How to host a clothing donation shed for your church or organization
Hosting a St. Pauly Textile shed is a simple, no-cost way to create ongoing fundraising through clothing donations.
Our clothing shed program bridges the gap by providing a very convenient and very clean donation environment, which is also hosted by a local organization (like yours!) that benefits directly from the partnership.
Our goal is to reach the majority of people that are statistically not donating or rarely donating. Our experience, history and reputation as a company show that we are very good at doing this!
Testimonials
Over the past 10 years, we have donated over $13.5 Million to local organizations
Why local community organizations choose to host a clothing shed
This project is a service to communities. This builds a unique connection between community members and the organizations that host our sheds.
Clothing dropped off at a shed is distributed to people all over the world who could use it.
We are able to provide anywhere from $50 – $200 on average per month to local organizations that host our clothing sheds. Some of our long term shed partners have received as much as $400 – $500 in a month.
We can give clothing locally if there is a need. Organizations that host our sheds are free to use clothing from the shed for clothing giveaways or to help a local family or congregation member in need.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean to host a St. Pauly Textile shed?
Hosting a shed means allowing a St. Pauly Textile clothing donation bin to be placed at your location so community members can donate clothing conveniently. The program is designed to help support local organizations through clothing collection.
Who can host a clothing donation shed?
Any nonprofit organization; including faith communities, and community-based organizations with appropriate space.
How do we get started hosting a shed?
Interested organizations should contact St. Pauly Textile to discuss their location, goals, and site fit.
Will there be a mess if I host a shed?
Absolutely not. Our program is specially designed so that our donation sheds remain clean at all times. Not only do our teams empty the shed frequently (weekly at most locations), but your volunteer also spends 15-20 minutes once or twice per week moving donations away from the donation chute (as outlined on the previous page) so the donation chute remains unobstructed. This eliminates the possibility that someone donating will ever have to leace donations outside the shed. This is facilitated by our use of an attractive, wood frame shed with plenty of storage space, rather than a small metal bin. Also, people are generally more likely to want to use a donation structure properly if it's hosted by a non-profit organization like yours, as opposed to a business, gas station, restaurant or plaza. This unique combination of factors has always kept our sheds from becoming dump sites, regardless of what region and community we are operating in.
What kind of items should be donated?
We ask for usable clothing, shoes, belts, purses, blankets, sheets, curtains, pillowcases and stuffed animals. We ask people not to donate electronics, books, household items, toys, garbage, pillows, rags or fabric scraps.
What if a community member donated an unwanted item?
Statisically, 1 out of every 75 donations throught the donation chute is something we are not asking for. You should know that our team is trained to completely empty and clean the shed at each pickup, regardless of what has been donated. We dispose of or recycle any extraneous items.
It's very rare that a community member will leave any sort of large item outside of one of our drop off sheds, due to all the factors listed in the first dropdown. If this were to happen, however, we do ask that you notify us right away so that our pickup team can stop by to remove it immediately. Strict cleanliness is one. ofthe most important aspects of the business model.
How often is the shed serviced?
As mentioned previously, most of our sheds are emptied once per week by our pickup teams. A few lower volume sheds, which sometimes include brand new sheds, are emptied once every two weeks. We closely monitor all of our locations for any changes in donation volume.
Where does all the clothing go?
We primarily sell clothing, in bulk, to sorting and shipping companies who in return contract with US government agencies, foreign government agencies, relief organizations and private companies. This is the most cost-effective way for these types of organizations to get large quantities used clothing for redistribution. The geographic destinations for clothing are changing constantly, depending on what is happening in the world at the time.
Is the clothing shredded or cut up?
Absolutely not. All the usable clothing that we collect is shipped whole-garment so that it can be worn by someone, somewhere in the world. The only exception to this rule is the small percentage of clothing donated to the public that is un-wearable (having small holes or stains). This small percentage of clothing is typically sorted out and recycled somewhere down the line.
What if my organization hosts an annual rummage sale or clothing giveaway, or occasionally supports another organization with clothing donations?
You are always welcome to use clothing donations from the shed for your event, or to serve individual needs.
How does hosting a shed benefit our organization?
The average organization we work with typically receivees somewhere between $50-$200 per month once the program is established.
Because it's not feasible for us to weigh bags of clothing at pickups, we use an average bag weight which is just over 11 pounds. We multiply the average bag weight with by the number of bags we collect from your shed every week in order to calculate the total weight.
What can I do to promote the shed locally?
We provide fliers, laminated posters, a digital press release, advertising and social media support all at no cost to your organization. If you're willing to make use of these promotional tools, we're excited to provide them.
Is there insurance on the shed?
We have $10,000,000 of liability insurance covering all of our clothing sheds. This is for your protection and for ours. Proof of this insurance can be made readily available at your request.
Is St Pauly Textile, Inc a for-profit company?
Yes, it is. The company was incorporated in 1996. The company is also proud to be an A+ member of the Better Business Bureau. You can read our Better Business Bureau reviews here.
Where can the shed be placed on our property and how is it set up?
The shed can be placed anywhere on your property (including behind your building) and it will generally receive a high volume of donations if it's advertised properly. It can be placed on any surface, including grass, gravel or pavement. If it's placed on grass, it should be placed next to pavement or gravel so that it's easily accessible.
Your local zoning office or building department may require a permit or at the very least will have restrictions dictating how far the shed must be "set back" from property lines. St Pauly Textile, Inc. representatives have extensive experience with building, planning, zoning permits, etc and will take care of this process from start to finish.
What kinds of locations work best for a shed?
High-visibility, easy-to-access locations with regular community traffic are typically the best fit. Churches, nonprofit campuses, and other community-centered properties are often great locations for that.
If I host a shed, how many more people will I see pop up in my community?
Can people get a tax deduction for donating to the shed?
Yes. There is a sign attached to the shed witha QR code that community members can scan when they donate, which leads to a downloadable receipt form. As per IRS guidelines, they can fill out the estimated value of their donation and turn it in with their taxes for a deduction.