12 Best Places to Donate Used Furniture to Charity
Whether you’re moving, downsizing, or in need of a home refresh, it may be time to say goodbye to your old furniture. And that means figuring out what to do with it. Fortunately, there are plenty of charities and nonprofit organizations that will happily take it off your hands if it’s in good condition.
You can always attempt to sell your stuff using resale websites or apps like Craigslist, OfferUp, Facebook Marketplace, 5miles, or Mercari. But used furniture rarely sells for much cash, and donating to charity lets you skip the hassle while reaping the financial benefit of a tax deduction as well as doing some good for those in need.
Plus, most national (and many local) charities pick up furniture donations right from your house for free. The hardest part is picking the best charity to donate used furniture to.
Best Places to Donate Used Furniture to Charity
Donating your furniture to a charity can be a hassle-free way to get rid of your used stuff. But charities don’t accept just anything. Only donate furniture that’s in reasonably good condition. Some light wear and tear are OK. But acceptable donations must be free of broken parts, and upholstery must be free of rips, stains, and pet odors.
Additionally, furniture must be free of anything that could injure someone, such as having nails, screws, or springs poking out. Remember: Your donated things will be taking on a second life as home furnishings for others. So don’t donate anything that isn’t reasonably reusable.
There are many national charities with name recognition you can donate to, but you can also find local nonprofits that help people right in your neighborhood.
Where to Donate Furniture Nationally
National charitable organizations have drop-off locations throughout the United States, and most offer pickup services. While some charities don’t require you to be there for the pickup, make sure there’s some way to get a receipt for your donation. Without a receipt, you don’t have any way to prove you donated your furniture, which is a problem if you take the deduction anyway and then the IRS audits you.
Choosing a charity to donate your furniture to largely comes down to the causes you care most about supporting. Fortunately, there are plenty of outstanding charities that operate in most — if not all — U.S. states.
1. Habitat for Humanity ReStore
If you have a Habitat for Humanity ReStore in your area, it’s an excellent place to donate large items. It gladly accepts large furniture donations like couches, dining tables, consoles, desks, chairs, and bed frames. Habitat ReStores sell your donated goods in its thrift stores at a fraction of the retail price. Proceeds from the ReStores go toward funding its programs.
Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit organization that provides affordable housing for those in need in the U.S. and worldwide. It works to build and repair homes.
You can donate small furniture pieces by dropping them off in person at your nearest Habitat for Humanity ReStore, which you can find by searching the store locator on the ReStore donation page. For larger pieces, you can schedule a free donation pickup. Just contact your local store to schedule it.
Habitat for Humanity ReStores are also ideal places to donate building materials or tools if you have any of these for donation.
2. Goodwill
Goodwill Industries International is likely the most well-known U.S. charity for donating used goods, and furniture is no exception. With more than 3,200 thrift stores around the country, finding one near you shouldn’t be a problem.
The organization sells your donations in its brick-and-mortar Goodwill stores and its online auction site shopgoodwill.com. It uses the proceeds to fund its job training and placement programs.
Specifically, Goodwill serves those with barriers to employment, including individuals with disabilities, those with limited work history, recipients of government support programs, those with language barriers, and those who’ve experienced corporate downsizing.
If your furniture is small, and you’re able to transport it, use the store locator on the Goodwill website to find a drop-off center near you. Otherwise, check your local Goodwill’s webpage to find out whether they offer free furniture donation pickup services, such as Ohio’s Goodwill at Your Door or Texas’ Good to Go.
3. The Salvation Army
Another highly popular charitable organization, The Salvation Army has 1,500 thrift stores located across the U.S., so finding one should be easy. The Salvation Army assists those in need across various categories, including survivors of domestic violence, homelessness, human trafficking, and natural disasters.
However, most donations go to stock The Salvation Army’s Family Stores. All proceeds from the thrift stores fund The Salvation Army’s Adult Rehabilitation Centers, which help those with drug and alcohol addiction overcome their addictions, build work skills, and restore their families. The charity also occasionally uses furniture donations to furnish their homeless shelters.
You can deliver your donation yourself to a local drop-off location, which you can find by searching the Salvation Army’s thrift stores website. Or you can schedule a free furniture donation pickup. Just enter your zip code on the site, list your donations for pickup, and schedule a pickup date.
You don’t have to be home for the pickup. You can leave your donations outside marked with an “SA” for Salvation Army.
4. Vietnam Veterans of America’s Pickup Please
If you’re looking to get rid of small home furnishings, Pickup Please, operated by the Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA), is an ideal place to donate. Pickup Please sells your donated goods to generate funding for VVA’s local, state, and national programs.
Despite the name, the VVA helps all U.S. veterans, not just those of a particular war or age group. Its work includes helping homeless and disabled vets and financing their medical care. It also has a strong mission to help women and minority veterans.
The charity accepts furniture, but only small pieces that are light enough for one person to carry, such as nightstands, side tables, headboards, or office chairs. To donate, schedule a convenient free pickup time using the online scheduler on their donation site.
Then just gather your donations and leave your labeled boxes outside your door. Within 24 hours, someone from the organization will come to get your unwanted stuff, leaving a convenient tax-deductible receipt behind. You don’t have to be present when the truck arrives to pick up your donation.
Note that the charity does not currently operate in all states. Check their website for their most up-to-date list of locations.
5. AMVETS National Service Foundation
The nonprofit AMVETS National Service Foundation serves U.S. veterans (AMVETS stands for “American veterans”). It operates physical thrift stores to sell your donations to fund its veteran assistance programs, such as community outreach and job training.
Visit the AMVETS donation pickup information page to make arrangements for free furniture donation pickup services. Note the charity only operates in 22 U.S. states, and the website only allows for scheduling in certain states. If you’re a resident of another state where the charity operates, call 866-294-4488 to schedule a pickup.
6. PickUpMyDonation
PickupMyDonation isn’t a charity itself. Rather, it’s a service that connects you with local charities that can pick up your donations. That makes it a convenient option for donating heavier goods like furniture, which often require special vehicles, such as pickup trucks or trailers, to transport.
Specifically, PickUpMyDonation assists nonprofit thrift stores in your local area, so the causes you can support depend on what’s available.
To donate your furniture, visit PickUpMyDonation and enter your zip code to start a donation request, which includes listing the furniture you want to donate. PickUpMyDonation then informs local charities of your donation’s availability.
If charities express an interest, you can choose which one gets it. Then the thrift store you select will schedule a free pickup.
7. Donation Town
Like PickUpMyDonation, Donation Town is a database service that connects you with local charities that offer free pickup services. So if you have large furniture to donate, you don’t have to worry about how to get it there.
But unlike PickUpMyDonation, Donation Town links you to charities that can accept a wider variety of items, such as household goods and electronics, making it a convenient option if you have a bulk donation after decluttering or downsizing or simply lack transportation or time.
The site lists a few hundred different charities and provides you with information about the local nonprofit organizations.
Visit Donation Town’s website and enter your zip code to get matched with a list of local charities that offer free pickup. Choose your charity from the list and contact them to schedule a furniture donation pickup at a time convenient for you.
Where to Donate Furniture Locally
In addition to major national charities, there are plenty of local organizations that need furniture donations. Before you donate, check the charity’s website to determine whether they offer receipts for tax purposes. While donating locally can help people in your neighborhood, make sure you donate to a nonprofit if you want the tax write-off.
Searching databases like PickUpMyDonation or Donation Town can yield plenty of results for local donations. But if you’re committed to donating your furniture to help those in need in your own community, also consider an online search. Search phrases like “charities needing furniture near me” or “furniture charities near me.”
8. Furniture Banks
Furniture banks are local nonprofit organizations that collect donations of used furniture for direct reuse by local individuals and families who can’t afford to furnish their homes. That includes the formerly homeless working to get back on their feet financially. It also includes the working poor, people escaping domestic violence, unemployed individuals, immigrants, and those who’ve survived catastrophes (such as fire, robbery, or natural disasters).
These organizations typically accept all types of gently used furniture and some household goods, such as kitchenware and small appliances.
To find a furniture bank in your area, do an online search. Or visit the locator page on the Furniture Bank Network’s website. Most furniture banks offer a free furniture pickup.
9. Homeless Shelters
Many homeless shelters and missions operate as independent charities, especially in urban areas with a large homeless or at-risk population. These organizations provide shelter and meals to struggling families and accept donations including beds, couches, tables, kitchenware, and small appliances.
To find homeless shelters in your area, do an online search using the keywords “homeless shelters near me.” Or visit the Homeless Shelters Directory.
10. Local Women’s and Family Shelters
Local women’s and family shelters help women escaping domestic violence and their children by providing them with a safe place to stay while they begin to rebuild their lives. Many of these organizations accept used furniture and household items, including kitchenware, small appliances, and donated clothes.
Search online to find shelters in your area and check the organization’s website to see if it needs donations.
11. Community Theater Groups
Amateur theater groups often need furniture donations to build sets. Occasionally, they accept extremely beat-up furniture or furniture you can’t donate anywhere else. So this is an ideal choice for donating pieces that are otherwise destined for the landfill.
You can find a local theater group by visiting your city’s website. City websites usually have an entertainment section that lists local theater groups. You can also contact theater departments at local high schools or colleges.
12. Schools
In addition to theater departments, schools need furniture in other areas, such as classrooms, libraries, and even student hangout zones. At all grade levels, from preschool through college, school furniture isn’t all about desks and plastic chairs.
Comfy couches and padded armchairs make excellent reading nooks, and side tables and bookshelves are always useful for organizing school materials. Even an area rug can help mark out a learning zone in a classroom or a reading area in a library.
So if you have furniture that might be useful to a school, it’s worth it to contact your local elementary, middle school, high school, or college and ask if they accept donations.
Final Word
No matter what kind of furniture you have to donate, chances are there’s a charity that accepts it. But sometimes used furniture is just too beat up for donation. And unfortunately, hauling it to the curb not only means it will end up in a landfill. It will also cost you.
Most municipalities charge a fee for bulky waste removal, and some won’t haul off your furniture at all. That means hiring a junk removal service. Occasionally, if you’re replacing your old furniture with new, the furniture company will take away your old stuff. But this isn’t always the case, and even when they do, there are often restrictions or fees.
So if your used furniture isn’t in good enough shape for donation, try recycling it by giving it away for free. You can post it on a platform like Freecycle or Nextdoor. Even if your stuff is in bad shape, it can often still be useful to individuals.
For example, broken wood furniture is usable by crafters and artisans as well as woodworkers and cabinetmakers. You won’t get a tax deduction by giving your broken kitchen table to a crafter, but you can at least avoid the cost of a junk removal service.
Published at Fri, 21 May 2021 12:00:03 +0000
