As an entrepreneur in the organizing and cleaning fields, and a member of the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals, we recommend donating unneeded clothing and household goods to The Brown Elephant, or other similar organizations, because they use donation proceeds to help additional social causes.
Think of your organizing task as a double-reward project that has personal, as well as social-conscious satisfaction.
Organizations such as Goodwill Industries rely on donations of clothing, furniture, and cars to support its mission of providing employment and training opportunities to people who have trouble finding and keeping employment. Another great local resource for children’ clothes, toys and school supplies is Cradles to Crayons. Other donation sites are shelters, churches and community-based organizations. Another good reason to donate to places like The Brown Elephant, Salvation Army, and Cradle to Crayons is that donations to them are 100-percent tax-deductible, so donors should remember to keep their donation receipts for tax records.
The following are suggestions for decluttering and organizing:
- Start small: Start with a drawer or closet, or a small area you can complete in a short period of time. The enjoyment and satisfaction of the area you have finished will encourage you to keep going, and you will find you are able to tackle larger projects.
- Determine the size and overall commitment for your organizing project: Either hire a professional organizer for full comprehensive results, or enlist the help of a detailed-oriented friend who will support, encourage and challenge you to complete your organizing project.
- Categorize to make the task manageable: Pull everything. Divide into five categories. 1) items you must keep, 2) items to be donated, 3) trash, 4) items that you’re not sure about, 5) items you will keep.
- Use it or Lose it: If you have not used the items within one year during one of the seasons, then you probably don’t need it. Donate these items to someone who need them and can use them. Realistically speaking, I must admit that we all have a collection pile for sentimental reasons; however, don’t collect items unless you are going to find a practical, well-organized and non-cluttered way to store them.
Hope these tips are helpful “ Happy cleaning and organizing!
If you want to further discuss your organizing needs and projects, feel free to call Global Contractors at 773-803-9415.