Furniture donation provides an ideal way to recycle gently used and unwanted household furniture. Many charities that accept furniture donations will also pick up the furniture from your home, saving you time and effort.
Charities That Pick Up Furniture
Note that organizations will only pick up serviceable furniture. If you would throw it in the trash because it is stained or damaged, they probably would too. Oftentimes, you will have to acquire a truck and deliver it yourself. If that's not an option for you, try the charities listed below:
Purple Heart Foundation
The Purple Heart Foundation offers services to disabled veterans and their families, including providing them with free and low-cost furniture. Purple Heart accepts a wide variety of household goods, as long as they will fit in the truck. Note that the organization will not take baby furniture due to concerns about safety and product recalls. To schedule a pick-up, fill out the online form, being sure to provide your ZIP code. You'll get an email back with a date and time.
Habitat for Humanity
Many regional offices are happy to pick up donations of used furniture in good condition to offer for sale in their ReStores. They do accept particle board or plastic furniture. Appliances and building materials are also accepted if they are in good and clean condition. You will need to contact your local store to see if pick-up is available in your area. Go to Habitat.org/Restores to get contact information for local stores, then reach out to inquire about the possibility of having your donation picked up.
Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is a large organization that offers rehabilitation services to adults, youth and families. It operates thrift stores throughout the United States and is happy to accept quality furniture donations. Call 1-800-SA-TRUCK (1-800-728-7825) to find out if pick-up service is available in your area and to schedule a date and time. Depending on where you live, you may be able to schedule your donation online instead of calling. Most furniture types are accepted. Ask a representative if you are unsure about a specific item.
St. Vincent de Paul Society
St. Vincent de Paul provides disaster relief services and works for social justice. Like the Salvation Army, it has a network of thrift stores that sell furniture and other household goods. The organization will accept most furniture but particularly requests chairs, kitchen tables, entertainment centers and storage items. Pick-up policies vary by locale, so you will need to contact a store in your area to find out of pick-up service is available and, if so, to schedule a date and time for someone to pick up your items. Visit SVDPUSA.net and select your state from the drop-down menu to find the location nearest to you.
Vietnam Veterans of America
Vietnam Veterans of America accepts a good number of furniture items, including desks, entertainment centers, beds, baby furniture and more. If you'd like to donate furniture to this group, go to VVAPickup.org and enter your ZIP code. This will tell you if pick-up service is available in your area. If available, you will be able to schedule a date and time via the site. Alternatively, you can call 1-888-518-VETS (8387).
AMVETS
AMVETS has been providing assistance to military veterans for more than 50 years. They raise money to support their efforts through a network of thrift stores, with locations in Maryland, Delaware, northern Virginia, Washington, D.C., Texas and Oklahoma. Assuming you are in one of the areas where they have a store, they will gladly pick up donations of furniture and other items. Visit their website to schedule. You will need to enter your ZIP code and either your email address or phone number.
Goodwill
Most Goodwill stores will come to your house to pick up furniture or other large items that might be difficult for you to deliver to the store yourself. Go to the store locator on Goodwill.org to get contact details of stores in your area. Once you have that information, you will need to reach out to make arrangements to have someone come to your home or office to get the items you'd like to donate.
Local Options
Not all charitable organizations that accept and pick up furniture donations are part of a nationwide or regional network, so you may be able to find other resources in your local community. For example, the Furniture Bank of Metro Atlanta picks up furniture donations throughout Fulton, Dekalb, Gwinnett and Cobb counties and gives the furniture to people who are in need. If you live in one of the counties they serve, you can schedule pick-up service via their website.
There may be a similar organization in your area, or other local groups that operate thrift stores and pick up large donated items as a way to raise money to fund their charitable efforts. If you need help finding these types of groups in your area, reach out to your local United Way Office. Chances are, most groups with this type of fundraising operation in place are United Way agencies, so this could be a good way to get ideas of organizations to contact.
Preparing Your Donation
Once you've found an organization that will pick up your furniture, try to make it easy for them. The charity representatives cannot enter your home due to liability issues, so leave your furniture in the driveway or on the curb and tape a sign to it that says "for (name of charity)." Place small furniture items in a box or bag for easy carrying. Always get confirmation from the organization before leaving your furniture outdoors, and be sure to cover it in inclement weather. Don't forget to request a donation receipt for tax purposes.
