A lot of people are eager to donate things but don’t know how to get them where they need to go. It’s especially true for large items. How do you donate a bed if you don’t have a large truck? It can even be hard to find out who needs what you have to give. Even organizations that take donations turn givers away. Sometimes the organizations say they don’t have space or don’t think they can sell or re-give the item you’re trying to donate. Add work, school and busy schedules on top of donation challenges, and the process of donating can become daunting.
Finding the right organization makes donating so much easier. People who donate items want to feel good about the process and it should be easy to give away things for a good cause. Some great organizations offer hassle-free pickups to take any burden of donating off people’s hands. Here are 10 organizations that will pick up your donations to make giving a smooth and easy process.
1. The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army helps over 25 million people in the United States every year. They also work in over 100 countries around the world. It’s a huge organization that’s been around since 1865. The Salvation Army is involved in a lot of causes, from preventing abuse to disaster recovery and fighting poverty. People who donate to the Salvation Army help raise money that’s used to help people less fortunate. The organization accepts monetary donations, clothing, furniture, books, and even cars. Donated items are sold at their network of stores. People can schedule a free pickup online by entering their zip code and a list of items they plan to donate. This helps The Salvation Army know how much space they’ll need for your stuff. It’s an easy process that takes minutes. The process allows users to choose a date and specify where the items will be and any special instructions for the pickup driver.
2. Goodwill
Most people are familiar with Goodwill’s drop off services. You load your stuff up in the car and drive around back where you drop books, toys, clothing, and other used items off. They offer to give you a receipt for tax purposes, and then you’re on your way. However, Goodwill also provides pickup services for larger items that are hard to load in a car. The organization will come help pick up heavy items that are taken to the store and sold at a bargain. The money’s used to help people in your neighborhood with jobs and employment training.
Goodwill encourages people to deliver their donations, but pickup service is available. People need to give their local Goodwill store a call to see if the items meet pickup requirements and schedule an appointment.
3. Furniture Bank
Furniture Bank’s mission is to help provide everyone in need with quality furniture. They believe everyone should have decent furniture in their homes. It’s common for people who’ve been victimized by abuse or have suffered losses from natural disasters to need access to cheap, quality furniture. Furniture Bank doesn’t operate nationwide, but they are in most states. The organization helps small furniture charities and outlets around the country harness the power of networking. Many of the members offer pickup services for donations. People looking to donate have to find a local center and call to schedule a pickup.
4. Vietnam Veterans of America
Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) helps military service veterans with financial planning and job placement services. The organization also helps veterans through the often-complex system of claiming military benefits from the government. VVA operates in several states and offers very accommodating donation pickup services. People can even schedule a pickup in less than 24 hours’ notice. It’s great for people who need to clear out items from a move. Whatever you donate is sold and funneled directly into VVA programs for veterans.
5. Habitat for Humanity
When most people think of Habitat for Humanity, they think of spending a weekend building houses for people in need. Indeed, the charity has helped over 20 million people in their mission to revitalize neighborhoods and provide housing for the disadvantaged. However, Habitat for Humanity relies on a network of Habitat ReStores around the country to sell donated goods to raise money for construction projects. The shops take donations from the general public, and many offer to pick up large items as a convenience. People can find local Habitat ReStores on the charity’s website by conducting a zipcode search. You’ll have to coordinate with the ReStore to arrange pick up.
6. human-I-T
The organization human-I-T (a play on the word humanity), seeks to solve the problem of electronic waste, or e-waste. They estimate that hundreds of thousands of computers in America are thrown away every day. E-waste, if not disposed of properly can be dangerous to people and the environment. A lot of e-waste ends up in other countries where it’s dismantled for small components in poor labor conditions. So, human-I-T offers free pick up or shipping options for people to donate their e-waste across the country. The organization operates in all 50 states and does what it can to repair and repurpose donated electronic items for low-income people. Founded in 2012, human-I-T also uses donations to help provide internet access, online learning courses and job training for people who need them. They’re cutting down on the amount of e-waste that goes into dumps and helping people learn technical skills at the same time.
7. GreenDrop
GreenDrop is capitalizing on the fact that many people have a lot of clutter at home and don’t know what to do with it. Sometimes people look at their stuff and wonder who would want it. GreenDrop comes to your home and helps clean it out, taking whatever clothing, toys, electronics, etc. that is being discarded away for charity. A lot of people have had great success donating with GreenDrop after a death in the family, before a move, or during a home renovation. They do prefer donated items under 50 lbs, so they probably won’t take your couch or bed, and they don’t accept televisions or computer monitors.
Users who don’t need a full cleanout can schedule a pickup service instead. An appointment can be scheduled easily on GreenDrop’s website. GreenDrop sells donated items to raise money for a variety of charities like the American Red Cross and the National Federation of the Blind.
8. Vehicles for Charity
A lot of people like to donate their cars because they get a good tax write off and don’t have to deal with the hassle of finding someone to buy it. A lot of American families have cars sitting around that no one drives anymore. Vehicles for Charity is a great option for people who want to downsize or are ready to buy a new car. When someone wants to donate their car, they can schedule a pickup on the Vehicles for Charity website. The charity then appoints a towing company to come to grab the vehicle in under four days. One of the best things about Vehicles for Charity is that the person donating the car gets to choose how the money is used. The donated car is auctioned off, then the original owner can decide what charity gets the money from the sale.
9. AMVETS National Service Foundation
AMVETS (American Veterans) National Service Foundation is another charity whose mission is helping military veterans across the country. The organization was founded in 1944 and has operations in over 20 states. Much like other organizations, AMVETS has a network of stores where people can drop off goods. They also offer hassle-free pick up appointments. AMVETS National Service Foundation accepts anything from bedding and toys to clothes and small furniture. Money used from the sale of donated goods goes to helping war veterans and active-duty men and women in need. You can find a local store on their website and call their number to arrange an easy pickup.
10. The Lupus Foundation of America
The Lupus Foundation of America strives to help people with lupus live better lives. Money raised by the charity goes to supporting people with lupus, as well as to help drive better research and advocacy efforts. They’ve been around for over 40 years and have helped influence research studies and government attention to those afflicted with lupus.
Donating to the Lupus Foundation of America is an easy process. All it takes is visiting the website to schedule a donation pickup. The foundation only offers donation pickups in Minnesota, NYC metro area and great Washington D.C, so check to see if you’re in their service area. You can donate household goods like shoes, clothes and other items. They accept tools, appliances, jewelry, toys, and even bedding and curtains. The foundation also facilitates vehicle donations. The money raised from the sale of donated items goes directly to support the fight against lupus.