Many of us take advantage of the quieter weeks after the holidays to sort out our clothes. In my case, I’ve been sorting through clothes that don’t fit anymore and those I haven’t worn in a while: I have several bags to donate. But I asked myself, where can I donate my clothes in Toronto? There are several solutions, and I’ve put them all together here to make your life easier. I’ve tried to find several organizations with different missions to encourage you to choose a cause that’s close to your heart. I hope this helps.
Before you go any further, don’t forget to find me on Instagram, on Pinterest and Youtube.
Best practices
- Be sure to check the condition of the clothes you’re donating – not everything is worth giving away. Some clothes have had a good life and it’s time to either throw them away or recycle them.
- Some places only accept clothes by season, to optimize their storage, make sure to check this.
- When choosing a place to donate your clothes, be sure to check if the items are going to be given to people who need them or if they are going to be sold. I’m putting this on your radar so you can find a place that matches your desires.
- I advise you to take a good look at whether the associations that collect the clothes offer to come and collect them from your home. If you have a lot of things to donate, this can really be an important factor in your choice.
- Take a good look at the type of clothing they accept when you want to donate your clothes in Toronto: some places accept only men’s, women’s, children’s, or everything.
- Finally, the last thing to compare for second-hand stores that collect donations and resell afterwards: some will give you a discount coupon in exchange, with some it’s a percentage, others an amount. It’s interesting to compare if you are planning to buy second-hand yourself. We never say no to a few dollars saved! I always have a few clothes to give away that I keep on hand when I visit certain second-hand stores, to get my little discount!
- If you want to find all the second-hand stores in Toronto, you can also read my article on the subject.
Where to donate clothes that will be sold
Value Village
You can make donations directly in store. Please note that not all stores accept donations, so check their website first. In exchange, you’ll receive a 15% discount coupon.
Talize
You can also donate clothes directly in store. According to their website, all stores accept donations. But I’d still check to see if I were you before you go. To thank you for your contribution, the store will give you a $5 coupon for your next purchase.
Salvation Army
You can donate directly in store. Most of them are outside the city center. Clothes are sold to fund the services of the Salvation Army of Canada. In exchange for your donation, you’ll receive a 20% discount coupon.
Double Take
They accept donations of clothing to sell in support of the Yonge Street Mission. More information here.
Goodwill
Like the others mentioned above, you can donate your clothes at the various Goodwill donation centres in Toronto.
Mission Thrift
This is another second-hand boutique in Toronto that offers to pick up your used clothes. What makes them different from the others is that they also offer to collect them from you.
Independant second-hand stores
They’re also a great option for donating your clothes in Toronto. I can’t list them all here, but I’ll refer you to my article listing all the independent second-hand stores in Toronto.
Where to donate clothes that will be donated
Le Centre francophone
You can donate clothing to help French-speaking people in need. There is little information on their website, but they recommend calling 416-922-2672, ext. 235 for more details.
Donation bins
Throughout the city you can find bins that collect clothing donations. The advantage: completely independent, you go there with your bag, drop it off and leave. Disadvantage: if you have a lot of clothes to donate, it may be too small and time-consuming to drop off. In Toronto, you have Diabetes Canada (not many in the city), Oasis Clothing Bank (several downtown), Jake’s House (further north).
Ontario Federation for Cerebral Palsy (OFCP)
They can arrange to collect your donations directly from you. Alternatively, they have donation boxes in some parts of the city. Check out their website for more info.
New Circles
It’s an organization that offers services to help newcomers when they arrive in Canada. Among other things, they donate clothing, with the idea that clothes are essential for feeling good, integrating and finding a job. Find out more on their website. They accept deposits only. No pick-up available.
Nellie’s Place
They offer help to abused women. They offer temporary housing and a variety of resources. These include clothing donations. Find out more on their website.
Jessie’s Centre
This is a center created by June Callwood to help young pregnant women, young mothers, young parents and their children. You can schedule a clothing drive at your home, every 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month. Find out more here.
Dress For Success
It’s an organization that helps women who are actively looking for work. I would recommend separating your donation if you have more professional clothes to donate here. And keep the other, perhaps more casual outfits, for other organizations. Find out more on their website.
Churches
I don’t have specific lists, but I encourage you to look at the churches around you. They often collect clothing to help people in need.
Suits Me Fine
This boutique gives free clothing to people attending CAMH, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. I already mentioned it in my article on mental health in Canada. You can find out more about how to donate your clothes here.
Covenant House
This association collects clothes to give to homeless young people or victims of sex trafficking. You can drop them off in person. For more information, click here.
Sanctuary
I lived next door for four and a half years. I saw how active they were in helping the community. They mainly focus their help on the homeless. Find out more about dropping off your clothes to schedule a pickup here.
FCJ Refugee Centre
They accept donations of women’s, men’s and children’s clothing. But also products like soap. I’ll let you see the details on their website.
Fred Victor
It’s an association that helps homeless people. They collect clothing donations. You can find more information on their website.
I hope this article will help you find out where to donate your clothes in Toronto. Not only to give them a second life, but also to help someone in need. If your clothes are not in a condition to be donated, consider having them recycled.
