Donation Warehouses: From Collections to Recycling
"I want to donate my old furniture, but I don't know where to go! How do I find a donation warehouse near me?" That is the question many people face when they are faced with making a big purchase such as a large antique. There are many different options available for those looking to donate their old furniture. "How do I find a donation warehouse near me?"
It is extremely important to find a location that is both convenient for the client, and for the donor. A professional facility will take care of finding a suitable donation warehouse for the client, so that all of the donation and transportation can be handled from the location, rather than having the furniture transported, then placed on a truck, and taken to the donation warehouse. The staff at a professional facility is always very helpful and available. They are helpful in the early stages of the process, during the pick up of your furniture, cleaning and selling the donated items. All staff members are very friendly and very knowledgeable about the process, and will treat you with respect and courtesy.
The staff capacity of a warehouse is often an indicator of its success. A professional facility should have staff strength ranging from four to eight staff members. This staff strength is very important, as well as the in-kind donations. A facility should not only have a high staff capacity, but also high in-kind donations.
One of the ways that a facility raises money is through the sales of donated items. Agency raise money this way by selling items such as antiques, rugs, books, furniture, and kitchenware. In addition to selling these items, they provide a fund to organizations such as local hospitals, shelters, and children's hospitals. By selling donated items to these fund raising organizations, and by providing a donation warehouse, a facility demonstrates their ability to fundraise and to continue their good work.
Agency that a facility can demonstrate their ability to fundraise is through their choice of fundraising products. A professional donation warehouse will have a variety of fundraising products, some of which are items that are not only as collectibles, but also things such as kitchenware. Agency of products have high value to the organization that sells them. A facility may also choose to sell used furniture, rather than new furniture, as this has an even higher profit potential.
A professional facility will also choose to distribute in-kind donations. When you donate an in-kind item, the facility keeps that item. In-kind items are those that come directly from the service provider to the person that receives it, such as blood, plasma, or tissue. These types of donations have a very high profit potential.
Other types of in-kind donations include material items that come from the landfill. Professional donation centers keep a large stock of donated material, including paper products, cardboard, and metals. You may also find a donation center offering in-kind gifts such as spa certificates, books or clothing. The number of in-kind donations that a facility can offer, the number of services they offer and the variety of services they offer are limited only by the funds of the facility and the imagination of their management team.
Fundraising efforts are not just about getting people to donate their old stuff. The goal of any fundraiser is to raise the greatest amount of funds possible, period. So the most important thing to remember when looking for a local facility to assist you in your fundraising efforts is to make sure that the staff of that facility is experienced and dedicated to the success of your fundraising efforts. Don't forget that in-kind donations are the most successful when they are raised from people who actually need the items you are collecting. If you're fundraising for an environmental organization, for example, don't expect to collect tons of canned products - you're going to need to source the items yourself to make sure that your efforts are actually helping the environment.