Swapping for a Good Cause

We've often touted the benefits of swap parties as a way to clean out your closet and give your wardrobe a free update, but what if these parties also raised money for a good cause?

A new nonprofit, Swap For Good, co-founded by Sierra Club staffer Orli Cotel, aims to tap the growing clothing-swap movement as a way to raise money for domestic-violence shelters. The founders came up with the idea after learning that women's shelters have suffered a drastic loss of funding in most states due to recessionary budget cuts.

It works like this: You organize a swap, post it on the site, and ask your attendees to make a monetary donation in exchange for all the "new" duds they're scoring. Find a needy shelter in your area and send it a check in the amount of the funds raised during the swap. Remember that you can also exchange more than just clothes – gently used tools, books, toys, and cookware are all fair game.

--Jessi Phillips