Frequently Asked Questions
About the Organization
What is The Fashion Foundation?
We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with the mission to provide school supplies to students. We operate our online store filled with clothing, shoes and accessories donated to us from designers and individuals.
How does The Fashion Foundation work?
Our organization works in 3 steps:
1. Designers donate their unwanted or excess merchandise.
2. We sell the items on our online store at a fraction of the retail price.
3. With the funds raised from sales, fundraisers and donations, we buy school supplies for students in need.
What will be donated to enhance education?
Donated resources are dependent on the specific school's needs. One of the first steps to our donation process is meeting with the school's Principal and teachers to find out exactly what their students need.
We'll never just hand a school a check for the donation amount. We want to ensure your donation is buying students the exact supplies they need to enhance their education.
Where do the educational resources go?
To date we've impacted over 27,000 children in New York.
Here are some of the schools we've helped so far:
P.S. 325 - Harlem, NY
Hamilton Grange Middle School - Harlem, NY
I.S 73 - Queens, NY
P.S.231K - Brooklyn, NY
M.S. 390 - Bronx, NY
Vista Academy - Brooklyn, NY
P.S.I.S 155 - Brooklyn, NY
P.S.I.S 156 - Brooklyn, NY
Turtle Hook Middle School - Uniondale, NY
Urban Assembly School for Global Commerce - Harlem, NY
PS 231 @ 238 - Brooklyn, NY
Contact us if your school is in need of new school supplies!
To learn more about what we've donated to schools, visit our impact page.
What is your 501(c)(3) status?
We are a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, effective date of exemption is July 11, 2013.
Donating Merchandise
How can I donate clothes?
We only accept donations from brands and designers. Send us an email - info@thefashionfoundation.org. Let us know some of the items you have so we can plan accordingly to get them from you.
What items do you accept?
We are currently accepting women's and men's items that are new with tags or lightly used including:
Clothing, Shoes, Jewelry, Handbags, Sunglasses, Accessories (scarves, hats, belts, etc.)
What items don't you accept?
- Anything that is well worn, has stains, or holes
- Household items or electronics
- Counterfeit goods
Do the items need to be high end merchandise?
No! We'll accept any brand of merchandise, as long as it is in good condition. We hope to sell merchandise at a range of prices so anyone can purchase from our site.
Purchasing Merchandise
Are the clothes checked for stains before they are sold?
We thoroughly check our merchandise to ensure there are no holes or stains. If you received an item that we failed to see a stain or hole, email us within 2 days of your order being received. Please note that since we do sell merchandise that's been previously used, we cannot take back items after these 2 days to ensure the merchandise isn't being worn and returned.
How are the purchase prices calculated?
All of our merchandise is between 30-98% off the estimated original retail price. Every item is individually priced dependent on the designer, style, condition and estimated year of production.
What does NWT stand for?
New With Tags - these items still have the tags attached
How do you determine the estimated original retail price?
If the tags are not attached to an item we calculate the estimated original retail price by researching the brands price points based on that specific merchandise.
Why do I have to pay sales tax on my purchase?
We are required by New York State to collect sales tax for any purchase made by a New York resident. We are required to collect sales tax and remit it to New York State.
How long does it take for my order to be processed?
Orders will be processed within 1-5 days of purchase.
What is your return policy?
Currently, we can only process returns for orders originally over $50. Returns can be processes for clothes and shoes. Hair accessories, home goods, swimwear, jewelry, mystery boxes, mystery items, sunglasses, handbags and other accessories cannot be returned or exchanged. Celebrity closet clean outs are final sale for all items.
Send us an email at customerservice@thefashionfoundation.org within 3 days of your package arriving, and we will issue your return label. $7.95 shipping cost is nonrefundable.
International orders are nonrefundable
Credit Card Refund: Full refund minus shipping cost back to the credit card you used to purchase. $7.95 shipping cost is nonrefundable.
Fashion Foundation Store Credit: Get your refund order amount + 10% of your refund order amount credited to your store account. (trust us, this way is more fun for you!) $7.95 shipping cost is nonrefundable.
Other
What is the value of my tax deduction?
The valuation used for sales purposes is an estimated manufacturer's suggested price. The valuation used by The Fashion Foundation, Inc. does not determine the donor's valuation for income tax purposes. Please consult your accountant on the matter.