It is estimated that about $5.8 billion worth of clothing related donations were made to charity organizations in the United States back in 2007, according to charitable giving statistics. These donations are meant to be distributed to helping families in need and also for funding. Essentially, giving out usable goods like books, clothing, furniture among other forms of donations is a noble gesture, which goes a long way to help the less fortunate in society. It’s also a great reuse option for the items you no longer use.
When it comes to making donations, there’s a lot that goes into it than just picking items and throwing them in donation bins. This is an act of compassion that requires you to carefully plan your contributions and organize for drop offs or charity pick up. There are various forms of charitable donations such as a money, assets and stocks, but the most common type is clothes donation. In the United States, about 95.4% of Americans engage in some kind of charitable cause, whether it’s volunteering or actual donations. Most of the times, charity foundations are open to any type of contribution, particularly clothing related items.
Before gathering your items for donations, it’s important to know what different charities accept and what they in order to avoid sending wrong items as donations. Foundations are governed by federal states and they have guidelines on what to accept. In addition, ensure you understand the exact time and place where donations are set out. While dropping off donations is an option, some organizations will organize charity pick up from your home. Donation pick up are more effective, especially when donating bulk items such as furniture.
Making clothing donations, you should thoroughly declutter your closet and sort out the clothes you want to give out. Ensure the clothes are clean and go through the pockets to be certain that nothing is left behind. Clean clothes allow quick thrift resale. You can now go ahead a pack your items into suitable containers like garbage bags, tote bags or boxes and mark them for easy identification. Fragile items like glasses should be safely wrapped with pieces of paper to avoid breakage.
Weather condition is an important factor to consider when thinking of charity pick up. Although charities will collect your donations in any kind of weather, ensure your items are appropriately packed not to be damaged by rain. In extreme wet weather conditions, double-bag packaging will go a long way in protecting your items.
Lastly, note that not every foundation offers free home pick up service. Others will charge some amount based on different factors. For this reason, be sure aware of the charges you expect to incur before initiating pick up.
