Everywhere you turn, there are always people in need of charitable donations and every year, folks across the United States donate time, money, clothing and other essentials to those who need it.
The reasons for donating to charity are quite obvious: you’re helping those less fortunate than you, you’re doing a good deed for people in your community and, if you donate household items, you’re getting rid of things you don’t need and giving them to folks who could make better use of them. In many cases, your rarely or gently household items or can go a long way in helping those in need.
It’s a great idea to donate rarely or gently used household items to charity. In fact, some organizations even do a charity pickup. But if you’re going to donate, here are some tips for doing it correctly:
- Know your value: Chances are you’ve probably got a whole basement full of rarely used items you could donate to charity right now, whether it’s clothes or old books. You may not know it, but the items you donate to charity can be submitted during tax season for deductions. The more documentation you make and the clearer you make it, the better your chances are of getting a deduction are for your items. Remember, any charitable donation worth more than $250 (including donations of clothing and household items) will require a receipt to write off on your taxes.
- Consider where it’s going: The average American buys a lot of clothes and tosses 82 pounds of textiles a year. They also donate a lot of clothes (4.7 billion pounds annually). But even with all that, only about 15% of Americans’ used clothing is donated. That means there’s a lot of stuff that’s just thrown away every year.
If you’re wondering, where can I donate clothes, many organizations such as Purple Heart Pickup take military donations and will come to your home. If you’re one of those people who’s got piles of unworn clothes in the closet and is wondering where can I donate clothes, donations are always a great way to get rid of clutter. Again, make sure to check guidelines on what charities take which items. What one organization might not take, another organization will allow you to make donations for pick up at home. - Follow the rules: If you’re set on donating, make sure you follow whatever guidelines are in place. For organizations that do a used clothing pick up, make sure you put your items in boxes or containers that can be easily transported. You also want to make sure that you’re at home to help donate your items on a scheduled day for a charity pickup. Some areas have neighborhood drop-off sites where you can leave your items to donate. If you’re wondering, where can I donate clothes, ask around the neighborhood or do an online search to see where the pick-up/drop-off sites are
If you’re going to be a Good Samaritan and donate clothes and other items, please don’t donate junk. As you’re sorting through things, pay attention to the condition and quality of the items you’re putting into a donation box. Used clothing and towels should just be thrown away, but rarely or lightly worn jeans can go in a donation box. A good rule of thumb is to consider if something is good enough to donate to a family member before you donate it to a charity.
There are any number of ways you can donate to charity and help those in need. You can donate money, donate your time or reach out to those less fortunate and find out what you can to help. Donating household items such as clothing and appliances can go a long way, but make sure your items are in good condition and will be of use and also make sure to find out whether or not charities will take your items. If you’re wondering where can I donate clothes and other items, ask around your area so that all your donations end up going where they’re supposed to and doing a lot of good for those who need essentials.