If you've got clients or customers with great clothes, consider hosting a Clean Closet, Good Karma clothes drive to benefit The Clothes Exchange and our beneficiary. Spas, salons, yoga and pilates studios, and athletic clubs make especially great sites for business to consumer collections. And remember, we're after quality, not quantity, so encourage your clients to bring only their best.

Here's what you need to know to carryout a successful collection effort.

• Let us know. Contact the Burlington Clothes Exchange know about your interest in organizing a drive by emailing us at info@theclothesexchange.org. We're available to answer any questions you may have and help you plan and promote your collection.
• Set the dates for your clothes drive. You can collect for a week or a month or just a few days. 
• Be sure to determine the location for collecting and storing the donations.
• Offer an incentive. Consider offer donors a small thank you gift like a piece of chocolate or a discount off a future service or purchase.
• Promote your drive. About two to three weeks before your drive, start promoting your efforts. Promote face to face, on Facebook, Twitter, on your website, and via email. Post on The Clothes Exchange Facebook page too. Customize and use the Clothes Collection poster and flier provided by The Clothes Exchange to market your collection efforts. We'll also promote your efforts, so be sure to let us know about your collection efforts. 
• If you are hosting a business to client drive at a salon and you make reminder calls, be sure to remind your clients to bring their donations to their next appointment.
• Collect!
• Be prepared. Be sure to have Clothes Exchange event infomation, Clean Closet, Good Karma stickers and receipts available. Learn a little about The Clothes Exchange and our beneficiary, so you can answer any questions your donors might have. Contact info@theclothesexchange.org to request stickers and event promotional materials.
  
• Sort. If you've got an eye for fashion and a good sense of what we want, feel free to sort through the goods you collect and pass only the cream of the crop on to us. If you choose not to sort, no worries, our team of talented sorters will take of it. Please do not sort clothes on the spot, while the donor is present.
  
• Deliver the clothes or make arrangements for a pick-up by contacting us at info@theclothesexchange.org.
• Follow-up. Send a thank you and update to your clients after the drive is complete.

Sample Email for a Spa / Salon-Based Drive

Go Green, Get Clean - European Spa is Hosting a Clean Closet, Good Karma™ Clothes Drive

Got clothes in your closet you just never wear, but know someone else will love? Bring them to your next appointment at [XXXXX], during the month of [XXX] and we’ll give you [a coupon for 10% off your next waxing appointment, limit to one per customer].

We’ll donate the clothes we collect to The Burlington Clothes Exchange for their May 2010 event, a benefit for [Insert name of charity] a nonprofit working to [insert mission]. The Clothes Exchange up cycles and sells gently used and new clothes and raises money to support local nonprofit organizations working to improve the health and well-being of women in our community. You can learn more about The Clothes Exchange at theclothesexchange.org/vt

[XXXXX] will be collecting gently worn, stylish women’s clothing and accessories. We are interested in quality over quantity, so please limit your donations to five fabulous items.  For more information about criteria for donations visit http://www.theclothesexchange.org/faqs/

Please feel free to pass this promotion along to your friends. Hope to see you soon.

Sample Business to Consumer Email

INSERT BUSINESS NAME is partnering with The Clothes Exchange to support a treasured community resource, The King Street Center. We’re doing it by asking you to donate the clothes and accessories in your closet that you once had to have, but never seem to wear.  This isn’t your run of the mill clothes drive, we want the good stuff, no stains, no holes; nothing you wouldn’t let your best friend wear. Donated goods will be sold at the 9^th annual Burlington Clothes Exchange. Proceeds from this event will support King Streets programs serving women and girls in our community, who are refugees from war and persecution.

We promise we’ll help your pre-loved clothes find a good home and maximize their worth, all for a great cause. Last year, The Clothes Exchange raised $56,000, one skirt at a time!

Bring your donations to XXX between XXX and XXX and to show our gratitude, we’ll give you XXXXX.

Remember, we’re looking for quality over quantity, so be picky and give us the best of the best. For a more information about what we want please visit www.theclothesexchange.org/vt