National Giving Alliance

NGA is a 136-year-old organization. We provide new clothes, new linens, new toiletries free of charge to homeless and low-income children, families, women, men, the elderly and veterans. Those who have been left behind or forgotten. We operate with one paid staff and a team of volunteers. NGA is at a crossroads in the way we serve our communities. NGA's leadership recognizes its time to re-evaluate our methods and programs. We are starting work on a three-year strategic plan that will outline our direction, examine new opportunities for serving homeless and low-income, and provide a process for allocating resources.

In 2020, NGA served more than 188,000 homeless and low-income populations in seven states and provided 250,000 new items. If selected, we would expand our network to other communities/states. We would increase our warehouse/storage facility by repairing and updating our second building to make it operational. We would purchase new clothing, toiletries and household linens to fill the demand. We would hire a program manager to oversee the operation for the increase in services and distributions to other communities/states. We see this opportunity to learn from other non-profits and your network of partners to take NGA to the next level.

We're often asked, "why do we only give new clothes, why not used? They (being homeless and poor) will wear anything you give them." Like our founders, we believe that "New clothes equalize, used clothes pauperize". National Giving Alliance knows there will always be low-income/homeless people in our communities, but we can serve them by providing essential items that are not covered by government safety net programs. When NGA provides new items to its clients, we are empowering them to feel good about themselves the way a new outfit makes one feel. Our gifts of new clothes and toiletries help adults find new employment that will boost their income and move them toward financial independence. New clothes, school uniforms, and personal care products help students to focus on their studies,  to fit in with their peers, and it removes one more barrier to obtaining a good education. When students show up at school in 20 degree weather without a coat, NGA delivers coats and clothes for the children. Warm clothes help the homeless stay warm on days when the temperatures do not rigger a code blue alert. NGA knows human services are imperative to leading a healthy and productive life.

NGA National and 19 branches serve low-income areas in the U.S. The poverty in our hard-hit areas are greater Philadelphia, PA is 25.8%, Camden, NJ: 37.4%, Los Angeles: 17.4%, Flint, MI: 38.9%, Sherman, TX: 18.6%, Trenton, NJ: 27.3%, Polk County, FL: 19.9%. The National poverty rate is 13.4%. We serve children, families, women and men. We provide essential clothing: winter coats, clothes, underwear, and socks, and hygiene products. Annually, we serve 200,000 individuals. Many of our clients work in low-paying jobs. They prioritize their needs: shelter, food, utilities and clothing. New clothes have a positive effect on the behavior/mood of the individual. NGA works with school districts and non-profit agencies to identify and distribute items. They know who is homeless or low-income, and which clients may be on the verge of falling into either category. The social workers provide NGA with a list items needed and sizes. We purchase new clothes for each individual. For children receiving new clothes, it means they are dressing similar to their peers in up-to-date fashions. For adults, it means clothes for job interviews and for work. For both it means fitting in. This is empowering and boosts our clients’ self-esteem, confidence and mood.

NGA only provides new items. New because used items are cast-offs, discards from someone else. To empower a person who is already lacking self-esteem, receiving items no one wants is not going to lift them up. Our founders recognized 136 years ago the power new clothes had on recipients. They knew early on that distributing new clothes had a positive effect on needy peoples’ behavioral health. In 2011, a study in the International Journal of Business and Social Science, the authors noted, "Physiologically, when an individual wears new clothing, he/she experiences the sense of confidence about himself/herself, which drives positive mood and emotions." One teenage client, who received a new pair of jeans with tags on, couldn’t believe she was receiving something no one else had worn. What we wear says a lot about who we are. We learn this at a young age. How a child/teen feels about themselves and their appearance, helps them fit in with their peers. Adults need appropriate clothes for job interviews and work. New toiletries ensure good hygiene, which equals good health. For infants, regular diaper changes. For women/men/teens/children, soap to bathe, deodorant, and shampoo. For females, tampons/pads. For the elderly, disposable underwear. 

The impact NGA has on its clients is both cognitive and affective. By only giving new items, we are working to break the generalities and stereotypes thought about homeless and low-income people. The negative assumptions about homeless and low-income are many. Such as, they don’t want to work. Many of our clients are children in foster care, are homeless or low-income. They didn’t pick their situation; they were born into it. Many of our adult clients work, but don’t earn enough to support themselves and family. Some work more than one job and still can’t make ends meet. The affective component is directly related to their mood and behavioral health. How a student feels about himself/herself shows in how they carry themselves at school, in the classroom, with their peers. For adults, we know that when they are starting a new job, they want to dress for their new position. We know we are making a difference when we receive pictures of them smiling in their new outfits or in the thank you notes letting us know the impact we made on their lives. By giving new, NGA is removing one more barrier for them to achieve their goal.