How can I ensure that the clothing I donate to charity really helps the needy? - By Constance Casey. Dear My Goodness, I have a bunch of old clothes I'd like to get rid of, but I'm wary of just dumping them off in one of those yellow bins by the side of the road. I'm not terribly confident that those clothes will end up in the hands of people who need them. I'd donate them to the Salvation Army, but they resell the clothing. Are there any charities that give clothing directly to those in need? Dear Alan,It will take a little effort on your part, but, yes, you can bypass charity thrift shops and give the clothes directly to someone who needs them. For donations of professional women's clothing, there's a well-established charity, Dress for Success, that gives clothing directly to people in need. Gifts-in-kind can be a problem for some charities. For a charity to resell your donated clothes for money may not be as undesirable as you think.
Sales in 2009 at Goodwill's 2,400 stores brought in $2.4 billion, of which 84 percent went into job training and family-support programs. Doctors Without Borders. Charity: water. Philanthropedia - find the top non-profit organizations. Charity Navigator - America's Largest Charity Evaluator | Home.