Donating your wedding dress to charity can be an excellent way to give back to the community, and it will also give you a tax deduction! Some places will accept wedding dresses three years old and younger, and require the gowns to be clean before donation. While the majority of organizations will accept wedding dresses five years old and older, some may only accept dresses that are three years old or younger.
Many brides keep their wedding dresses for many years. Donating your wedding dress to a charity can benefit a struggling bride, while freeing up closet space, and can even earn you a tax deduction! Besides helping the community, donating your wedding dress is also good for the environment. Your gown will be reused and will cut down on the pollution of new materials.
Many nonprofits and community centers accept wedding dresses. Before donating your wedding gown, do some research on the charity. You may find a charity that supports the cause you are passionate about. Getting in touch with the charity will allow you to know that your donation has helped a bride in need. You will also be able to enjoy the satisfaction of knowing that you helped another bride who needs it most.
Another charity that accepts donated wedding dresses is Brides Across America, which outfits thousands of first responder and military brides. You can donate your wedding dress to them by filling out a simple online form. They will then respond to you with further instructions. It may take up to four weeks to process your donation. Make sure the dress is in good condition.
You can also donate your wedding dress to Adorned in Grace, an organization that fights human trafficking by selling donated items. The proceeds from the sales of donated items go towards mentoring young survivors of human trafficking. You can also donate wedding dresses and accessories to this charity by mail. The organization accepts both wedding dresses and accessories for women and men.
Another charity that accepts wedding dresses is Brides for a Cause, a nonprofit bridal store in Oregon. It has showrooms in Portland, Tacoma, Seattle, and Sacramento. The proceeds from the sale of donated wedding dresses support a variety of women-focused nonprofits. Since its founding in 2012, the charity has donated more than $1 million to nonprofits. Some of the charities that Brides for a Cause supports include Girls Who Code, Every Mother Counts, and the Loveland Foundation.
Adorned in Grace accepts wedding dresses that are five years or less, and uses the proceeds from these sales to fight sex trafficking. The organization requires that the dresses be cleaned before donation, and monetary donations are required to cover cleaning costs. Although Adorned in Grace does not accept wedding dresses that are older than five years, it does accept pre-owned wedding dresses for their Angel Gown program.