The old couch that’s taking up too much space in the corner. The table that still functions, but doesn’t quite fit the new color and decor of the room. The room’s worth of furniture that was cleaned out to make way for a new bundle of joy.
It may be tempting to send some of these items to the curb. But for another family, they could still have value. They could be the centerpiece of a room, and generate funds that provide a hot meal on the table, or a roof over their head.
Donating items to charity gives items a new kind of value. It provides household items for families, supports local nonprofits that serve the community by carrying out their charitable mission, and extends the life of usable goods, while reducing waste.
Donating a piece of furniture may sound like the kind of process that involves a whole new project. Luckily, making a donation to a local charity is easier than ever. Many charities have expanded the number of ways to donate items, and have taken extra steps to create a hassle-free experience. Through strong partnerships and the power of technology, donation pickup offers a way to move items out and give back, without any heavy lifting, or even leaving the house.
In this post, we’ll cover why to consider donating furniture, and how to do it.
Why Donate Furniture?
You can feel good about donating furniture because it helps people, the community, and the environment.
Donating Furniture Helps People
Furniture is part of what makes a house a home. It’s the basis of memories, and where people find comfort. Updating a room or cleaning out a house ends one family’s time with that couch, chair, and it’s often tempting to take the item to the curb. But once the item is picked up, its life is effectively over.
Nevertheless, there’s a good chance that the item is still usable, and it almost certainly still has value.
As the cost of living rises in the U.S., more people are turning to secondhand goods as a way to save money. At the same time, what didn’t fit for one family anymore could be the centerpiece of a new room. Donating furniture to local nonprofits in turn enables those organizations to resell items at affordable prices. This could provide the kitchen table for a family moving into their first home, or the perfect rug for a couple looking to add a splash of color while recovering from a fire.
Furniture donation provides a way to give back, and extends the sense of renewal.
Donating Furniture Helps the Community
Donating to charities such as Goodwill and Habitat for Humanity provides goods that help these organizations carry out their mission in communities across the United States.
For charities, individual donations are the primary source of new goods. Donations provide a steady stream of high-quality merchandise to the retail stores that are operated by these nonprofits, ensuring they offer a wide variety of goods that serve shoppers, and never run out of stock.
In turn, the sale of these items funds the mission of these nonprofits, which include providing job training, education, housing, and other services. This is another way that items continue to have value. The charity can take the resources that are generated by the sale of the items, and turn them into hot meals on the table, or emergency relief for a single mother at the end of the month.
Over the last decade, ReSupply has transported over $20 million worth of items to charities across the United States. Those items strengthen nonprofits, and ultimately serve communities.
Donating Furniture Helps the Environment
It may not be surprising to learn that a high quantity of furniture ends up in landfills every year. Americans throw out more than 12 million tons of furniture every year, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. What may not be as obvious is how much of that furniture is still usable. People throw out furniture when they move, when they change styles, and when they get ready for the next stage of their lives. In each of these transition points, people may be ready to move on, but their furniture is still good.
In truth, that treasure doesn’t have to become trash. Furniture donation extends the life of goods, and keeps some of the bulkiest items out of landfills in the process. The impact of these donations adds up. Since 2015, ReSupply donations have kept over 25 million pounds of items out of landfills. These items stayed out of landfills, and we know they will continue to be useful for years to come.
How to Donate Furniture in Six Steps
So how do you donate furniture? Here’s a guide on how to donate your furniture to charity in six steps.
Step 1: Evaluate Your Furniture
If an item served one family well, chances are it can serve the next family well, too. But it’s important to consider whether items are ready to donate.
As one Goodwill location puts it, “If you would give it to a friend, you could give it to Goodwill.”
If items are being self-transported for drop-off, it’s important to consider the size of an item, whether it aligns with the specific charity’s mission, and policies for reuse.
ReSupply handles each of these considerations for you. While charities are generally limited to only taking items that may be in support of their mission, ReSupply ensures that all of the donor’s items are removed, and our team pledges to do everything that they can to donate your items, even if that means bringing items to more than one charity.
Donation consultants at your favorite charity can assess your furniture’s condition. Or if you choose ReSupply to pick up your items at your house, our team will tell you if your furniture is donation-ready. If yes, we’ll take it straight to charity. If not, we’ll discuss alternatives with you.
Step 2. Research Donation Options to Find a Charity
Once items are ready to donate, it’s time to find a local charity. Here are two great charity categories and where to find them.
Donate Furniture to Charity Thrift Stores
A natural first step is to locate charity thrift stores near you. You can search the directories of Goodwill thrift stores, the Salvation Army thrift stories, and Habitat for Humanity ReStores to locate ones near you.
Donate Furniture to Furniture Banks
A furniture bank is like a food pantry, but for furniture. Instead of cans and jars, the locations stock sofas and chairs. People in need of furniture can browse the aisles at a furniture bank to pick up gently-used furniture for low cost or no cost. Try the Furniture Bank Network directory to find a furniture bank near you.
For ReSupply donation pickups, both of these options are available. All items are transported directly to the charity of the donor’s choosing.
Step 3: Schedule a Pickup or Drop-off
You’ve selected furniture to donate. You’ve settled on a charity. But the charity is there, and you are here. How do you get your furniture from here to there? Especially if it’s large, bulky, or heavy?
The two standard options are drop-off or pickup. Each has its pros and cons.
Drop Off Your Furniture Yourself
I bet you’ve dropped off items at a charity before. You put the box of used clothes in your car, drive right over, and hand the box to a friendly associate. Easy.
Furniture is more challenging, though. To drop off furniture you must ask yourself questions like:
- Do you have a large van or truck?
- Are you strong enough to lift the furniture into the vehicle without injuring yourself?
- For bulky items, do you have a team of people available to help you?
You may not want to go through the hassle of finding a truck, or risk injury by lifting heavy items. If that’s you, drop-off may not be the best option.
Schedule a Furniture Pickup with the Charity
Some charities offer donation pickup services, which are often free. A team from the charity will come to your house and pick up items for you. However, there are drawbacks:
- Not every charity has a pickup service. This matters especially if you want your items to benefit one particular charity.
- Charities may not accept all items. You may have to work with multiple charities to get everything picked up.
- Charities typically have a small staff on their pickup team. You may have to wait days or weeks before the pickup happens.
If you’re willing to deal with these drawbacks, then using a charity’s own pickup service might work for you.
Schedule a Furniture Pickup with a Donation Organization
Another option is to schedule a pickup with a donation organization like ReSupply. ReSupply streamlines the donation process with our hassle-free pickup service. You schedule a time; we’ll handle transportation and delivery.
ReSupply will pick up all of your items, no matter the size or condition. We’ll drive them to the charity of your choice. If that charity declines some of the items, we’ll transport them to other charities or disposal locations. You won’t even have to leave your home as your furniture becomes available to those who need it most.
Step 4: Get Tax Benefits for Donating Furniture
Did you know that donating furniture could potentially reduce your taxes? If you’re donating to a registered charity, then you can usually claim the donation as a deduction on your taxes. Here’s how it works.
You Only Get the Deduction if You Itemize
When you file your taxes, you can either take the standard deduction or itemize your deductions. Most people opt for the standard deduction—about 90% of filers for tax year 2020 did, according to the Tax Policy Center.
The standard deduction is currently higher than the historical average, due to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. For tax year 2024, the standard deduction is $29,200 for married couples filing jointly, and $14,600 for single taxpayers, according to the IRS. Most people don’t have enough itemized deductions to exceed this amount, which is why they take the standard deduction instead.
According to the CFO of a Goodwill in New England, itemizing often makes sense for homeowners (who can deduct mortgage interest), people with high out-of-pocket medical costs, and those who make large amounts of donations to charity. If you take the standard deduction, then there’s no tax benefit to donating your furniture, because you don’t get to itemize.
If You Itemize, Keep Your Donation Receipt
Before you drop your furniture off, take photographs to document its condition. This helps substantiate the furniture’s value and support your itemized deduction.
You will receive a donation receipt when the charity receives your items. Hold on to that receipt and fill it out completely. It should have space to describe your items, their condition, and their fair market value. When you file your taxes, you can deduct the value of your donation from your taxable income.
Step 5: Prepare Your Furniture for Donation
You’ve selected the furniture you want to donate and you’ve scheduled a pickup. How do you need to prepare? Here are answers to common questions.
Have you left any personal items in the furniture?
Check inside drawers and between couch cushions. You don’t want to leave spare change, old phone charging cords, or personal mementos in the furniture you donate.
Do you need to clean your items?
If you’re dropping off your items at a nonprofit, then you should clean them before donating. It’s not necessary to clean if you schedule a pickup with ReSupply, because we pick up items in any condition.
Do you need to disassemble furniture?
You might not be able to get large pieces of furniture, like a bed frame, out of your house without disassembly. This can be laborious and time-consuming. It also requires tools that you may not have. ReSupply’s teams bring their own tools and disassemble furniture for you when necessary.
Does your furniture need to be gathered in the living room or on the front porch?
Some pickup services require you to put donations out on your front porch. Others ask that the furniture be easily accessible inside the house. You don’t have to move your furniture around if you schedule a pickup with ReSupply—we’ll move it from anywhere inside your home, even upstairs.
Step 6: Relax and Know Your Donations Are Doing Good
Donating furniture doesn’t have to be stressful and time-consuming. It can be an easy and pleasant way to support your local community, as thousands of people have experienced.
ReSupply was founded to make it easier for you to donate items to your favorite charity—even large, bulky, and difficult-to-move pieces of furniture. When you choose ReSupply for donation pickup, you don’t have to worry about transporting your items yourself. We coordinate the logistics while you relax. Decluttering your home, while doing good, has never been easier.
Plus, you’ll know exactly where ReSupply takes your donations with our Donation Tracker. We partner with a network of vetted nonprofits, and you can look up where each of your items ends up. That’s what we call Donation Transparency.
Ready to Donate Your Furniture Today?
Donating furniture helps those in need, supports your local community, and protects the environment. Your generosity gives items a second life, and supports the mission of local nonprofits. You should feel good about doing good.
Would you like your furniture to be picked up from your home in the next 24–48 hours? Without you needing to move it, disassemble it, or prepare it in any way? Then ReSupply’s pickup service might be a good fit for you. Schedule a pickup with ReSupply today.
