How to Donate Job Interview Clothes for Women

Donating a gently used suit is an ideal way to lend a hand to someone in need.

According to Charity Guide, an American household throws away an average of almost 68 pounds of clothing, shoes, accessories and other textiles each year. However, 95 percent of those items can be reused and recycled by donating to organizations such as the Salvation Army, Goodwill or your local church. Donated clothing is especially useful for women who are unable to afford business attire for interviews and other situations where first impressions are key to landing a new job.

Things You'll Need

• Women's business suits (new or gently worn)

Instructions

1. Determine whether you want to make a general donation to a local group or give your clothing to an organization focused on helping women with special needs and circumstances. Some organizations that focus specifically on providing women with business suits include Dress for Success, Clothes That Work and Wings For Success (See Resources).

2. Clean and iron your clothing before donating it to the organization. Most organizations will only accept unworn, almost new or gently used clothing. These groups will reject skirts, blouses, pants and jackets they deem unprofessional and inappropriate for interviews.

3. Contact the local or affiliate store in your area. Find out if the organization has a pick-up service or if it only accepts clothing at drop-off locations. Get specifics on how you should donate the clothing, such as whether it should be in bags or if it must be on hangers. If you are donating to a non-profit or charity, ask for a donation receipt to use for tax purposes.

4. Conduct a clothing drive for an organization that donates job interview clothing to women. Prior to starting the drive, check with the organization to see what special needs and storage space it has before you start collecting clothing.

Tips & Warnings

• Before donating, ask yourself whether you would wear the clothing to a job interview or to a work function. Save time by only including suits and other garments that are business formal rather than business casual.

• Check with the organization to see if they also accept shoes that are professional and appropriate with business attire.

• Consider donating plus-size clothing. Many organizations have a special need for women's suits that are size 14 and up.

References

• The Charity Guide

Resources

• Dress for Success
• Clothes That Work
• Wings For Success