LifestyleWhat Do Nonprofits do with Seasonal Donations?
Nonprofits bring awareness and raise funds for causes that need support. Whether it's for feeding children or pioneering research for a rare disease, these organizations depend heavily on the generosity of their supporters. Donations can come in the form of money or physical items that hold value. It's not rare to see vehicles, jewelry, or valuable seasonal items like skis, boating equipment, and more donated.
These charities can spruce these items up and sell them at an auction to fund their programs. But what if the organization receives a seasonal donation at the wrong time of year? Even when listing the donation online, there isn't much demand for the item, which makes it sit in storage for months.
This problem is common because many people donate items during the off-season, which is a popular time to sort through one's attic or garage. So what do nonprofits do with these seasonal donations? How can they store them safely so that their value is retained for a future sale?
Honoring the Generosity of Donors
When someone gives a gift to benefit a cause, this gesture must be honored by protecting the item as much as you can. Nonprofits must be mindful to invest in protective materials like packing paper, furniture blankets, plastic wrap, packing tape, packing boxes, and desiccant packages for long-term storage.
When you store items in the open air, they can become dusty and wear down more quickly than if they are protected from the elements. You can find all you need to protect a donation at your preferred hardware store or at our office of Storage Units of America.
Taking this extra step to pack these items safely can keep these items looking and functioning like new so that they attract the highest auction prices and make the next owner happy. The next step is to store extra-sensitive items in climate-controlled units so that they don't' fall prey to common causes of premature wear and tear.
Climate-Controlled Storage Units Keep Donations in Good Condition
When you store anything valuable in a place that is too hot, humid, or cold, you risk wearing down the item prematurely. This kind of environment can also have pests like mice and insects that can eat upholstery or make seasonal items dirty and worn.
Humidity is a common cause of wood and fabric rot, as well as rust and corrosion. This will wear down gardening equipment, machinery, and leisure items like bicycles. The need for a storage area that is pest-free and climate-controlled is critical when the nonprofit wants to honor the generosity of its donors.
When donations accumulate during the off-season, it may be months before they are ready to be on display at the thrift store or auction. Protecting them in a climate-controlled storage unit makes sure that these valuable items aren't wasted. Eliminating extreme heat, cold, pests, and humidity prevent every possible waste that can occur if you put these items in unprotected units.
What Happens When Nonprofits Have More Donations Than They Can Handle?
When nonprofits are flooded with new items, the immediate answer is to get more space. Maybe the nonprofit just had a promotional event and they suddenly get a flood of monetary and physical donations.
This can easily put a strain on existing storage areas within the organization. Getting extra third-party storage units on-demand can temporarily increase the storage capacity as needed. This will give the extra storage support without having to physically add on to an existing ware house.
How Nonprofits Can Use Storage Unit for Sorting and Efficiency
Additionally, renting storage units can make nonprofits more efficient. Mainly, individual units can be logical spaces for organizing donations. For example, one unit can be designated for winter gear and another for summer items. It's also possible to rent a block of storage units and assign a few for the same season.
When you throw many donations into a large space, you'll need plenty of labels and even a diagram to direct volunteers toward the items they need to store or retrieve. This can lead to disorganized areas where finding or extracting a donation can be challenging. By segmenting donations into different storage units and allocating the more delicate items to climate-controlled units, you can properly sort and protect your items for future benefits.
Cheaper Than Owning A Warehouse
When you have one warehouse that you own, you will have to pay for all the costs of utilities, staff, building maintenance, and the mortgage. These costs don't change regardless of the number of items you have in storage. When you rent units, you don't have to worry about making service calls, repairs, or hooking up a security system. Instead, the storage facility takes care of these factors so you can relax.
Also, when you can rent a variable number of units according to the number of donations in stock, you only pay for the storage you need. For example, when you auction the physical donations and empty a storage unit, you can close that one out so that your maximum storage capacity remains flexible. This eliminates the need to buy a static storage area that may become too big (or small) for your needs.
This also allows organizations to adjust their storage budgets according to the capital they have without straining their resources. Why pay $2,000 a month for a large unit that you have to maintain when you can pay significantly less for storage units that you can release when they are not needed? The savings add up, which allows you to spend more money on the operations that matter to your cause.
We're Your Storage Solution!
Storage Rentals of America is your convenient self-storage solution. So come into our office or give our storage experts a call at 1-800-457-5678. Our call center is available 7 days a week and can help determine which storage unit size best fits your storage needs.
