Nonprofit fundraising professionals spend much time brainstorming ways to secure financial support from various sources, from soliciting major donors to establishing legacy donor programs to creating a recurring giving system.
However, it’s well known that in-kind donations, defined as any non-monetary gift to nonprofits or other causes, can also be extremely helpful.
While various useful goods and services can be given to nonprofits as in-kind gifts, this guide will discuss an often-overlooked donation: clothing! On the surface, these items may not seem helpful for your mission, but in actuality, they can make a huge impact on your programs and fundraising. Let’s look at why clothing in-kind donations are valuable to your nonprofit — and how you can maximize their value.
1. Meeting Beneficiaries’ Needs
The first and most obvious way that in-kind clothing donations can be valuable for a nonprofit is by meeting beneficiaries’ needs directly. In particular, these types of nonprofits have beneficiaries that can most benefit from receiving clothing:
- Homeless shelters. Individuals experiencing homelessness may not have access to clothing in good condition and may appreciate being given these items.
- Domestic violence shelters. Many domestic violence shelters are for emergencies, meaning that the individuals there may not have had the opportunity to bring clothing.
- Job training programs. Many nonprofits that offer job training or professional development programs keep articles of professional clothing that they loan or give to beneficiaries for job interviews.
- Education nonprofits. Nonprofits that serve students may provide school clothing or uniforms to families in need.
- Disaster relief organizations. Alongside medical attention, food, and water, disaster relief nonprofits may also provide clothing to their beneficiaries.
However, nonprofits that don’t fall into the above categories may also use clothing donations for their beneficiaries. For example, an animal shelter might repurpose clean, used clothing donations into blankets, bedding, or toys for pets to provide a better quality of life for the animals living there. Take the time to brainstorm if there’s a creative way for clothing to help your beneficiaries.
2. Supporting Fundraising Initiatives
When a nonprofit’s beneficiaries need clothing, it’s clear how donations of these items can help the organization. Receiving donations means the organization will have more funding to spend on other useful programs, while still providing the support their beneficiaries need.
However, even nonprofits that don’t need clothing for their constituents can benefit. Clothing donations can support your fundraising initiatives in these ways:
- Recycling fundraisers. In recycling fundraisers, nonprofits collect donations of recyclable items, such as metal cans, paper, electronics, and textiles like clothing. Then, they’ll sell these items to a dedicated recycling center, sustainably earning funds.
- Clothing-related events. There are plenty of clothing-related fundraising ideas nonprofits can use to generate revenue for their mission. For example, a school might host a fashion show fundraiser, where students create outfits to feature on a runway. Or, you might host an upcycling workshop, where you repurpose old clothing items into new creations such as tote bags and accessories.
- Thrift stores. Some nonprofits, like Goodwill, operate thrift stores to generate revenue and supply opportunities to their beneficiaries. For these organizations, clothing donations are crucial to keep their stores stocked. According to ThriftCart, many such organizations will even purchase dedicated inventory and production management solutions to manage and track the clothing donations they’ve received.
Clothing might also be featured in some of your more traditional fundraising efforts. For instance, if you host a charity auction, your major donors may wish to donate luxury clothing to inspire bidding. Some celebrities even donate their clothing items or memorabilia to nonprofit causes — just check out this list of the most fashionable pieces of celebrity memorabilia ever sold.
3. Securing Increased Support
Your nonprofit has a body of supporters made of donors, volunteers, and many more individuals who do not contribute time or funds to your mission yet feel passionately about your cause. There are various reasons that they might not donate or volunteer — for example, they might be financially unstable or new parents who must focus their energy on their newborn.
Accepting in-kind donations provides an opportunity for supporters to contribute to your cause without having to dip into their budget.
And among in-kind donations, clothing is particularly accessible — after all, everyone owns clothing. This means supporters who might not otherwise have donated to your organization may be willing to gift new or gently used clothing to help you further your mission. As a result, you’ll garner more support than before. Just be sure to make the donation process convenient, such as by placing donation boxes around your community or picking up donations within a certain radius.
Plus, you’ll be able to engage community members as volunteers to help you sort through and organize the clothing you receive. Create a system for storing your clothing donations and outline it clearly for volunteers. If your nonprofit operates a thrift store, also teach volunteers how to use your point of sale system so they can check out customers and keep track of donation drop-offs and pickups.
Although clothing donations and volunteer time might not seem as immediately valuable in comparison to monetary donations, they’re worth your time and effort. Providing these opportunities allows you to create touchpoints with community members that lead to stronger connections. In-kind donors and volunteers you successfully retain may convert to monetary donors — you just need to nurture your relationship.
4. Promoting Environmental Sustainability
In recent years, attitudes toward sustainability have shifted — in particular, people value it even more than previously before, so much so that it’s reflected in their consumer choices. Here are a few statistics about eco-conscious consumerism:
- 89% of worldwide consumers have changed their shopping habits to be more eco-friendly.
- 80% of worldwide consumers are willing to pay more for eco-friendly products.
- Gen Z shoppers are 53.1% more likely to buy based on sustainability over product name.
Although your nonprofit isn’t a business, aligning your processes with sustainability reflects positively on your mission and desire to improve the world — doubly so if your organization doesn’t work with environmental causes. Your audience will see your genuine efforts to protect the planet, which may lead to more support, as it’s clear that people are willing to back sustainability with their hard-earned funds.
Additionally, hosting eco-conscious fundraising events may help you secure increased corporate sponsorships. Businesses are always looking to rise above the competition, and being affiliated with sustainability-minded nonprofits is a great way to demonstrate their dedication to eco-friendliness to their customers.
As your nonprofit continues to grow, don’t overlook the power of clothing in-kind donations. Use them to supplement your programs and fundraising events to secure more support from your audience. Just be sure to market them thoroughly and communicate effectively with donors to spread awareness of this opportunity and eliminate confusion over the donation process!