A variety of forms of social entrepreneurship, including those related to charitable activities, are beginning to develop in Russia. One of the forms of such social activity of citizens is the organization of charity shops. Such projects allow collecting considerable funds in a short time for those who really need them.
Charity shops (charity shops, hospice shops) have been popular in Western countries for more than two centuries. They are usually retail businesses that are run by a group of enthusiasts with the goal of raising funds for socially significant purposes.
Such charitable projects work on the principles of social entrepreneurship, all of their activity is to raise funds for the social needs of the population. Items that shops offer for sale are donated by the population. This allows us to provide preferential terms for the sale of goods and extremely low prices that attract many interested parties to charity sales.
As a rule, thrift stores themselves fully provide for their current needs, for example, rent, staff salaries, equipment. After the closure of expense items, all remaining profits are sent to charity.
The Thrift Store Principles benefit all parties involved in such projects. The proceeds from the sale of goods go directly to the recipients of benefits: homeless people, sick children, people with disabilities. Those who donate their belongings to stores get rid of the items that have become unnecessary and make their feasible contribution to charity.
The effectiveness of this form of charity is explained by the fact that funds are not donated directly here, which for many is a psychological barrier. The buyer, who actually donates money, receives useful and necessary things in exchange for them. The structure of charity stores is extremely transparent, so everyone can get access to the reports and make sure that the funds received from the sale of goods are used for the intended purpose.
The assortment of goods in demand in thrift stores is quite wide. These are clothes, shoes, jewelry, accessories, books, pieces of furniture and much more. Most often, things are handed over to stores in very good condition and can be used for their intended purpose for a long time.
For Russia, charity shops are still an innovative form of social support. Such shops have already been opened in St. Petersburg and Volgograd. In the summer of 2012, the first project of this kind was implemented in Moscow. In this "Shop of Joys" there are no once and for all fixed prices, buyers can pay for the product they like as much as they deem necessary.
The lack of legislative regulation in the described area of social entrepreneurship often forces the organizers of the project not to sell things, but to receive funds in the form of donations. Hopefully, over time, Russian lawmakers will fill in the gaps in the legal support of such a useful model for society as a charity store.
