Clothing Donation

Are you looking for a great way to reduce the clutter in your closets and to reclaim some of your storage space?  If so, then you should consider donating any clothes that you don't wear anymore.  Doing so benefits both you and the charity that you choose, so you'll actually be motivated to donate as much as possible.  Before running off to your closets to fill several trash bags full of your old clothes, here are some clothing donation guidelines you should consider.

First of all, the items you donate are going to be worn by other people.  So they should be clean, in fairly good condition, and free from holes, rips, or tears.  Be sure to inspect each piece before you put it into the donation pile; any items that don't make the cut should simply be thrown away.

Second, you should call around to make sure that your clothing donation would be welcome.  Many people are mistakenly under the impression that churches and charities will accept any amount of clothes at any time.  They then show up at the organization unannounced and expect to be able to unload several bags of clothes on unsuspecting volunteers.  It's important to be aware that not all charities operate in this fashion.  While they certainly appreciate the generosity behind your clothing donation, they might not be equipped to handle it at the time.  There could be storage problems or other logistical issues that you haven't thought about.  So if you don't phone ahead and get approval for your clothing donation, don't be surprised or offended if it's not accepted.  Of course if there is a 24-hour drop box on the premises, then that means that you can simply put your clothing donations in there at any time without having to ask for permission first.

Third, if it's at all possible, you should do a bit of research into the charity that you intend your clothing donation to benefit.  The reason you should do so is that not all charities spend their money in the same way.  Some places have higher overhead costs, which mean that fewer resources actually end up helping underprivileged people.  When you donate clothes, charities will do one of two things.  They will either distribute the clothes to the needy through homeless shelters and the like, or they will sell the clothes in a second-hand retail setting.  If they sell the clothes, then you'll definitely want to know how much of the money is earmarked for charitable purposes and how much is used for salaries and so forth.

Clothing donations are a wonderful, easy way to help your favorite church or charity.  I encourage you to follow these guidelines before doing so in order to ensure that the experience is as beneficial as possible to all of the parties involved.