Who We Are
Established in 2006, Mothers’ Milk Bank Northeast is one of the nation’s largest accredited nonprofit milk banks. We support family and community health by providing equitable access to safe, pasteurized donor human milk.
Our work is rooted in a simple belief: that every baby deserves the chance to grow and thrive.
What We Do
We partner with screened milk donors, primarily mothers who have more milk than their own baby needs or families choosing to honor the loss of a pregnancy or infant, to help ensure babies receive donor milk when it’s needed most.
Every donation is screened, pasteurized, tested, and carefully distributed according to rigorous medical standards to ensure safety.
As a milk bank accredited by the Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA) and certified by the FDA, this work reflects the highest level of care and oversight.
Each year, we serve more than 100 hospitals and tens of thousands of families across the Northeast, providing critical nourishment and support when a parent’s own milk is not available.
When we have milk beyond what our most medically fragile babies require, donor milk also supports healthy newborns in hospitals and at home. For many families, it serves as a temporary bridge while breastfeeding is being established.
Why It Matters
For premature and medically fragile babies, donor milk is more than nutrition — it’s protection from life-threatening complications.
When a mother’s own milk is not available, donor milk is the only proven alternative shown to provide this protection, making access to this resource critical to care in the NICU.
For this reason, more than 90% of U.S. hospital NICUs rely on donor milk from accredited milk banks to help care for their smallest patients.
Additionally, donor milk increasingly serves as a bridge to breastfeeding in the earliest days. By helping families establish breastfeeding, it contributes to stronger long-term health outcomes for both babies and mothers.
Beyond the clinical benefits, donor milk also provides comfort, care, and reassurance during moments of uncertainty.
Driven by Science. Grounded in Care.
Our work sits at the intersection of compassion and public health.
Our Commitments:
- Equity: Expanding access and prioritizing those most in need
- Science: Guided by evidence-based research
- Safety: Upholding the highest standards in screening and pasteurization
- Public Health: Supporting infant nutrition and breastfeeding success
- Care: Serving families, donors, and partners with compassion and respect
- Education: Raising awareness of the lifesaving impact of donor milk
An investment in nonprofit milk banking is an investment in healthier communities.
The Nonprofit Difference
As a nonprofit, we’re driven by mission, not margin. That’s the nonprofit difference — and it allows us to serve families with excellence in the moments that matter most.
Our work is made possible through the generosity of individuals, foundations, corporate partners, and all those who believe in giving babies the healthiest possible start in life.
“For twenty years, generosity has fueled our mission. Today, the need continues, and so will we.“
— Deborah C. Youngblood, CEO
