Charity asks people to store donated goods
Howard Lake | 4 May 2020 | News
One of Ireland’s largest disability charities has appealed to people to collect and store goods for sale in its charity shops once they reopen.
Enable Ireland is asking the public who are doing coronavirus household clean-outs of attics, rooms and wardrobes to consider storing their unwanted items for donation to their shops when the Irish government allows shops to start operations again.
The charity says it is facing a potential €1.5 million shortfall following the enforced closure of its charity shops throughout Ireland. Enable shops and recycling grossed €6.7 million in 2018.
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The charity, which employs 1,200 staff and provides disability services to more than 8,500 children and adult with disabilities in 15 counties, had to postpone all fundraising events and temporarily close their 21 charity shops following the outbreak of the coronavirus.
Enable, as well as having corporate donors who raise money for the charity, has around 15 corporate donors who provide unwanted stock for sale in their charity shops. The charity is also a major recycler and in 2018 recycled nearly 2,300 tonnes of donated clothing.
Other voluntary income in 2018 included around €1 million from central and community fundraising activities. Around two thirds of that figure is raised locally and is spent on local projects in the 15 counties where the charity has services. Enable has nearly 5000 regular committed donors.
After expenses, commercial activities which includes shop sales and recycling, contribute around €2.2 million to Enable. Total charity income in 2018 was €55 million, with government grants the largest source of income.
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About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.