Whether for their new home or commercial building, nearly 50% of movers purchase new furniture when they relocate. This means downsizing to make room for all that new decor. While you may not want to keep your old furniture around, tossing out perfectly functional household goods would be a waste. So instead, why not donate them to a charity?
Donating heavy or numerous pieces of furniture may sound overwhelming, but it’s easier than you think. To make donating even easier, we curated a list of eight charities that’ll happily take your donated household goods off your hands for free — no need to rent a moving truck!
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The Salvation Army
Founded in 1865, The Salvation Army is one of the most well-known charity organizations. They’re wholly connected to the Christian Church and provide services for many high-risk needs, including poverty, hunger, homelessness, and addiction. Another way The Salvation Army supports the community is through donation pickups.
Depending on your ZIP code, online scheduling may be available. If this isn’t an option for your location, you can always visit their website, where they have a local phone number you can use to schedule a furniture donation pickup.
How your donation helps: The Salvation Army reallocates the proceeds from selling your donated items in their thrift stores to food pantries, rehabilitation centers, homeless shelters, and more.
Items The Salvation Army accepts:
Furniture (excluding particle board, metal desks, TV armories, and baby items)
Appliances
Kitchenware (plates, utensils, etc.)
Household goods (lamps, coffeemakers, etc.)
Clothing
How to schedule a pickup: To see if online scheduling is available in your area, visit here and put in your ZIP code. Based on your location, you’ll either be able to schedule a pickup or be given a number to call if online scheduling isn’t available.
Habitat for Humanity
Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit organization that provides families in need with safe and affordable homes. And in addition to operating in all 50 states and 70 other countries, they also participate in free furniture donation pick-up!
How your donation helps: All furniture donations are sold at ReStores, their resale locations, and proceeds from these sales go toward providing housing and home repair services.
Items that Humanity accepts:
Furniture
Appliances
Building materials (unused lumber, flooring, doors, etc.)
Household goods
How to schedule a pickup: You can find a Habitat ReStore near you by entering your ZIP code on their website.
Goodwill
Goodwill is mainly known for their store locations that sell donated items for low prices, but that’s not all they do! They also provide job training and employment services for individuals within their local communities. With over 156 community organizations around the U.S., Canada, and over 10 other countries, they helped provide over 1 million people with skill-building services and assisted them in finding employment.
How your donation helps: The sales from your donations help raise money toward services, including employment training and job placement services for individuals within the local community.
Items that Goodwill accepts:
Glassware
Electronics
Dishes
Small and large furniture
Clothing
Automobiles
Lawnmowers
And more!
How to schedule a pickup: Get in touch with your local Goodwill to find out if pickup services are available in your area.
Miracle Hill Ministries
Miracle Hill Ministries and Miracle Hill Thrift Stores are an evangelical, Gospel-infused mercy ministry in the Upstate of South Carolina. Miracle Hill Ministries exists that children and adults experiencing homelessness may receive food and shelter with compassion, hear the Good News of Jesus Christ, and move toward healthy relationships and stability.
How your donation helps: By donating your gently used goods, you are helping feed people who are hungry, provide shelter for people who have no place to go, and share the Good News of Jesus Christ with people to give them hope during times of hardship!
Items that Miracle Hill Ministries accepts:
Clothing and Linens Washed; no tears, stains, or mildew; no strong odors from cigarettes, pets, or mothballs.
Shoes Gently used; no holes, tears, or missing soles/heels. No strong odors.
Upholstered Furniture and Rugs No significant tears or stains; no mildew or strong odors from cigarettes, pets, or mothballs.
Wood and Solid Furniture Not broken, badly dented, or water damaged; not missing any vital parts. Minor dents or scratches are acceptable.
Televisions and Electronics Still in good working condition; no missing knobs or buttons. Minor dents or scratches are acceptable.
Appliances Any non-built-in appliances like refrigerators, stoves (electric only), washers/dryers, microwave ovens, and more. Still in good working condition, no missing knobs or buttons. Minor dents or scratches are acceptable.
How to schedule a pickup: Schedule a pickup by either visiting their website thrift.miraclehill.org or calling 864-242-6931. Miracle Hill is only able to provide pickup on medium to larger items. Smaller items are able to be donated at any local Miracle Hill Thrift shop in your area.
Donation Do’s and Don’ts
It’s incredible that you want to donate some of your goods to charity, but one of the biggest misconceptions about donating is that it’s a free-for-all. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. To ensure that donations are both practical, in good condition, and can realistically be picked up and relocated, many charities lay down guidelines that donors need to abide by. However, some general ones are consistent across the board.
DO:
Thoroughly inspect items: Any furniture that isn’t structurally sound, clothes with excessive stains, or heavily used items can’t be accepted.
Schedule or call in advance to see what’s needed: This is to ensure your donations are as helpful as possible.
Test all electronic items before donating: Make sure any electronics are in working condition. If any are broken, it’s best to dispose of them rather than donate them.
DON’T:
Donate defected items: Similar to electronics, this can be toys, kitchenware, and other materials that, if defective, can’t be used.
Donate items that don’t adhere to charity guidelines: Not all charities accept every type of donation, so check in with your local charity to see what they can and can’t take.
Donate unusable items: These include underwear, swimwear, mattresses, and box springs (due to possible infestations).
If You Need Help Moving, Count On Yeah That Movers
There will always be a few things you’ll want to toss out when it comes to moving. However, instead of throwing out your old furniture and other household items, contact one of the charities above to donate them to help your local community easily. Contact one of our moving consultants for a stress-free transition if you’re about to move locally or across the country and need assistance relocating to your new home or office building.
