Items cost: Items must be priced at $80 or under. Be aware that items priced around $35 tend to be fulfilled more quickly.
  • Items that cannot be requested:
    • Food
    • Furniture
    • Textbooks
    • Pet food/supplies
    • Gift cards / Money
    • Medication / Supplements
    • Cosmetics / Beauty supplies / Perfume
    • Electronics (computers, phones, chargers, entertainment, etc.)
  • Not sure if your item is a good fit? Reach out to us at basicneeds.students.wisc.edu -we are happy to help you figure out next steps! Additionally, you can check out the examples below to get an idea of items you may request!

How It Works

  1. Complete the request form below
  2. The Basic Needs Team will review your request and help prepare it for posting on the Purposity app as quickly as possible.
  3. Once your item is posted to Purposity, community members can choose to purchase it for you.
  4. If your item is purchased, it will be shipped to the address you selected on the form. If you choose to have the item shipped to the Office of Student Financial Aid (333 East Campus Mall), the Basic Needs team will contact you when it arrives.

Examples of Basic Essential Items

Toiletries

Toiletries

Examples: Toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo, body wash, menstrual products, etc.

Kitchen Essentials

Blue outline of a plate with a fork to the left of it and a knife to the right of it.

Examples: Plates, utensils, rice cooker, etc.

Clothes

Clipart Tshirt image

Examples: T-shirts, pants, socks, undergarments, etc.

Winter Gear

Blue outline of a winter beanie hat and mittens

Examples: Winter jackets/coats, hats, gloves, boots, etc.

School Supplies

A blue outline of two spiral notebooks

Examples: Writing utensils, backpack, notebooks, calculators, etc.

Household Essentials

Blue outline of a laundry detergent bottle.

Examples: Dish soap, laundry detergent, fabric softener, toilet paper, etc.

Please fill out one form per requested item.

If you have any question filling out the form, feel free to contact a member of Basic Needs Team at basic.needs@finaid.wisc.edu.