16 Best Places to Donate Clothes | Clothing Donation Guide
Have you found yourself with clothes you need to get rid of? Try donating! Clothes donation is an excellent way to clean out your closet and feel good when doing it. Choosing the best organization that will benefit from your clothing is important, so that your donated clothes goes to the right place and person.
Finding the best place to donate clothes can be difficult, so we have created this list of the 16 best places to donate clothes to help you!
Donate Women’s Clothing:
These clothes donation organizations accept clothes for women, or clothes that are typically considered “for girls”.
1. Dress for Success
One of the best ways to provide clothes for business attire, Dress for Success is a great choice for donating women’s business clothing. The organization only accepts business or professional clothing for women that is new or gently worn. Dress for Success uses the clothes donations in order to provide women with the opportunity to find and keep a job. They provide a list of items that they need the most at any given time, but also accept most women’s professional clothing items.
Donations are accepted year-round, and benefit over 150 countries’ job-seeking women.
2. Free the Girls
Free the Girls is perfect if you are looking for a place to donate bras. Many women find themselves with old or rarely used bras, or with bras that just don’t fit right anymore. It’s difficult to find a place to donate these bras, but Free the Girls takes new and gently used bras. The organization helps prevent human sex trafficking by allowing women to sell their used bras second-hand. The program is an excellent way to donate with the knowledge that you’re making a difference in the world.
Bra donations can be shipped or dropped off at select locations. The bras are then shipped to several countries overseas to help women who have experienced sex trafficking.
Formal Wear for All Genders
These donation locations accept formal attire for all genders.
3. Operation Prom
If you have gently worn prom or formal dresses or tuxedos ready for clothes donation, Operation Prom is the perfect place to go to. Operation Prom believes that all men and women should have the opportunity to dress up for prom or other formal occasions. They provide dresses and tuxedos to underprivileged girls and boys who do not have the funds to pay for expensive formal attire.
Currently, Operation Prom services eight states. Donations are only accepted during prom seasons, so donations should be held until their website announces that the prom season has begun. Donations can also be made by contacting the organization through their website.
Donate Men’s Clothes
These clothes donation organizations accept professional clothing specifically for men, or standard “male clothing”.
4. Career Gear
If you are looking for where to donate men’s professional clothing, Career Gear is the perfect choice. Career Gear’s goal is to provide professional work clothing for all men, despite their economical background. Their goal is to help underprivileged men find work. The organization accepts new or gently used business attire, which includes suits, dress shirts, and dress pants, amongst other items. The donations are for all ages looking for work.
Donations are held year-round, with some current COVID-19 restrictions.
5. Men on the Move
If you are based in the Midwest, Men on the Move is the perfect place to donate your professional men’s clothing. Clothing must be professional attire, such as suits or dress clothes, and must be gently used or new. No rips, tears, or stains can be present on the clothing. Men on the Move is a Des Moines-based organization that provides professional wear and hygiene kits to men looking for work. Donations can be made to the Des Moines location, or through contacting the organization.
Donations are held year-round, with current COVID-19 restrictions.
Baby or Young Children’s Clothing
These clothing donations sites accept clothing only for babies or young children.
6. Room to Grow
Looking to donate baby or young children’s clothes or accessories? Room to Grow provides free baby clothes and accessories to families in need. The program additionally provides education for low-income families with young children and babies. Room to Grow accepts donation items that are without stains, tears, or with anything missing. Completely new or barely worn items are preferred, because they are donating items to families who don’t have the clothes or items that they need for their babies or small children. They provide a list of items they are looking for to help you.
Donations are generally accepted year-round, but are currently paused in order to accommodate COVID-19 restrictions.
7. Gently Hugged
For strictly baby clothing, Gently Hugged provides a great clothing donation option. They accept sizes preemie through twelve months of gently worn or new clothes. Donations are given to babies’ families who do not have the clothing or items necessary to provide for their baby. Donation locations are currently only in California, however you can contact Gently Hugged in order to donate from any location.
Items are accepted year-round at select locations. Items are distributed to more than fifteen locations after donation.
Donate Clothes for All Ages, Sizes, and Genders
All of these places to donate clothes do not specify ages, sizes, or genders, and accept all clothing.
8. Goodwill
Goodwill is a safe choice for donating clothes, as there are more than 3,300 locations available throughout the country. Goodwill accepts donations of any gender, age, and size of clothing. Additionally, the store accepts other items as well. This includes furniture, shoes, handbags, decoration items, and dishes. Almost any item that you would be looking to donate will be accepted at a Goodwill location. When looking for a place to donate clothes, Goodwill is an excellent choice because all donated items will be sold for a low, low price. This benefits those in need tremendously, and can help you feel good about where you donate your clothing.
Donations at Goodwill are accepted year-round. Donate at a location near you, or contact Goodwill for more information.
9. Vietnam Veterans of America
Vietnam Veterans of America works to help veterans across the United States and their families. They accept donations of almost any kind — bikes, toys, household goods, etc. — including all sizes, genders, and styles of clothing. They have a list of states that accept donations, and instructions for how to donate.
Donations at Vietnam Veterans of America are accepted year-round. Donations go to those in need, including veterans.
10. American Red Cross
Similarly to Vietnam Veterans of America and Goodwill, American Red Cross accepts donations of almost any kind. For clothing donation, American Red Cross prefers clothes donated through clothing drives, but any clothes can be donated via a GreenDrop location. Clothing should be gently used, and not have any major stains or tears on them. Clothing donations go to any communities in need, but specifically those communities who have been affected by some sort of disaster.
Donations are accepted year-round. Donations go cross-country in the United States and to some international locations.
11. Planet Aid
Planet Aid is unique in that it accepts all clothes donations. This includes clothes that aren’t gently worn or new, and have rips, holes, or stains on them. Clothing that can’t be reworn is recycled, and that recycled clothing is used to create and help fund projects that Planet Aid is sponsoring worldwide for people in need. That being said, clothing donations can be any size, any gender, any style, and in any condition. Planet Aid’s goal is to prevent textile waste and put every piece of clothing to use. Clothing donations are provided to those in need. This includes local communities as well as the citizens of third-world countries.
Donations are accepted year-round and can be done at any one of Planet Aid’s yellow bins, with some COVID-19 restrictions.
Shoes Donation
These places to donate accept shoes donations exclusively.
12. Soles4Souls
Soles4Souls goal is to reduce waste and by doing so provide shoes without the shoes they need. They aim to create job opportunities for those in need, both through providing shoes so that individuals can work and also by creating jobs. Furthermore, Soles4Souls works to end the cycle of poverty through their program. Soles4Souls accepts any size, style, or gender of shoes. The shoes must be gently worn or new, meaning that they would be usable. Locations are throughout Tennessee, but donations can be made by contacting them through their website as well.
Donations are accepted year round and can be done at any drop-off location. Donations are also accepted in the form of monetary donations, as well.
13. Share Your Souls
Share Your Souls is a nonprofit organization that accepts gently used or new shoe donations. Donating shoes to Share Your Souls benefits underprivileged people throughout the world, rather than just the United States or locally. Shoe donations go to any communities in need. Share Your Souls is based out of Chicago, Illinois, so drop-off locations are currently available only in Chicago. However, donations can be made through contacting Share Your Souls.
Donations are accepted year-round at any of their drop-off locations.
Or, Donate Locally
Are you looking for places to donate near you? Instead of only focusing on sites and organizations that are found nearly worldwide, check out your local options!
14. Local Clothing Drives
Around holidays or the winter season, clothing drives are often held locally. These can be at any number of places, including schools, places of worship, and sporting events. Local businesses and organizations sometimes hold clothing drives as well. Contact your local school district, places of worship, or businesses to see if any local clothing drives are being held in order to donate your clothes. Or, check your local newspaper or Facebook pages to see if there is any information there.
Using local clothing drives is a great way to donate clothes locally, and benefit those who you may know or those in your community directly.
15. Small Local Thrift Stores
Local thrift stores are another great option for clothing donations. When looking for where to donate clothes, it can be easy to overlook local thrift stores, as they’re often small and not well-known. Some thrift stores are run by local places of worship, while others are run by community organizations. This is a great way to benefit members of your community, not only by donating clothes directly to your local community but also by helping local thrift stores thrive.
16. Start Your Own Clothing Drive
If there aren’t any local thrift stores or clothing drives near you, try starting your own clothing drive. Clothing drives aren’t too difficult to sponsor, and you can choose where to donate your clothes, making the drive much more personal. Starting your own clothing drive can allow you to sponsor local families in need, communities who have experienced disasters, or even your clothing donation organization of choice.
To start a clothing drive, try contacting a local school, place of worship, or business. Contacting multiple locations to have clothing drop-offs is a great way to ensure that you will get a good amount of clothes donated. Advertise the clothing drive in local newspapers, social media pages such as Facebook, in shops around town, and even in churches or places of worship’s bulletins.
Additionally, you can contact any one of the above clothing donation organizations in order to have them sponsor your clothing drive, so that all donated clothing goes directly to their organization.
Make an Impact When You Donate Clothes Today
Donating clothes isn’t just a way to empty your closet — it’s a way to do good in the world. Clothes donation helps your community and others who are in need. Clean out your closet of clothes you don’t wear or clothes you’ve grown out of, and donate to one of these # choices today. No matter where you choose to donate or how you do it, clothing donation is the perfect way to make a difference.
