Every collection effort matters; even if you collect clothes from just five of your best-dressed friends or your mother’s closet, your effort and contributions will make a difference.

Be fore your collect, you'll need to decide What type of drive to host.
Clean Closet, Good Karma clothes drives come in all shapes and size. Some are on-going and may last weeks or event months, others may occur in an evening at a house party or an afternoon at a yoga studio.  You may decide to collect from your close network of friends or host a drive somewhere in your community or at your workplace. If you need ideas about how to shape and promote your drive efforts, please contact us at info@theclothesexchange.org.

 
Collection Ideas

• Have a house party and invite guests to bring one or two favorite items.
• Ask your book club, sorority or mom’s group members to bring a few favorite items to your next meeting.
• Instead of a can drive, host a clothes drive at your workplace or school.
• Host a drive for your customers. Invite your customers to bring in their clothes, give them a discount off a future purchase or service, as a thank you.
• Ask the women in your life to donate.

Hosting a drive is easy; here’s what you need to do:

• Let the Burlington Clothes Exchange know about your interest in organizing a drive by emailing us at info@theclothesexchange.org.
• Select your strategy, identify your target donor, decide what you want to collect, decide if you’ll offer a gift (such as a discount off a future purchase or a piece of chocolate!).
  
• Set the date and location for your clothes drive. If you are hosting a workplace drive we suggest picking a time in February or March. All drives should be conducted between October 1st and April 15th.
  
• Promote your drive. If it’s appropriate, compose and send a press release to your local media, school newspaper or company newsletter. If your drive is for friends only, promote your efforts with an Evite or on your Facebook page. Also, be sure to promote your efforts on The Clothes Exchange Facebook page.
  
• Compose your 1st email to promote your drive.
• Send a reminder email. People forget!
  
• Collect!
  
• Deliver the clothes or make arrangements for a pick-up by contacting us at info@theclothesexchange.org.
• Note: 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.

Tools to help you promote and carryout your Collection

• Sample Emails
• Clothes Drive Poster and Flier
• Receipts (download from our website and print)
• Sample Press Release
• Clean Closet, Good Karma stickers (contact info@theclothesexchange.org to request stickers)
• Event promotional materials (contact info@theclothesexchange.org to request posters and fliers)
• Collateral from our beneficiary (contact info@theclothesexchange.org to request brochures and fact sheets about our beneficiary)

If you prefer, please contact info@theclothesexchange.org and we’ll put together a box of supplies for you.

Tips for collecting great clothes

• Whenever you promote your collection efforts, be sure to stress our interest in quality, fashionable clothes. We’d rather get a handful of fabulous items than a truck full of mediocre clothes.
• Be specific about what you want and what you don’t (check out www.theclothesexchange for a list of brands we love and items we want)
• Target your collection efforts and ask for donations from people who have great clothes
• Be specific about when and where you’ll collect clothes
• Do NOT leave an unattended box as a means for collecting clothes
• When receiving donations, be sure to thank all donors, offer them a Clean Closet, Good Karma sticker, and be prepared to talk about the mission of The Clothes Exchange and our beneficiary organization
• Offer receipts to donors who want them (donors can fill them out themselves)
• Be sure to let donors know that donations can not be returned and that any items we choose not to sell will be donated to a local charitable organization
• Be sure to let The Clothes Exchange know about your efforts so we can help!
• Make a plan for storing and transporting the clothes you collect.

We accept all sizes of high quality new or gently worn, clean, stylish women’s clothing that fashion conscious women would pay for. Maternity clothes are welcome too. Click here for more information about what we want and don't.

All donated merchandise that is not sold at The Clothes Exchange event is donated to local charitible organizations.

Remember, if you wouldn’t let your best friend wear it, we probably would not want it!

Promoting Your Collection Effort
We’ve put together some tools, which you can customize, to help you promote your collection efforts. These tools including a:
•    Clothes Collection Poster
•    Clothes Collection Flier
•    Sample email copy (below)

You are responsible for local promotion in your community.

We expect all drive organizers to let us know about their efforts so we can promote the events to Clothes Exchange friends and fans via Facebook, Twitter and through our email distribution list and webpage.