In my book, The Joy of Less, I talk about how it’s infinitely easier to declutter when your stuff can serve a good cause:
“Something that’s been sitting in your house, unused and unloved, may bring a great deal of joy to, or fill the genuine need of, someone else. Make their day, and give yourself a pat on the back. Knowing that you’re doing good can make it much easier to part with your stuff.”
With that in mind, I’ve compiled a BIG list of places to donate your discards. Of course, from an environmental standpoint, it’s best to keep your castoffs in your community; the fewer things we ship around the globe, the better. Therefore, I strongly encourage you to check out local options for your unwanted items: like churches, hospitals, schools, libraries, animal shelters, homeless shelters, women’s shelters, halfway homes, food banks, senior centers, day cares, prisons, and charity shops.
However, if you can’t find a good home for your stuff nearby, or you want to support a specific cause, this list will provide you with plenty of resources.
The list focuses on charities based in the United States, the home of most of my readers. (I encourage those of you from other countries to add your nation’s resources in the Comments.)
Furthermore, to make the list as relevant as possible, I’ve concentrated on organizations that have dropoff locations throughout the US, or accept donations by mail. Scores of charities operate on a regional, state, or locale-specific basis; for brevity’s sake they’re not included here, but please tell us about your local faves in the Comments.
I’ve organized the charities according to what they need (General Goods, Clothing, Electronics, Baby Items, Craft Supplies, etc.), and included a sentence about what they do. Wherever possible, I’ve linked directly to the organization’s donation or “wish list” page, to save you from hunting through their website for details.
What you can do: share this post on Twitter, Facebook, Digg, StumbleUpon, GoogleBuzz, and anywhere else you see fit. I think it can serve as an invaluable resource, and great source of inspiration, as we clear the clutter from our homes!
So, here we go — my BIG list of 101 places that need your stuff more than you do:
GENERAL GOODS
Goodwill
What they do: Help people with barriers to employment learn the skills to find competitive employment
What they need: Clothing, electronics, appliances, furniture, and more
Salvation Army
What they do: Provide community programs, homeless services, rehabilition, disaster relief, and other assistance to those in need
What they need: Clothing, furniture, household goods, sporting equipment, books, electronics, and more
Vietnam Veterans of America
What they do: Help Vietnam-era veterans and their families
What they need: Clothing, baby items, housewares, electronics, small appliances, tools, and just about anything else
Volunteers of America
What they do: Support at-risk youth, the frail elderly, men and women returning from prison, homeless individuals and families, people with disabilities, and those recovering from addictions
What they need: Clothing, furniture, toys, and household goods for their thrift stores
Friends of Pine Ridge Reservation
What they do: Provide needed items to the poverty-stricken Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota
What they need: From school, sewing, crafts, sporting, baby, and office supplies, to toiletries, clothing, Christmas gifts, holiday items, bed, bath and kitchen linens, cold weather gear, crayons and more (see website for specific needs)
Operation Give
What they do: Bring hope and solutions to the deprived and disconnected people of the world, in many cases where the US military operates.
What they need: Toys, school supplies, art supplies, sports equipment, and more (Fedex provides FREE shipping from anywhere in the US to their warehouse)
The Help Kenya Project
What they do: Provide Kenya’s students with science, English, and computer skills to break the cycle of poverty
What they need: Used computers, books, clothing, sports equipment, and other supplies
Cause USA
What they do: Send gift packs to wounded military personnel and their families
What they need: Playing cards, handheld electronic games, current magazines, batteries, travel-size toiletries, and more
Forgotten Soldiers Outreach
What they do: Send care packages to deployed soldiers
What they need: Travel-size toiletries, packaged food, flea collars, batteries, tube socks, envelopes, trash bags, and more
CLOTHING, SHOES, AND ACCESSORIES
Dress for Success
What they do: Provide interview suits, confidence boosts, and career development to low-income women in over 75 cities worldwide
What they need: Women’s business suits and other professional apparel, footwear, and accessories
Career Gear
What they do: Provide underserved job-seeking men with training, career counseling, interviews, and professional clothing
What they need: Men’s suits, dress shirts, ties, shoes, briefcases, and other interview-appropriate clothing
The Women’s Alliance
What they do: Provide professional attire and career skills training to low income women and their families seeking self sufficiency
What they need: Women’s business clothing and professional accessories
Sew Much Comfort
What they do: Provide adaptive clothing to wounded service men and women in military hospitals (specially designed to look like normal attire while accommodating their injuries)
What they need: Basketball shorts, boxers, t-shirts, sweatshirts, and PJ bottoms; also twill, flannel, and woven shirting fabric
Clothes4Souls
What they do: Provide clothes to people around the world who are in desperate need
What they need: New or gently-worn clean clothing
Planet Aid
What they do: Provide clothing to people in developing nations, and fund community, health, agricultural, and vocational programs
What they need: Gently-used, unsoiled, functional clothing and shoes
Soles4Souls
What they do: Distribute shoes to people in need in over 125 countries
What they need: All types of new or gently-worn shoes: athletic, running, dress, sandals, pumps, heels, work boots, cleats, dance, and flip flops
Diamonds for Dreams
What they do: Grant wishes for terminal breast cancer patients
What they need: Diamonds, estate jewelry, and other specialty jewelry items
Indigo Rescue
What they do: Assist county animal shelters, and rehabilitate pets and place them in adoptive homes
What they need: Jewelry (for fundraising events)
Animal Guardian Network
What they do: Rescue and place homeless pets with loving families, and assist low-income seniors and financially disadvantaged individuals with their pet care
What they need: Gently-used designer handbags to sell in their ReBag Boutique
WEDDING AND PROM DRESSES
Brides Against Breast Cancer
What they do: Advance the awareness of breast cancer, and operate a wish-granting service enabling patients to make special memories with their loved ones
What they need: New and used wedding gowns from 2005 to present
Brides Across America
What they do: Provide wedding gowns to military brides in need
What they need: New or gently-used bridal gowns, not more than three years old
DonateMyDress.org
What they do: Provide special occasion dresses to girls who cannot afford them for prom, sweet 16, quinceañera or formal events
What they need: Prom and special occasion dresses for young women
The Glass Slipper Project
What they do: Collect formal dresses and accessories and provide them, free of charge, to Chicago-area students who are unable to purchase their own prom attire
What they need: New and almost-new prom dresses and accessories
BABY AND CHILDREN’S ITEMS
Project Night Night
What they do: Reduce the trauma of homeless children with Night Night Packages of childhood comforts
What they need: Stuffed animals, blankets, and children’s books
SAFE (Stuffed Animals for Emergencies)
What they do: Collect items to give to children in emotional, traumatic, or stressful situations (like fires, illness, abuse, homelessness, and natural disasters)
What they need: New or gently-used stuffed animals
Loving Hugs
What they do: Send stuffed animals to children living in war zones, refugee camps, orphanages, hospitals, and natural disaster areas
What they need: New or very gently-used stuffed animals
Project Smile
What they do: Provide emergency responders with children’s comfort items, to help ease their pain and fear
What they need: New or gently-used stuffed animals, children’s books, unused coloring books, new crayons
Newborns in Need
What they do: Provide care necessities to local agencies and hospitals serving premature, ill, or impoverished newborns
What they need: Baby clothing, toys, and other items; also fabric, yarn, thread, and other supplies
Touching Little Lives
What they do: Provide necessity items to needy infants in Ohio
What they need: Baby clothing, booties, toys, blankets and other items; also flannel, thread, batting, and yarn
Ronald McDonald House
What they do: Provide a “home-away-from-home” for families so they can stay close by their hospitalized child at little or no cost
What they need: New toys, food, and household products; see website for details
ELECTRONICS
World Computer Exchange
What they do: Provide used computers and technology to schools, libraries, community centers & universities in developing countries
What they need: Computers, laptops, printers, hard drives, peripherals, software, and more
National Cristina Foundation
What they do: Provide computer technology to people with disabilities or economic disadvantages, to enable them to lead more independent and productive lives
What they need: Desktops, notebooks, printers, peripherals, software, and more
National Coalition Against Domestic Violence
What they do: Work to eliminate domestic violence, and empower battered women and children
What they need: Used cell phones
Games for Heroes
What they do: Provide emotional support to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan
What they need: Handheld video game devices like Gameboys, PSPs, and Nintendo DSs
Get-Well Gamers Foundation
What they do: Bring video game systems to children’s hospitals, for entertainment and pain management
What they need: Video games, systems, controllers, and other accessories
Computer Recycling Center
What they do: Place computers in public charity and community programs through Computers & Education™, and recycle unusable items to keep them out of landfills
What they need: Computers, laptops, home electronics
HopeLine from Verizon
What they do: Provide refurbished phones to local domestic violence organizations
What they need: No-longer-used wireless phones, batteries and accessories in any condition from any wireless service provider
Cell Phones for Soldiers
What they do: Use the money from recycling cell phones to purchase calling cards for troops in need
What they need: Used cell phones
iOS Device Recycling Program
What they do: Bring high technology mobile devices (installed with educational apps) into classrooms
What they need: iPads, iPhones, iPod Touches
Fireside International
What they do: Use mobile devices to advance education in Haiti
What they need: iPods, iPads, iPhones
OFFICE AND SCHOOL SUPPLIES
iLoveSchools
What they do: Match America’s school teachers with donations of classroom resources
What they need: A variety of school supplies, materials, and equipment
Swap4Schools
What they do: Match donors’ “haves” with schools’ “wants”
What they need: Books, movies, and other items specifically requested by educators
The GrayMatters Foundation
What they do: Support and empower people impacted by brain tumors through outreach, awareness, and assistance programs
What they need: Stickers, postage stamps, blank or encouragement cards and envelopes
Muscular Dystrophy Association
What they do: Fund worldwide research efforts and nationwide programs to aid those with neuromuscular diseases and their families
What they need: Computers, software, office equipment, furniture, and supplies for use in local offices
Develop Africa
What they do: Provide books, school and teaching supplies, scholarships, and job-related training in Africa
What they need: A wide variety of school and office supplies; see website for details
Pens for Kids
What they do: Send pens to kids in Africa to assist them with getting an education
What they need: New and used pens of every type, color, size, shape, and quantity
BOOKS
International Book Project
What they do: Promote education and literacy by sending quality used books overseas
What they need: Textbooks, dictionaries, encyclopedias, vocational books, children’s books, and more
Global Literacy Project
What they do: Foster community-based literacy initiatives throughout the world
What they need: “We are currently most in need of Pre-K to 12th grade reading books as well as Math and science textbooks.”
Darien Book Aid
What they do: Send books in response to specific requests from Peace Corps volunteers, libraries and schools all over the world
What they need: A variety of new and gently-used books. Please call before shipping, to make sure your donations fit their needs
Books for Africa
What they do: Help create a culture of literacy by shipping books to libraries and classrooms in Africa
What they need: A wide variety of new and gently-used books, generally 15 years old or newer; details on website
The Bridge of Books Foundation
What they do: Provide books to children in low-income families, particularly through foster family agencies, homeless shelters, underfunded schools, and neighborhood centers
What they need: New and used children’s books, from preschool through high school
Books Through Bars
What they do: Send quality reading and educational material to prisoners, thereby promoting successful community re-integration
What they need: A variety of new and gently-used books; details on website. Please email before shipping.
Books for Soldiers
What they do: Facilitate the direct donation of books to soldiers serving overseas
What they need: Books and magazines (as well as CDs, DVDs, and video games) requested by soldiers
BookEnds.org
What they do: Place books in inner-city schools, youth centers, homeless shelters, family literacy centers, after-school enrichment programs, children’s group homes, and juvenile detention facilities
What they need: Quality, gently-used children’s books appropriate for infants to 18 years of age
Better World Books
What they do: Sell books to help fund literacy programs worldwide
What they need: A wide variety of books; see website for details
DVDS AND CDS
Kidflicks.org
What they do: Create movie libraries for children’s hospitals and pediatric wards across the US
What they need: DVDs
DVDs4Vets
What they do: Provide DVDs to VA facilities for veterans in rehabilitation
What they need: DVDs and portable DVD players
DiscsForDogs.org
What they do: Sell used DVDs and CDs, and donate the proceeds to the SPCA
What they need: DVDs and CDs
Musicians On Call
What they do: Provide hospitals with complete CD libraries and players for patient use
What they need: New or gently-used CDs and new, unused personal CD players
ART AND CRAFT SUPPLIES
The CUREchief Foundation
What they do: Bring hope to cancer patients, and people with other conditions that cause hair loss
What they need: Cotton, flannel, or polar fleece fabric
Care Wear
What they do: Provide handmade baby items to premature infants in neonatal intensive care units
What they need: Yarn, flannel, broadcloth, and other fabrics suitable for children’s toys, apparel, and blankets/quilts
A Little Something
What they do: Help refugee women in Denver, CO become self-sufficient through crafting
What they need: Leftover or unwanted beads or jewelry-making supplies, weaving fiber, knitting needles, and natural fiber yarn
Beads of Courage
What they do: Provide arts-in-medicine for children with serious illnesses
What they need: All types of beads, of any color and shape
The Mending Hearts Project
What they do: Assist low income families, teen and single mothers, and mothers with premature infants in neonatal intensive care units
What they need: “Donations of all handcrafted items, yarn, and sewing supplies are graciously accepted.”
Afghans Etc for Charity
What they do: Brighten the lives of children with cancer and other medical issues
What they need: Crochet and knitting supplies, and handcrafted items
Binky Patrol
What they do: Distribute homemade blankets (sewn, knitted, crocheted, or quilted) to children in need
What they need: Fabric, yarn, batting, and finished blankets
The Knitting Connection
What they do: Distribute supplies to volunteers to make hats, mittens, scarves, sweaters, afghans, baby booties, layette sets, and Christmas stockings for needy children
What they need: Yarn, knitting needles, knitting books, and finished knitted/crocheted items
Many Arms Reach You
What they do: Collect and donate knitted, quilted, or crocheted blankets to disadvantaged mothers and their children
What they need: Yarn
The Mother Bear Project
What they do: Provide hand-knit and crocheted bears to children with HIV/AIDS in emerging nations
What they need: Yarn, knitting needles, PolyFil, postage stamps, packing tape
Knots of Love
What they do: Provide crocheted and knitted caps for chemo patients and others facing life-threatening illnesses and injuries
What they need: Yarn
Made 4 Aid
What they do: Sell handmade items on Etsy to raise funds for Doctors Without Borders
What they need: A variety of handmade items, as well as arts and crafts materials
Inklude Studio
What they do: Provide a creative environment for adult artists with autism and other developmental challenges
What they need: A variety of fabric, art supplies, photography and computer equipment
ArtBridge Houston
What they do: Provide an arts program for children in homeless shelters
What they need: Art supplies including paper, colored pencils, watercolor paints, paintbrushes, stencils, markers, etc.
Children’s Healing Art Project
What they do: Create art classes for children in Portland’s children’s hospitals
What they need: A variety of arts supplies; see website for wish list
SPORTS EQUIPMENT
Sports Gift
What they do: Provide sports programs and equipment to impoverished and disadvantaged children throughout the world
What they need: A wide variety of sports equipment; see website for details
One World Running
What they do: Provide running shoes to those in need in the US and throughout the world
What they need: New and near-new running shoes
Bikes for the World
What they do: Donate bicycles to developing countries, so that individuals can get to work or school, or provide health and education services to low-income rural people
What they need: Any serviceable adult or children’s bicycles, as well as bike parts, tools, and accessories
Bicycles for Humanity
What they do: Send bicycles to developing countries, to empower disadvantaged people through improved access to food and water, employment, healthcare, education and social opportunities
What they need: Bicycles, as well as bike parts, tools, clothing, helmets, tires, and tubes
Opportunity Through Baseball
What they do: Provide baseball equipment to impoverished children in the Dominican Republic and around the world
What they need: Baseballs, gloves, mitts, batts, helmets, and more
PeacePassers
What they do: Distribute soccer supplies to communities in need, to empower youth and maximize hope
What they need: Soccer gear like balls, shoes, jerseys, shorts, and socks
MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation
What they do: Keep music alive in our schools and communities by donating musical instruments to under-funded music programs
What they need: Gently-used band and orchestral instruments
Marching Mountains
What they do: Supply public school band programs in distressed counties in Appalachia with donated new and used musical instruments
What they need: Musical instruments in good working condition (mainly for marching and concert bands)
Operation Happy Note
What they do: Send musical instruments to deployed service men and women throughout the world
What they need: New or gently-used guitars, violins, mandolins, banjos, keyboards, horns of any kind, harmonicas, and even bagpipes
Education Through Music
What they do: Promote the integration of music into the curricula of disadvantaged schools in order to enhance students’ academic performance and general development
What they need: A variety of musical instruments; see website for details
EYEGLASSES
Unite for Sight
What they do: Support eye care for patients living in extreme poverty in developing countries
What they need: New reading glasses, distance glasses, and sunglasses
One Sight
What they do: Provide free vision care and eyewear to people in need around the world (in some countries, a pair of eyewear costs more than a month’s salary)
What they need: 2 million pairs of gently-used eyewear
New Eyes for the Needy
What they do: Send eyeglasses to medical missions and international charitable organizations for distribution to the poor in developing nations
What they need: Eyeglasses, reading glasses, sunglasses, hearing aids
CARS
Big Brothers Big Sisters’ Cars for Kids’ Sake
What they do: Provide children facing adversity with strong and enduring, professionally supported one-to-one relationships that change their lives for the better
What they need: All types of vehicles, including cars, trucks, SUVs, motor homes, boats, airplanes, farm equipment, and construction equipment
Habitat for Humanity Cars for Homes
What they do: Build and rehabilitate houses for families in need
What they need: Cars, trucks, boats, RVs, motorcycles, and construction equipment
American Diabetes Association
What they do: Strive to prevent and cure diabetes, and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes
What they need: Cars, trucks, trailers, boats, and RVs
National Kidney Foundation Kidney Cars
What they do: Fund public health and professional education, vital patient and community services, organ donation programs and medical research to prevent kidney disease
What they need: Cars, vans, trucks, and boats
National Foundation for Cancer Research
What they do: Support cancer research and public education relating to prevention, earlier diagnosis, better treatments and ultimately, a cure for cancer.
What they need: Cars, trucks, boats, and SUVs
Purple Heart
What they do: Provide a variety of programs for wounded and disabled veterans and their families
What they need: Cars, trucks, RVs, and boats
MISCELLANEOUS
National Furniture Bank
What they do: Provide beds, tables, chairs, and other crucial home furnishings to over 100,000 people in need each year
What they need: Beds, dressers, nightstands, tables, chairs, sofas, lamps, and more
Project C.U.R.E.
What they do: Donate medical supplies and equipment to hospitals and clinics around the world
What they need: New and used medical equipment and supplies, including crutches, wheelchairs, and beds
UNICEF
What they do: Provide humanitarian relief to children around the globe
What they need: Foreign coins and notes
Chemo Angels
What they do: Brighten the lives of those undergoing IV chemo treatment
What they need: Retailer gift cards, valid or expired (can still be used in CA)
TESSA
What they do: Provide safety and counseling to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault in El Paso and Teller counties
What they need: Grocery and retailer gift cards, used cell phones
Make-A-Wish Foundation
What they do: Grant wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions
What they need: Retailer gift cards and gift certificates
St. Jude’s Ranch
What they do: Serve all abused, abandoned, and neglected children and families in a safe, homelike environment
What they need: Used greeting cards
Overseas Coupon Program
What they do: Facilitate the sending of coupons to overseas military personnel and their families
What they need: Manufacturer’s coupons, valid and expired (up to 2 months)
If you’d like to do further research into these (and other charities), please see Charity Navigator, an independent charity evaluator.
If you prefer to find a charity that’ll pick up your donations, check out DonationTown.
If you know other charities that accept unwanted items, please let us know about them in the Comments. And again, please share this post on Twitter, Facebook, Digg, StumbleUpon, GoogleBuzz, etc. — I’d like to get this resource out to as many people as possible.
Happy Decluttering, and do some good with those discards!
Remember: when you live with less, you have more to give.
{If you’d like to learn more about minimalist living, please consider reading my book, The Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide, or subscribing to my RSS feed.}
Holy crap, that is quite a list! I love Dress for Success. One caution, and I don’t really know what a good alternative is, but if an item is in bad condition… it’s probably best to recycle it (or if that isn’t an option, chuck it). Right? If you pass your unusable (or unsellable) goods on to a place like Goodwill then you’ve just given them the burden of disposing of your crap. I am not advocating sending stuff to a landfill, and I am advocating using things up until they are unusable, but once you’ve reached that point I think it’s important to acknowledge that and not donate something completely unsalvagable to a non-profit. Just some food for thought…
As for unusable items, it depends on the place…I used to volunteer at Goodwill, and they’re able to recycle broken electronics, and they could also salvage unwearable shoes and clothes (Goodwill policies vary by region though). It might depend on the size of the organization, a smaller one probably wouldn’t have the resources to do that. Of course, people would donate some truly odd items to Goodwill, like grenades and a collection of skulls. Seriously. I wouldn’t recommend donating those :)
Although you don’t say it, and although you live in London – this list seems to be wholly US focused?
Also, keeping it in the community may be a misguided sentiment. The energy and environmental impact involved in shipping by sea is minimal compared to the embodied energy required for manufacture, and if you can really say hand-on-heart that everything you own is locally sourced, right down to your washing up bowl, I take my hat off to you.
The fifth paragraph says, “The list focuses on charities based in the United States, the home of most of my readers.” Also, I believe MM is American.
I agree with keeping things in the community if possible. If there’s a homeless shelter a mile away that needs my stuff, there’s no point shipping it across the country to a different one.
In England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland, ‘The Society of St Vincent de Paul’ is a great charity to donate unwanted stuff.
What they do: Tackle poverty in all its forms (homeless, disadvantaged, disabled, abused, refugees, unemployed etc) through providing practical assistance to those in need.
What they need: anything that you want to donate from your home, from a bar of soap through large furnitures, CDs, electrical items, bikes, books, clothes, kitchen utensils, non-perishable food to unwanted plastic Christmas trees.
We actually have St. Vincent de Paul here in the States, too.
Just another note re. the Society of St Vincent de Paul (SVP).
Before Christmas, they especially need unwanted Christmas trees and children’s toys, to give to the less fortunate kids, who would be left with no presents and no tree to celebrate under.
You can either contact their local office directly, or just take the unwanted items into one of their charity shops.
In my ongoing saga to downsize I’ve been determined not to throw away anything. While I haven’t been completely successful I’ve found a few good resources for random items. It is amazing what information you can find on the internet!
DVDs/Jewel Cases: http://www.greendisk.com
Certain plastics: http://www.terracycle.net
Misc: http://www.recyclesteel.org
Also, I return to this article by Real Simple over and over:
http://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/organizing/tips-techniques/recycle-anything-00000000006117/index.html?
Katie,
Thanks for the link to the Real Simple article. It looks really useful!
If you are decluttering pet items – consider donating to the Humane Society. Things like dog crates and carriers are always needed. Some smaller shelters may even take beat up furniture that would otherwise be unusable (dogs don’t care if a couch is stained, ripped, etc), its not typical, but worth asking if it would otherwise be tossed.
For sporting goods, if you have a Play it Again sports store near you, they will buy used sporting equipment. As my children grew up we used to sell back lots of their stuff. I will vouch for Mr. Holland’s Opus too. I sent them a clarinet and they provided me with a very accurate receipt for the fair market value it.
What a great list! I give my stuff locally to a resale shop that funds a local shelter for domestic abuse survivors, as well as Dress for Success. When I realized that I was never going to be corporate again (yes, it took me all of grad school and one year of teaching!) I donated shoes, clothes, suits, accessories, and jewelry to our local chapter–huge relief for me and use for them, because I am petite with size 5 shoes… not a common thing. You’ve givne me great ideas for my old electronics, which are weighing on my mind (and study floor!)hugely right now! Ditto the school supplies.
What an awesome list of resources! Amazing at the places we can help out if we just look outside our door! I will be sharing this list with my network, thank you for compiling it!
Bernice
Setting boundaries while working at home
Great resources! Don’t forget about Habitat for Humanity’s ReStores!They take building supplies, some furniture, and all the money goes back to building houses. They also pick items up, some do deconstruction (if you’re remodeling), and even will take appliances!
Find one near you: http://www.habitat.org/restores/
What a great and helpful post. I did a Soles4Souls shoe drive at my work. We collected over 500 pairs of shoes and it went to a great cause. It was super easy to set-up with the company and they give you everything you need. I hear so many people saying….oh I just threw it away. TRASH?? What. That’s just being lazy. This post also enlightened me into getting rid of things that I may have just though to throw away or even hold onto. Now it’s time to get out there and donate.
Check out the shoe drive: http://onelovemeg.com/changing-the-world-one-pair-at-a-time/
Wow! Amazing. Thank you for putting this list together.
This is an amazing list! I often donate to the obvious ones, like Goodwill. But I had no idea that things like coupons and used greeting cards could be donated to anyone at all! Thanks for a great list!
Another great organization is Habitat for Humanities’ RESTORE. You know how it is when you embark on that home improvement project and have leftovers? You can donate your demolitions, and supplies, and they sell them in order to raise fund for Habitat for Humanity… Think of a Home Depot meets thrift store. http://www.habitat.org/restores/
Warning! I posted a link to this post on the Escapees forum. Escapees is an organization that supports people moving into RVs most of whom then sell their houses and sell/donate most everything in them. Prepare for a large number of hits in the next few days. :)
Thank you, Linda, I appreciate that!
A great place to donate gently used or new bras is Support 1000, which collects bras and sends them to organizations that help survivors of domestic violence, runaways, and low-income women and girls.
http://www.support1000.org/
I run a bike repair service at Florida International University and we can take donated stuff, like tools, bikes, bike parts, or anything else bike-related. Most importantly, we can take monetary donations! Contact info can be found on our website, http://tiny.cc/fiubike, and donations can be made at http://goo.gl/rvkcq. Thanks!
Before you donate to a charity, make sure you understand what they really stand for. The Salvation Army may help the homeless, but they also spout a message of anti-homosexual hate and religious dogma that I absolutely do not support, either through monetary or goods donations.
http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn/www_usn_2.nsf/vw-dynamic-arrays/B6F3F4DF3150F5B585257434004C177D?openDocument&charset=utf-8
I am a proud and ardent boycotter of the Salvation Army, and instead I find organizations that reflect my own beliefs about human equality and justice.
So maybe you should list the ones you do believe in, instead of slammming the ones you don’t believe in?
Oh, forgive me, I didn’t want to sound so harsh…you opened my eyes to the situation (Sal Arm) to which I see your point completely; and also agree that folks should know who and believe in who they are giving to.
Another option for bicycles is a local bike charity. I know we have one in the Twin Cities (Sibley Bike Depot) and I imagine there are similar organizations throughout the US. An easy way to check would be to call a couple of local bike shops and ask them.
Notes from the Frugal Trenches is in the process of helping dying babies and children in a Chinese facility. They need cloth nappies/diapers as well as other items. Her blog address is notesfromthefrugaltrenches.com
one great resource is freecycle – if you don’t have the means to get rid of your furniture, advertise on freecycle and someone in your community may just want it!
It’s like ebay but for free!
Pretty much every high street in Britain has a selection of charity shops and all are grateful for good quality donations . I like charity shops because you are helping all along the line – helping people buy good quality cheap second-hnd clothes and household goods and supporting such charities as Macmillan Cancer Care, Oxfam, All Aboard and the British Heart Foundation the latter also happily collects furniture and will even do house clearance.
hello
My question is:
I decluttered my place and have 12 to 13 boxes of stuffs.
I wanted to do a garage sell except that in France, where I live, there is no such things.
You have to book a date and rent a place in a “brocante”, a public garage sell, for about 15 USD per meter. You have to get to the place between 6am and 8am to place your stuffs. Then it is like a normal garage sell. But just booking, renting and organizing the whole thing is quite a hassle, especially if it is raining that day and you KNOW nobody will come. So you lose money more than earn any.
So my question is: Do I/Should I really want to go through all that hassle and sell my stuffs or find someone who needs the money more than I do (not that I don’t need extra money…)and give him all the things so he can organize it himself (it is a job here)?
Can you please help me make my decision?
Thanks in advance
Pauline
I’ve given belongings outright to poor friends for them to sell at garage sales, and that has always left me with warm fuzzies to be able to help someone in need help themselves, and they’ve been super-appreciative, and didn’t mind the work at all, since they were having trouble finding ongoing gainful employment and had plenty of time to organize and sell everything.
It’s a good idea to check out a charity. For example,
Thanks for putting Goodwill at the top of your list! Late last year my little bro could not get a job until he interviewed with Goodwill. Now he has full time work, full health benefits, and education reimbursement opportunities. Goodwill Industries of San Diego has not laid off any employee in it’s history, almost 100 years.
Goodwill of San Diego recycles almost everything they cannot sell, and what they cannot sell at their stores they auction off bulk bins to recyclers or other re-sellers. All this money goes to provide jobs, not hand-outs and they treat all their employees with dignity and respect.
With all of their recycling efforts through recycling, they are one of the greenest companies around. Plus, every dollar you spend in a Goodwill store goes to pay the wages of the employees.
Thank you for this incredibly helpful list!
I’d also like to recommend another charity, Pedals for Progress (http://www.p4p.org/), which is similar to Bikes for the World, but has collection drives around New York, New Jersey, Penn., Conn., and Mass. The organization collects both bicycles and sewing machines to donate overseas.
Thanks, everyone, for the feedback and additional resources! It’s great to have these charitable organizations on our radar as we declutter.
Wow, great list! Just in time for the Spring cleaning I’ve been itching to do too. Thanks for the info!
What an amazing resource this article provides. I want to challenge myself and my readers to do this! Thanks!
When I start spring cleaning every year I donate all Items that i have to our local pregnancy aide. i know they are always in need of everything from clothes to dishes to beds for children, they even take men clothes and a whole lots of other things besides electronics. I know ours are looking for as many donations as possible because they are helping so many family’s in times like this, and its free for family’s who need help! Which makes me feel like I’m doing it to help the ones who need it most! And its nice because even if the items are out of shape but still have life in them they still take them.
As an employee of Goodwill, I love that we are at the top of your list. In these ecomonic times, the need for job resources is huge. Your donations’ revenue goes directly to helping people get jobs, it is what we are all about! Because creating jobs changes lives! Thank you again!
Also, I found a web site that can help you calculate the value of goods donated for the IRS. Just go to http://www.salvationarmysouth.org/valueguide.htm
This list jives with the newest version of TurboTax that I have as well.
Give your goods to charity, and benefit on your taxes, too! What could be better?
Thank you so much for this list. I have approx 2 weeks from today to empty out a 3-bedroom apartment before my lease expires and I’m on the street. If I don’t, then I have to move all that crap into another 3-bedroom apartment on the other side of town and be trapped in place for another year.
I think, rather than move it all again and try and sell it all piecemeal (NOTHING is selling now, not even on Craigslist which is just a way for spammers to contact me) I need to just realize it’ll never sell and let it become the thrift stores’ problem.
Then what? I guess I’ll be sleeping in my car unless someone in a safe neighborhood can rent to me and the cats on a monthly basis
Thanks for this fantastic list! I’ve just posted on my facebook page as it’s exactly in line with Life Simplified!
http://www.facebook.com/#!/lifesimplifiedforyou Thanks again!
What a wonderful list. There are many other wonderful organizations as well but your list is a great start. I will be passing it on to my list of many as well. Thanks for your efforts on putting it together. :) Lisa
Any suggestions on what “green” things you can do with used underwear that are in excellent condition? It seems like thrift stores generally won’t take them because of (I believe) sanitation reasons. But I always feel wasteful if I throw away underwear that didn’t end up fitting comfortably or shrank too much in the dryer.
I’m interested in donating used and unused medical equipment and supplies. I want to donate the items to a group that focuses on helping uninsured, underinsured people here in America. Any suggestions?
You may want to try Remote Area Medical: http://www.ramusa.org/
They hold clinics throughout the United States for the uninsured and underinsured. They do amazing work, and have been featured on both Dateline and 60 Minutes.
Great list! Get-Well Gamers is in the same county I’m in so I was able to drop off my old game consoles and games. It felt good to declutter and help children’s hospitals.
this is a great, great list for the US! does anyone have a list for france please?
I actually work at Better World Books and it’s a pretty awesome company. We’re nearing the $10 million mark for funding provided to literacy programs and libraries (and Books for Africa is one of our main literacy partners). I have a major book buying problem, so working there solves two issues: I get a discount on already inexpensive used books AND I can donate them right back once my bookshelf is too full. I think the link included in this post is old (we did some website redesign), so if you’re in the US and want to send us some books, you can print a pre-paid shipping label here: http://www.betterworldbooks.com/donate.aspx
My mother recently lost her battle with breast cancer, my husband and I didn’t know what to do with a closet full of her wigs. We found this really cute boutique “My Trendy Place” and learned about their wig donation program that helps women and children suffering from hair loss due to cancer. I cannot tell you how inspired I was to give my mom’s wigs to this place. The owner ensured they would not be resold but given to The American Cancer Society or patrons that cannot afford wigs. This place even gave a receipt for the value of the wigs. What a blessing.