What happens to clothing after it is donated? For many people, the journey ends when they drop a bag of clothes into a donation bin or bring it to a local thrift store. In reality, that donation may be the beginning of a much longer journey, connecting Canadian charities with secondhand markets around the world.
On Wednesday, November 18, 2026, at 1 PM ET, Bank & Vogue and the National Association for Charitable Textile Recycling (NACTR) will co-host The Impact of Kindness, a free live webinar exploring the lifecycle of donated clothing and the people, organizations, and markets that keep textiles in circulation.
The conversation will bring together industry experts to discuss the opportunities and challenges facing charities, thrift stores, and the broader secondhand clothing sector.
Following the Journey of Donated Clothing
Donated clothing supports a network of organizations and businesses that extends far beyond the donation bin. Charity thrift stores sell donated items to generate revenue for community programs, while clothing that does not find a buyer locally can enter international secondhand markets.
Understanding how this system works is essential for the organizations that depend on it.
During the webinar, speakers will use a donation value map to explore five central topics:
- The lifecycle of donated clothing: How garments are collected, sold, sorted, and reused, including their journey into global secondhand markets.
- The economics of secondhand: How changing market conditions affect clothing prices, charity revenues, and the programs supported by donations.
- Emerging regulations: How new textile policies could influence supply chains and the role of charitable organizations.
- Circular fashion and recycling: How textile recovery, recycling, and upcycling initiatives can extend the useful life of existing materials.
- The role of consumers: How everyday decisions about purchasing, caring for, and donating clothing influence the entire system.
The discussion will also consider the challenges facing thrift store managers, the importance of international demand, and the partnerships needed to build a more effective circular fashion system.
Meet the Experts Behind The Impact of Kindness
The webinar will be moderated by Charlotte Genge, a sustainability consultant who will guide the conversation and facilitate questions from the audience.
Two industry experts will share their perspectives:
Tonny Colyn, President and Co-Founder of NACTR and National Director of Business Development and Sustainability at The Salvation Army, will discuss the charitable sector’s role in textile recovery, the importance of donations, and the economic pressures affecting community programs.
Steven Bethell, Co-Founder of Bank & Vogue and Beyond Remade, will bring insights from more than 25 years of working alongside Canadian charities. He will explore how donated clothing moves through international secondhand markets and how circular fashion initiatives can give existing textiles new applications.
Special guests will also join the conversation to share their experiences and ask questions, followed by opportunities for audience participation.
Join the Conversation on November 18
For charity management teams, thrift store operators, municipal recyclers, and sustainability policymakers, understanding the journey of donated clothing can help inform decisions about textile recovery and reuse.
The Impact of Kindness offers an opportunity to hear directly from professionals working across the secondhand clothing sector, explore the challenges they face, and consider what a stronger circular textile system could look like in the future.
The conversation will also invite participants to reflect on how individual acts of kindness, including clothing donations, can contribute to communities and markets around the world.
Save your spot for this free live webinar:
Date: Wednesday, November 18, 2026
Time: 1:00 PM ET
Event: The Impact of Kindness
Hosted by: Bank & Vogue and NACTR
