You could always sell them on ebay. The newspaper templates batch will be an interesting auction to watch. Don't give them to goodwill! Perhaps trade it for something you do want at your local guild table? Or even in the quilting board Members Only Thrift shop?
Bkay, if you have a goodwill clearance store in your area, try for fabric there. They sell clothes (and fabric) by the pound. At the one here in Corpus, 50+ pounds are $1/pound. Less than 50 pounds and it costs $1.49/pound. Today I found 8 pounds of patriotic-themed cotton fabric and a sleeping bag :-). I also ask for fabric at the regular goodwill because the folks who price it generally let it sit in the back until there is enough of it to price at once. As you say, every area is different. I was surprised to see the amount of fabric available in this town at the Goodwill clearance store as compared to the one I came from.