Research shows that around 70% of Americans donate to charity at least once per year. However, not everyone knows what the best charities to donate to are or how exactly they can help others. In other words, that mean donating a few bucks here or there to a cause, but many of those donors don’t realize that they can choose where their donations go to make the biggest difference.
For many donors, there’s also the question of what to donate. While giving money to charity is almost always acceptable, some groups are actually looking for specific items that can be used for helping families in need. One of the most sought after items in terms of donations is clothing.
Why should you consider donating clothing to charity? Here are three things you may not have known about giving your used clothing donations:
- Clothing donations go directly to families in need for a variety of causes. Whether you want to donate to wounded veterans charities or make sure that you give to children’s charities to help underprivileged kids, there’s a cause out there for just about everyone. Make sure that you choose something with personal meaning to you if you’re stuck on whom to donate to. If that doesn’t work, you can also think about which groups in your area have the most need.
- Charity clothing donations can be sold in secondhand shops. About 20% of all clothing donations are sent to thrift stores in order to benefit charity. However, they also are sold to community members who may be from low income families. This helps parents on a budget provide clothing for their growing children.
- Donations that can’t be reused can be recycled. Although a significant amount (about 12 to 13 million tons) of used clothing goes to landfills each year, only around 15% of it is recovered. However, those items are salvageable about 99% of the time, and what can’t be reused can be recycled. Clothing recyclers collect the clothing that can’t be sold or donated to break it down into recycled materials.
Need more information about donating clothing to charity? Be sure to contact your local charity foundations for more information.
