If you’re gearing up for a move, there’s a good chance there’s a good amount of furniture you’ll be relocating and taking with you. However, whether you’re downsizing to a new smaller space, or just don’t want to take certain pieces for you, odds are there are some furniture pieces you don’t want to take along with you. But what do you do with these items? They’re too large, awkward and bulky to really throw out – especially with the parameters set forth for bulk trash pickup – but you also can’t transport them somewhere yourself to donate or throw out.
If you’re looking for ideas for how to donate or get rid of your bulky furniture before a move, we’ve got all the answers for you.
Furniture Donation Ideas
For a lot of nonprofit organizations, furniture donation brings in a lot of revenue for them to give back to the community. Luckily for you, a lot of places also offer free furniture donation pickup from your home! This is a win-win for you and for your community.
Where to Donate Furniture
There are a lot of nationwide nonprofit organizations to donate your furniture to. You can also research places more specific to your individual community, but we’ve outlined some of the most dependable organizations below who all offer free furniture donation pickup.
GoodWill is a longstanding organization that provides job training, employment services, language training, and childcare services to people in local communities. Donation profits go toward community programs or job training services.
GoodWill accepts furniture, clothing, electronics, cars, exercise equipment, and a variety of other items. They’ll also accept cars, campers, and other vehicles even if they’re not in working condition.
Most stores offer free pick up services for furniture, cars, or bulky items which can be scheduled here.
Habitat for Humanity provides safe and affordable housing for families in need. They also contribute to neighborhood revitalization projects, help seniors improve their homes, and provide shelter to victims of natural disasters. Profits from furniture donations go towards helping to build homes for families in need and restoring homes for those in need.
To schedule a furniture donation pickup, click here.
GreenDrop is an East Coast based program that raises money for various charities through the sale of donated furniture, clothes, electronics, and appliances at thrift stores. Some of the charities GreenDrop supports include the American Red Cross, Military Order of the Purple Heart, and the National Federation of the Blind.
To schedule a furniture pick up, click here.
- AMVETS
AMVETS helps to support the millions of veterans across the United States. They help veterans attain their benefits from the government, and run leadership and advocacy programs to help elevate the quality of life for veterans and their families across the country.
Proceeds from donations go towards these programs and to helping discharged and active duty veterans. AMVETS accepts furniture, exercise equipment, electronics, clothing, and more, and prefers items that are less than 5 years old.
To schedule a furniture pick up, click here.
- Donation Town
Donation Town isn’t a physical place, but rather an organization that will match you with organizations in your area who do free furniture donation pickups. This will let you get your furniture donated and taken care of without having to choose a charity or figure out which one seems best for you! It’s also great if you’re looking to support more localized organizations. Just enter your zip code into their site and Donation Town will give you local organizations who will come and pick up your furniture.
Donation Town currently has a database of over 400 charities, so odds are you’ll be able to find one in your area that’s right for you! However, what items places accept depends on each individual charity, so make sure your charity accepts furniture donations.
Click here to visit Donation Town’s website and schedule a pickup with your charity.
- Vietnam Veterans of America
Vietnam Veterans of America is another reputable charity whose donation profits go to help individual Vietnam War veterans, as well as towards changing negative viewpoints of Vietnam War veterans. The organization also creates outreach and service programs for veterans suffering from substance abuse, experiencing homelessness, incarceration, and more.
Vietnam Veterans of America uses a program called “The Pickup Please Program” to accept small furniture, sports equipment, electronics, and other household goods. Their only stipulation is that the furniture they pickup needs to be light enough for one person to carry.
To schedule a furniture pickup with Vietnam Veterans of America, visit their site here.
- PickUpMyDonation.com
This organization works in partnership with local, independent thrift stores in local communities. They pick up your furniture or other large donations, and transport them to a local charity of your choice, so you and the charity in question don’t have to worry about getting your donation to them!
This organization will transport large furniture, exercise equipment, vehicles, appliances, and more to the charity you’re connected with. To get in contact with a local charity through PickUpMyDonation.com and schedule your pickup, click here.
- Out of the Closet
Out of the Closet is a thrift store chain which is owned and operated by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. This organization provides AIDS patients with medical, preventative, and educational resources. The AIDS Healthcare Foundation is also the largest non-profit provider of HIV/AIDS healthcare, research, education, and preventative resources.
The Out of the Closet thrift stores’ profits directly fund and benefit the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, and go to help the organization’s various programs, research efforts, and provide for HIV/AIDS testing and housing programs.
Out of the Closet accepts furniture, electronics, kitchenware, vehicles, and more! For furniture pickups, you need to have at least two items for them to come and pick them up, but if you have the transportation available, you can also transport your items to them as well.
To schedule your pickup with Out of the Closet, click here.
Tax Benefits of Donating Furniture
Besides supporting a wonderful charity and the people these organizations help, donating your furniture to one of these organizations can also give you a tax write off, if you want one! At the time of your pickup, most places will provide you with a form or instructions as to how to claim your tax dedication for donating your furniture or any other items.
What to Know About Donating Furniture
When donating furniture, there are a few things you’ll need to do to prepare or to make sure your things are properly taken care of prior to pickup.
- Scheduling Your Pickup
Make sure to leave yourself plenty of time when scheduling your furniture pickup. A lot of organizations have pretty tight furniture pickup schedules, and you might even have to schedule a month or so in advance. If you wait until the last minute, you might not be able to get an appointment at certain places at all, so it’s best to know what you want to get rid of well ahead of time so you can prepare and schedule your pickup.
- Choosing the Right Charity
Figure out what charity you want to donate to well ahead of time, and make sure they accept and pick up furniture donations. Additionally, make sure the charity you choose aligns with your beliefs and causes you want to support.
- Preparing Furniture
Some charities might have guidelines for packaging or preparing your furniture for pickup, so make sure to research your charity to see if they have any guidelines you’ll need to follow. Also, make sure your charity will accept your furniture – some will only take newer items, or ones that are only in tip top condition. Don’t disappoint yourself or get surprised if an organization arrives and decides not to take your donation – a lot of places only accept things conditionally, and it is ultimately left up to the individual driver or representative to make the final call.
- Notify Neighbors
Especially if you live on a particularly small street, or maybe a side street in a busy city, let your neighbors know if you expect the charity’s donation pickup vehicle to block all or part of your block temporarily for a little while. That way, no one will be beeping or otherwise being inconvenienced while your charity’s representatives are moving your furniture out of your home – no matter how quick they might be.
Why Donate Your Furniture?
When preparing for a move, a great way to make your process easier (especially if you’re downsizing) is to get rid of any furniture you don’t want well ahead of your actual moving day itself.
Don’t cost yourself more money by moving things you don’t want or may not be able to fit. Instead, support some great causes and get your furniture picked up and moved out for free throughout a great charity’s donation program.
You’ll allow yourself to get rid of heavy or awkward furniture for free and with almost zero effort on your part, while also supporting a great charity and contributing to your community.
If you’re gearing up for a move, don’t forget to higher the best full-service movers for the job. Check out Bekins Van Lines’ array of affordable services today.
