7 Charities That Will Give Your Donated Wedding Dress a Second Life

Some brides want to keep their wedding dress preserved in their closet forever. For other women, the benefits of donating their bridal gowns—more closet space, a tax deduction, the chance to help someone in need—outweigh the sentiment of holding onto it. Gowns donated to charitable organizations, like the ones listed here, are passed on to brides in need for free or sold at a discount to raise money for various causes.

"There are so many brides who see the practicality of donating their dress," says Erin Scharf, founder of Brides for a Cause. "They donate because they don't see a need for it anymore; it served its purpose. They want to be able to share it with someone else! It truly is a selfless and generous act."

If you're thinking of donating your wedding dress, consider giving it to one of these worthy causes.

Brides Against Breast Cancer

Founded in 1997, Brides Against Breast Cancer resells gently used wedding gowns to raise money for breast cancer awareness as well as early detection. The company is based in Atlanta and has sold over 50,000 donated wedding dresses in the more than two decades it's been in operation, all in the name of the company's mission: to help people detect breast cancer earlier and prevent misdiagnosis.

The Brides Project

Michigan-based The Brides Project raises money for programs and services at the Cancer Support Community of Greater Ann Arbor. Some of the programs that are funded through the reselling of donated wedding dresses are support groups, counseling services, nutrition workshops, and more. Dresses are donated from all over the country and include gently used dresses from former brides and brand-new dresses donated directly from bridal salons.

Brides for a Cause

Northwest-based Brides for a Cause—a bridal store that raises funds for charity—operates showrooms in Portland, Tacoma, Seattle, and Sacramento, reselling donated wedding gowns and distributing the profits to organizations that provide services and assistance to women. Since opening the Portland boutique in 2012, the stores have found new homes for more than 20,000 dresses—some donated in person and many mailed from other states—and have made more than $1.2 million in charitable donations.

Brides Across America

Wedding dresses donated to Brides Across America are passed on for free to military and first responder brides at Operation Wedding Gown events twice a year. Since 2008, the nonprofit has outfitted more than 28,000 women with the wedding dresses of their dreams. Fill out their online form with details about your gown, veil, and jewelry to find out if they meet the acceptance criteria; items should be less than four years old and in wearable condition.

Angel Gowns

In 2015, the NICU Helping Hands Angel Gown program accepted 15,000 wedding dresses, which seamstresses then remade into gowns for photos and burial services honoring the infants of bereaved parents. The organization now maintains a waitlist and connects seamstresses with nearby donations of wedding or bridesmaids' dresses (in light shades of blue, pink, and purple) on an as-needed basis.

Adorned in Grace

Brides can shop at Adorned in Grace in Oregon and Arizona for wedding dresses, formal attire, mother-of-the-bride dresses, flower girl attire, veils, shoes, jewelry, bras, and petticoats. The company uses its profits to support efforts that prevent and raise awareness of sex trafficking.

Cherie Sustainable Bridal

At Cherie Sustainable Bridal in Maryland, donated gowns support Success in Style, a nonprofit that offers professional clothing and basic interview skills to clients in crisis. The store stocks a variety of designer gowns less than five years old, sells donated bridesmaid's dresses at a partner store, and doesn't require you to have your gown professionally cleaned before mailing or dropping it off.