You will not get money for donating clothes to Goodwill, the Salvation Army or any other charity; the only financial benefit is a possible tax deduction, and only if you itemize. If you want cash, resale stores such as Plato's Closet, Buffalo Exchange and Crossroads buy current, in-demand pieces on the spot, typically for a fraction of what they will resell them for. For most people the best approach is both: sell the few items a store wants, then donate the rest.
No. Thrift charities sell donated clothing to fund their programs, and they do not pay donors. What you get at the donation door is a receipt. The Salvation Army says plainly that it does not put a value on your donation and that assigning one is up to you; Goodwill likewise gives you a receipt from the attendant and leaves the valuation to you.
If someone pays you for clothing, by the item or by the pound, that is a sale, not a donation, and you cannot also deduct it.
The tax benefit is real but often smaller than people expect. Under IRS rules:
A rough example: if you itemize, are in the 22% bracket and donate clothing with a fair market value of $150, the deduction would cut your tax by about $33. If you take the standard deduction, a bag of clothes saves you nothing on taxes. To estimate your own number, use our charitable tax deduction calculator or the Salvation Army donation value guide.
Resale chains look at each item, decide what they could sell it for, and offer you a percentage. Here is how the three best-known chains describe their buying, based on their own sites:
| Store | What it looks for | Cash payout | Store credit | Bring |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Exchange | Current and vintage styles for adults | 25% of the price it sets | 50% in trade, which it says does not expire | Government-issued ID; under 18 needs an adult |
| Crossroads | On-trend men's and women's clothing, shoes and accessories; not children's, formal wear, traditional business wear or intimates | 25% to 40% of the price it sets | 45% in trade; consignment for high-end designer items | Government-issued photo ID; under 18 needs an adult |
| Plato's Closet | Gently used styles popular with teens and young adults | Cash on the spot; the offer varies by store | Some stores offer credit or a discount instead | Physical photo ID; some stores require sellers to be 18 |
To put the percentages in dollars: a jacket Buffalo Exchange prices at $40 would bring $10 in cash or $20 in trade. Plato's Closet stores set their own offers, and individual store pages describe different payout ranges, so ask your local store.
Some practical points from the stores' own pages:
Online resale apps are another route, but they mean photographing, listing and shipping each item yourself, which rarely pays off for ordinary everyday clothing.
| Your situation | Better choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Recent, in-season, popular brands in excellent condition | Sell first | This is exactly what resale stores buy; even 25% of the store price can beat the tax value |
| Designer or luxury pieces | Consign | Consignment payouts are a larger share than instant cash offers |
| Older, basic, or off-brand everyday clothing | Donate | Resale buyers usually pass on it, and a thrift store can still sell it |
| Children's clothing, formal wear, business suits | Donate, or try a specialty buyer | Crossroads excludes these categories; specialty programs put them to good use |
| You itemize and have a large, good-quality load | Donate and keep a receipt | The deduction can add up, and drop-off takes minutes |
| You take the standard deduction and own a few valuable pieces | Sell those, donate the rest | Clothing donations give you no tax benefit in this case |
| Stained, torn or heavily worn items | Neither; recycle | See our clothing guidelines for textile recycling options |
For condition questions and textile recycling, see the clothing donation guidelines.
Done this way, you get cash for the handful of items that are worth something on the resale market, and the rest still does some good instead of sitting in a closet.