Donate Furniture Charity

From LoveToKnow Charity

If you're looking to donate furniture to charity then you're in luck. There are plenty of charities willing to accept used furniture as donations, many of which resell the furniture and put the profits toward the cause.

Which charities take furniture?

Furniture as Donations

Charities often solicit cash donations from supporters, but some charities specialize in soliciting used goods – including furniture – from people. The benefit goes to both the charity and to the giver because the charity receives furniture at no cost while the giver is able to find a place for furniture that is no longer needed as well as potentially enjoy a tax deduction from the donation.

Charities that operate thrift stores continually accept furniture as donations as do charitable organizations that specialize in reselling merchandise in bulk in order to derive profits from the donated items. Since secondhand furniture is often in high demand, especially for people trying to furnish their first apartment or home, charities are usually more than happy to accept furniture as donations because the items sell quickly and for a nice profit.

Donate Furniture Charity

People need to keep in mind an important aspect of donating furniture to charity: This isn't an easy way to dispose of furniture that should otherwise be hauled off to a dump. In other words, only serviceable furniture should wind up as a charitable donation. Before contacting a charity to request they pick up a piece of furniture for donation you should take a look at the piece and ask yourself the question, "Would anyone actually want to buy this?" It's one thing if the cushions have a few stains or if there is a small knick on a piece of wood. It's another thing entirely if the furniture is in such disrepair that it is unlikely to be of any use to anyone.

You should also keep in mind that some charities with drop-off areas will actually consider it dumping if you drop off a piece of furniture that isn't usable. Since many of these drop-off points have surveillance cameras that record license plates you might actually find yourself slapped with a hefty fine for dumping unserviceable furniture at a donation site.

You should only donated furniture to charity if the pieces can actually be used or be sold to make a profit for the organization.

Furniture for Use

Some charities accept furniture donations for direct use within the organization instead of for resale. Examples of this include non-profit organizations that need furniture for their administrative offices or charities that assist underprivileged families in furnishing their homes.

Tax Benefits

Donations to charities are potentially tax deductible depending on the status of the charity. When you donate furniture to a charity it is usually up to you to estimate the value of the furniture and to request a receipt for tax purposes.

You will want to hold on to any receipts you receive from charities that you donate furniture to, even if you do not have to itemize the contributions on your taxes. If you ever experience an audit from the Internal Revenue Service these receipts will serve as proof that you actually donated the furniture that you claimed on your taxes as a charitable deduction.

Don't inflate the price on these receipts. Consider the amount of money the furniture is worth when you donate it and not when you first purchased it. In other words, a table that might fetch $75 at a flea market should not be claimed as a $300 donation.

Charities Accepting Furniture as Donations

While some charities will pick up furniture from your home, others only allow drop-offs at their facilities. Here is a brief list of charities accepting furniture as donations:

Local charitable organizations often accept furniture donations, so be sure to check out which local charities are in need of furniture. You may be surprised which organizations need furniture: