Clothing and blanket drives are popular this time of year, but in-kind donations can pose a challenge, not only for donors who have to coordinate dropping off items, but also for nonprofits that sometimes wind up with supplies that don’t quite fit their needs.
Enter Silicon Valley startup Roonga. Founders say they are committed to solving both sides of the challenge by offering a new way to run donation drives online.
“We’re trying to make in-kind donations cost effective, and help nonprofits get exactly what they need,” said Roonga co-founder Evelyn Horng.
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Currently Roonga is working with Project WeHOPE in East Palo Alto to make sure its new homeless shelter has all the blankets, sheets, towels, robes, and coats it needs for clients this winter, plus laundry detergent to keep it all clean. The nonprofit previously operated a warming shelter from fall to spring, but recently received the funds and approval to open year round.
Thanksgiving Shelter Supply Drive
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Project WeHOPE’s Thanksgiving Shelter Supply Drive on Roonga runs until the shelter’s grand opening on Nov. 26. Interested donors can go to the organization’s page on the Roonga site, and either pledge to bring the requested items to the shelter, or pay for the purchase of items through Roonga’s partner companies. Items purchased online can be shipped directly to Project WeHOPE, at no cost to the organization.
Find out how Roonga works, and how you can get involved by reading the full story at Good Neighbor Stories.
