Donating Do's and Don'ts

Beth from New York commented on the blog last week that she'd like to get some guidelines for donating, so she makes sure that she is being a Conscious Donor of her belongings and a good steward to the environment and the community! Good idea, Beth! I can certainly speak to Goodwill's guidelines in general and they will likely apply to most nonprofits as well.

• First, consider whether your donation of belongings will be used toward a cause you support. Do you really know where it's going and how it's being used? 84% of collective revenue goes directly to support Goodwill's mission of providing job training, placement services, and other community programs for those facing challenges to finding employment.
• Visit the nonprofit's website or call if you have questions about what they accept.
• If not donating to Goodwill, that’s fine, but please make sure you’re giving to a reputable nonprofit you know and trust, not just stopping at the first convenient drop box you see.
• Check to make sure your items are all things you want to donate before you drop them off. (BUT that does not mean changing your mind about things you have already made decisions on!)
• Check the pockets of your jackets and other clothing and inside purses and other bags in case there are valuables or personal items.
• If you have labeled your kids' clothing, mark out names with an indelible laundry marker (I like Sharpie "Rub-A-Dub" markers).
• Test electrical equipment and battery-operated items to make sure they work.
• Include all pieces and parts to games, toys and household appliances (you can use plastic zip closure bags to keep pieces together).
• Don’t leave items unattended outside a collection center where they may be stolen or damaged by weather.
• Use our handy "DONATE FOR DOLLARS" Donation Tracking Sheet to help with getting the maximum tax deduction. It's available on the left sidebar of our Free Tips page, www.clutterdiet.com/freetips. Remember to get a receipt from the nonprofit too!

I think it's helpful here to explain how Goodwill is structured. Goodwill Industries International has a headquarters office in Maryland, but each of their 166 member agencies in North America (and 14 international affiliates) operates autonomously. Think of it like the federal and state government... the states run independently but they also all belong to the USA and share the flag and the Constitution, etc. So each member agency has their own donation guidelines that vary from place-to-place. You can find your nearest Goodwill by putting in your zip code at http://donate.goodwill.org, and your area's own Goodwill agency website should provide you a list, similar to the one here for Goodwill of Central Texas, or the one here for Goodwill New York/New Jersey.

Here are some things that almost any Goodwill will accept (again, please verify for your area):

• Accessories (purses, ties, belts, scarves, etc.)
• Art and decorative items (artificial plants, paintings, etc.)
• Books, CDs, DVDs, tapes, records
• Camping equipment
• Clothing of any kind
• Collectible items
• Computers and electronics (please check, not all agencies can take these)
• Household items (dishes, knick-knacks, housewares, etc.)
• Jewelry and antiques
• Linens
• Shoes
• Small furniture
• Sporting goods and bikes (some agencies do not accept large exercise equipment, however)
• Tools
• Toys and children’s items (provided they are safe and not under recall)
• Working electrical items (radios, televisions, clocks, lamps, etc.)
• Working small appliances (toasters, blenders, etc.)

Here are some things that many Goodwill agencies and other nonprofits will NOT accept:

• Any items that have been recalled by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (You can check www.cpsc.gov for a list of recalled items)
• Automobile parts (tires, wheels, batteries, seats, vehicle body and engine parts)
• Broken electronics or appliances
• Building materials (carpet, shutters, doors, windows, lumber, plumbing fixtures, toilets, concrete, brick, stones, etc.)
• Food, cosmetics, toiletries, or other perishable items
• Furniture in poor condition (soiled/ripped/broken/missing pieces/rusted/moldy)
• Gas powered equipment- gas grills, lawnmowers, etc. (some will accept with the fuel drained out or tanks omitted)
• Large appliances (refrigerators, stoves, air conditioners, washers/dryers, etc.)
• Live plants or animals
• Mattresses and box springs
• Newspapers, magazines, household trash
• Paint, chemicals or hazardous/flammable material of any kind
• Playground equipment
• Professional/industrial equipment
• Unsafe children's items, possibly including toys, car seats, strollers, and other baby equipment
• Weapons (guns, knives, swords, ammunition, etc.)

In general, practice "The Golden Rule" for your donations. Is this something you'd feel good about accepting yourself, if the tables were turned? Or would you feel good giving it to a friend? The exception to this rule, however, is that even if things are stained or torn or otherwise damaged, some Goodwill agencies work with textile recyclers who can still reclaim value from the clothing. Some estimate that textile recycling saves 2.5 billion pounds of clothing from the landfills... and from that we get rags, carpet fibers, and other useful products. And some crafters can use scraps from clothing to make quilts and doll dresses and even chipped dishes can be used to make mosaics. So use your best judgment on the condition of your items-- ask yourself if they could be useful to someone.

Did you know that 71 percent of respondents to a recent survey done for Goodwill admitted that they sometimes choose not to donate their unused clothing and throw it in the landfill instead? Whatever you do, please take just a moment and find out how to responsibly and consciously donate your items instead of discarding them and depriving people of badly needed social services.

Go forth and DONATE this weekend as you clear out your clutter!

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Comments

[Lita Daniel]

Very informative blog. I'm amazed that some people don't think twice about donating items that should go in the trash (stained clothing, clothing with holes, broken items, etc.). People who shop in thrift stores have pride just like everybody else.

[Sharmaine Hobbs]

Amen to that. Years ago when I was cleaning out my closet as a 19 year old, my father told me I should never give something that I wouldn't want to receive myself. In other words if I would not want it for me, then I should not give it to anyone else. That has always been my standard. Some things DO need to be discarded rather than donated. We must be conscious about the condition of what we give as well as the actual "giving" itself.
I went on a mission trip to Brazil last year and my heart broke at some of the things that were donated to the girls at the orphanage. Let us give consiously in this way too, as though we would be the beneficiaries of what we're giving away.

[Debra Carlton]

Nice to make sure that items to be donated are in a clean condition before donating items to charity.

As you mentioned many of these goodwill shops don't accept electrical goods. So it's a more of a challenge to find a good home for well loved and functioning items that you no longer require. Any suggestions on what to do with electrical goods would be appreciated.

[Susan]

Often smaller shops that benefit a specific local cause (hospice, disabled, animal welfare) will take more things on a more "ad hoc" basis. In our town we have none of the larger chain re-sale shops, but we find homes for most items.

[Melissa]

The best resource we use is freecycle.org. It's a free yahoo group that sends e-mails and/or digests to your local members. Many things are not great to donate, such as old magazines, but someone might really want/need them. We post those items on freecycle.org (we joined the local yahoo group). It's listed as "Offered." Then someone who needs it can coordinate with you. You can also list "wanted." We have gotten rid of loads of bricks, baby food jars, old videos. We've received a piano and clothes for the kids. My dad's saying is "Keep it moving."

[MaryLou]

I also donate to our local "Shelter House" for battered and abused women, children and men. There rule is they will accept anything that can be used to set up housekeeping. Since 95% of the people come to them with only the clothes on their backs..there is a great need. Check out your local area for such a facility.

[Sandra]

Do check your local Goodwill's policies before deciding to just throw away items that are stained or torn. Our Goodwill recycles items like that, which is great for the environment and brings added revenue to their mission. If you place all the ripped/stained/torn clothing in a bag marked "salvage" it will save them time processing it. Of course, these items do need to be clean, since dirty and moldy items can't be recycled.

[Lorie Marrero]

If you have electronics, many Goodwill member agencies participate in Dell's ReConnect program. You can put your zip code in here and see if there is a dropoff location near you for computers, cell phones, etc.

http://tinyurl.com/y7mef6u

Thanks!
- Lorie

[Paulette]

Also, good to keep in mind not to throw any type of batteries or non-functional computers, etc. in the trash. Our town has a place where e-waste can be dumped and it will be properly disposed of.