Why my family donates our old clothes

 Everyone talks about recycling these days. That is a good thing. But I found out that where we were donating my kids' clothes to was not what we had thought. Not all Staten Island clothing donation sites are the same. Not by a long shot. Let me explain, briefly. I'm sure this applies to you, no matter where you live.

First of all, we donate on Staten Island as an homage to the people of the Forgotten Borough. That's where my family originally hails from. I mean, we're Scottish, but after Scotland, we lived on Staten Island for generations and generations. Anyway, let me get to the point:

A lot of places do not actually give your clothes to needy families. Even with names that sound like they're doing good work, a lot of places are not.

A case in point: Those drop boxes you see in parking lots all over the island, all over New Jersey, and all over every town and city I've been in across the United States. These are a big fraud. First of all, many of them are for-profit corporations. They're not even charities. In NYC, there's a law now that means that it has to say that a drop box is operated by a for-profit company. So that's  a good development.

But that's not the end of the story. A lot of drop boxes are run by nonprofits, but those nonprofits sell the clothes to for-profit companies that turn the majority of clothing into fiber for recycling to make into new clothes, or to make into rags. A portion of the clothes are shipped overseas for disaster relief. And, some clothes are sold to consignment shops. While the nonprofit makes money from the sale of the clothes to the for-profit company, and that money is used to further their operation and fund worthy causes, it is not going where you think.

If you want to donate clothes on Staten Island or anywhere else, you need to know this. It's important. You want to ask questions. Make phone calls. And, look up reports on the nonprofits you're giving to. Just because a nonprofit has the word "kids" in its name does not mean they are helping underprivileged children. Keep this in mind as you explore your options.

It's always a better choice to recycle your old clothes than throw them away. But don't be deceived. Do your research and find out where your old clothes really go. You may feel good giving them away, but it's about more than feeling like you're making a difference. It's about actually making a difference.

Remember, companies, even nonprofits, may lie to you. No matter who you're calling, they want your donation. It means whoever is answering the phone continues to get paid. And, a company can say, sure, the clothes go to families, but in reality, the clothes really don't. No one is going to get in trouble for lying on the phone.  So, you have to really know your stuff. The better you familiarize yourself with the place your clothes are going, the less the chances are that you'll be deceived. And, the greater the chances are that your old clothes will actually end up somewhere where they're doing the most good.

We used to leave the clothes out for those nonprofits that pick up. They'd come by and leave a note that they'll be coming around on a certain date. And, we'd dutifully collect all our old clothes, black bag after black bag. Then, one day, a Hispanic lady I met in JC Penney's told me that the nonprofit we use doesn't really give the clothes to needy families. I was skeptical, and so I didn't even look into it.

But then, the next time the place came by with a notice that they'd be picking up clothes, I made a few phone calls. It turns out she was 100% correct. The nonprofit sells all the clothes they collect. They then take the money they get for the bulk clothing sale and fund programs that help kids. Not exactly what I had in mind. Also, most of the money goes to keeping the operation going. Only a small percentage of the money actually helps anyone.

I think there's more fraud in charities than anywhere else. You'd better be careful and check into any charity you give clothes to, let alone give money to. Before you open your wallet and sign a check, make sure you look up the Charity Navigator rating, and its annual report. It's called a Form 990 filing and it will tell all. I hope that this keeps other people from "donating" to charities that are anything but!