Donation protocol

[thyme4change]

I bought a dress a few years ago for a fancy party, and I wore it last weekend.  I don't expect to ever wear it again.  Not only is it a little "been there, done that" but it also has a bunch of sequins and my dress kept getting caught on itself.  I want to donate the dress to Goodwill.  Someone can use it as part of a halloween costume, or maybe someone would like to wear it somewhere.  

Last weekend, we went to a wedding and my husband and I danced like crazy people.  It was humid.  So, when we got home, my husband's shirt was soaked with sweat, and I didn't fare a whole lot better.

Do I have to get the dress cleaned before I donate it?  It seems expensive.

Also - next time I have a thing, I am doing Rent the Runway.  I don't need cocktail dresses sitting around.  We rarely go places like that and my closet space is best spent on other things. 

[Cookies Galore]

Yes, clean it.

[The Captain]

I'm with clean it as well.  I donate work suits to a women's charity all the time and they get dry cleaned and dropped off in the cleaner's bag.

For goodwill, I make sure things are washed (or dry cleaned if needed) and neatly folded.  I'm sure those who need/may be buying your dress will appreciate it.

This plus, sweat if left on for too long can stain permanently and ruin the dress.  Why risk that?

[Deleted]

Yes, donations need to be in clean condition, so dry clean before donating or throw it away.

[Tiny]

Is this dress Disposable Fashion from H&M or Forever 21 or maybe from Nordstrom Rack? Is this a dress from Target or Kohl's or some other middle of the road Big Box store? Meaning you paid $75 or less for a 'disposable' fancy dress? If so, then I'd suggest dropping the sweat soaked (and now dried) dress in the trash. Reason being that the place you donate this dress to will offer it for $10 or less - probably only $5.00. Which makes your dress literally disposable. In my area - that how this would play out.   Then you could just donate the cash you would have spent on dry cleaning the dress if you need a feel good for the feel bad of trashing the dress.  The Charity would get more.  


If this is dress has some sort of designer label or some sort of "provenance" because of the high end store you bought it in OR if its got some sort of really cool one of a kind sequined pattern on it AND you paid a couple hundred for the dress - then oh, gosh, yes, spend the what, maybe $20 bucks tops? to have the dress cleaned - the dry cleaner may even do some minor repairs to the sequins for that price. If you have some other local charity that speaks to you (animals, sick children, handicapped, Alzheimer's) that sells clothes you might want to consider giving it to them instead of Goodwill.

Goodwill has a lot of 'competition' for donations from the higher end stores in my Area. There are a handful of local charity specific re-sale stores that have really nice stuff at pretty reasonable prices (usually a bit higher than good will) that do brisk business.

[The Captain]

Jul 10, 2015 10:59:24 GMT -5 Tiny said:

Is this dress Disposable Fashion from H&M or Forever 21 or maybe from Nordstrom Rack? Is this a dress from Target or Kohl's or some other middle of the road Big Box store? Meaning you paid $75 or less for a 'disposable' fancy dress? If so, then I'd suggest dropping the sweat soaked (and now dried) dress in the trash. Reason being that the place you donate this dress to will offer it for $10 or less - probably only $5.00. Which makes your dress literally disposable. In my area - that how this would play out.   Then you could just donate the cash you would have spent on dry cleaning the dress if you need a feel good for the feel bad of trashing the dress.  The Charity would get more.  


If this is dress has some sort of designer label or some sort of "provenance" because of the high end store you bought it in OR if its got some sort of really cool one of a kind sequined pattern on it AND you paid a couple hundred for the dress - then oh, gosh, yes, spend the what, maybe $20 bucks tops? to have the dress cleaned - the dry cleaner may even do some minor repairs to the sequins for that price. If you have some other local charity that speaks to you (animals, sick children, handicapped, Alzheimer's) that sells clothes you might want to consider giving it to them instead of Goodwill.

Goodwill has a lot of 'competition' for donations from the higher end stores in my Area. There are a handful of local charity specific re-sale stores that have really nice stuff at pretty reasonable prices (usually a bit higher than good will) that do brisk business.

Tiny - from a pure cash flow point of view you are, of course, correct.  But don't forget the person paying the $5 for that dress may not have one to wear or be able to attend prom/wedding/ etc otherwise.

In my area the local goodwill store actually (probably comped free) does advertising on the radio for dresses around prom season.  They can't get near enough in to keep up with demand.

[WholeLottaNothin]

There is a prom dress giveaway organization in my area. They take donations all year round. Just another thought if you have anything similar by you.

[Tiny]

Jul 10, 2015 11:07:07 GMT -5 The Captain said:

Jul 10, 2015 10:59:24 GMT -5 Tiny said:

Is this dress Disposable Fashion from H&M or Forever 21 or maybe from Nordstrom Rack? Is this a dress from Target or Kohl's or some other middle of the road Big Box store? Meaning you paid $75 or less for a 'disposable' fancy dress? If so, then I'd suggest dropping the sweat soaked (and now dried) dress in the trash. Reason being that the place you donate this dress to will offer it for $10 or less - probably only $5.00. Which makes your dress literally disposable. In my area - that how this would play out.   Then you could just donate the cash you would have spent on dry cleaning the dress if you need a feel good for the feel bad of trashing the dress.  The Charity would get more.  


If this is dress has some sort of designer label or some sort of "provenance" because of the high end store you bought it in OR if its got some sort of really cool one of a kind sequined pattern on it AND you paid a couple hundred for the dress - then oh, gosh, yes, spend the what, maybe $20 bucks tops? to have the dress cleaned - the dry cleaner may even do some minor repairs to the sequins for that price. If you have some other local charity that speaks to you (animals, sick children, handicapped, Alzheimer's) that sells clothes you might want to consider giving it to them instead of Goodwill.

Goodwill has a lot of 'competition' for donations from the higher end stores in my Area. There are a handful of local charity specific re-sale stores that have really nice stuff at pretty reasonable prices (usually a bit higher than good will) that do brisk business.

Tiny - from a pure cash flow point of view you are, of course, correct.  But don't forget the person paying the $5 for that dress may not have one to wear or be able to attend prom/wedding/ etc otherwise.

In my area the local goodwill store actually (probably comped free) does advertising on the radio for dresses around prom season.  They can't get near enough in to keep up with demand.

This is true.  I did suggest trashing a 'disposable'  dress and then giving the $10 or $20 that would have been spent on dry cleaning to a charity  for the 'feel good' part of it.         I guess it comes down to knowing or 'guestimating' what kind of demand your local area has.   

 

It just gives some food for thought for anyone facing this kind of a question - since there isn't one perfect right answer for it.          

(Which reminds me of how (to me)  math is so magical and beautiful... there's one answer and (in theory) you always get the SAME answer each time you work the same problem.  

[thyme4change]

I am with The Captain. I don't donate so Goodwill can stay in business, I donate so someone can find the thing they are looking for and be super excited to own it. I know Goodwill has job training programs and stuff, but their main purpose is to sell stuff to people who may be struggling at a price they can afford. That is the part I am supporting. Giving $10 doesn't help that girl get a dress.

The dress is BCBG and it was expensive but I got it off clearance, so maybe 150 to me.

[TheOtherMe]

When we went through mom's clothes, some of it was pure junk because it was so worn.  What was good, I did take to Goodwill.  We are not sure if she had ever worn the winter coat.  It did not appear to have been worn and we know when it was purchased--the fall before she became ill.

I don't think it made it to the sales rack.  When I took that out of the plastic tub, the adult supervisor grabbed it and started commenting on how nice it was.  I thought to myself that she probably kept it herself.   However, all we wanted was for someone else to use it.

[vonna]

Thyme -- if you have a local theater group, they often love getting donations for costumes.

[CCL]

Most dry cleaners around here run 30% off coupons on their websites. Maybe you can get a discount off the cleaning? I would have already had it cleaned the day after wearing it. I just don't have any luck if I wait, everything ends up stained. I'm with the others, don't drop it off dirty.

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Either way you choose to donate, I'd have it cleaned. I second the idea of donating to a high school dance dress exchange program.

[Opti]

Jul 10, 2015 14:28:38 GMT -5 thyme4change said:

I am with The Captain. I don't donate so Goodwill can stay in business, I donate so someone can find the thing they are looking for and be super excited to own it. I know Goodwill has job training programs and stuff, but their main purpose is to sell stuff to people who may be struggling at a price they can afford. That is the part I am supporting. Giving $10 doesn't help that girl get a dress.

The dress is BCBG and it was expensive but I got it off clearance, so maybe 150 to me.

Sounds like clean it. Will you post a pic of the dress?

[thyme4change]

[toomuchreality]

Nice dress. Sounds like you had fun wearing it.
Nice of you to donate it, so someone else can have fun wearing it too!

[Chocolate Lover]

Wasn't there a shopping thread when you picked that dress out? It looks familiar.

[busymom]

Pretty dress!

[zibazinski]

Wow!!

[hoops902]

Jul 12, 2015 8:50:22 GMT -5 thyme4change said:

That's a nice white and blue dress.

[Cookies Galore]

I like the dress!

[sarcasticgirl]

Jul 13, 2015 12:36:27 GMT -5 hoops902 said:

Jul 12, 2015 8:50:22 GMT -5 thyme4change said:

That's a nice white and blue dress.

[sarcasticgirl]

Jul 13, 2015 12:39:30 GMT -5 Cookies Galore said:

I like the dress!

me too! donate it to me!   I'll have it cleaned myself 

[thyme4change]

Jul 14, 2015 16:02:59 GMT -5 sarcasticgirl said:

Jul 13, 2015 12:39:30 GMT -5 Cookies Galore said:

I like the dress!

me too! donate it to me!   I'll have it cleaned myself 

Hey - if you can use it, I will send it to you.