Charities to donate household items & furniture that will actually show up & take the stuff? (Fairfax: store, car) - Northern Virginia - Virginia (VA) - Page 2 - City-Data Forum

jillabean · 09-10-2012, 07:59 AM

When I moved and had no space, I called the Salvation Army to come get my dining room set. They came at the scheduled time and took it. The only thing they wouldn't take is an oriental rug that I have (and have no space for since I have a smaller house now). I still have that rug. Maybe I will put it on the curb as "free" (although I keep thinking it would be funny to roll it out in the garage and park on it).

alibaba1579 · 09-10-2012, 10:36 AM

I find it really frustruating what all these charities will and won't take. I guess it's all about what will sell for a profit. We had a couple of armchairs, both from Ethan Allen that I wanted to donate. Salvation Army wouldn't take either one. Each of those chairs was over $1000 (one was almost $2000), and they'd been in my upper-middle class home for years. Granted they were a bit dated, and one had a faded arm from the sun, but they were nice well cared for pieces of furniture. Seems like if you're dirt poor and desperate for furniture, they'd work just fine. They were good enough for us all those years, seems like they'd be good enough for someone else who really needed them, but apparently not.

jillybean720 · 09-10-2012, 04:07 PM

I have had trouble with one before (I think it was Purple Heart, but not positive). I put my stuff out, with a label, and they never came. I emailed them, and they set up a new day to come. I put the stuff out, and they stood me up again! I ended up carting it myself to a charity drop box (luckily, it was just clothing).

Now, for some reason, I have a couple charities that call me almost DAILY asking if I have anything to put out to donate because they will be in my neighborhood. I just recently moved, so I really have nothing to give away (you know how you go through everything and get rid of stuff when you pack to move). I've had to actually ask them to take me off their lists. They're worse than telemarketers; it's ridiculous!

novatert · 09-10-2012, 04:52 PM

I know I can give stuff away for free, but i'd prefer to have it all taken at once. And the house is down a long driveway, so I can't just set it out with a Free sign. Nobody would see it. If I put up an ad with the address on Craigslist I'd have to deal with a whole crowd of possibly sketchy people at the house, or take a bunch of time to schedule people to take individual items if I didn't post the address in the ad.

Carlingtonian · 09-10-2012, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by novatert

If I put up an ad with the address on Craigslist I'd have to deal with a whole crowd of possibly sketchy people at the house, or take a bunch of time to schedule people to take individual items if I didn't post the address in the ad.

We had the same concern. (OK, OK--Mrs. Carlingtonian had that concern.) I posted an ad and just responded to people who didn't send out weird vibes. I.e., the first person to use complete sentences and seem friendly got the stuff. The dude who said "i can come get it now i'll take it" got ignored.

Quote:

Originally Posted by alibaba1579

I find it really frustruating what all these charities will and won't take. I guess it's all about what will sell for a profit. We had a couple of armchairs, both from Ethan Allen that I wanted to donate. Salvation Army wouldn't take either one. Each of those chairs was over $1000 (one was almost $2000), and they'd been in my upper-middle class home for years. Granted they were a bit dated, and one had a faded arm from the sun, but they were nice well cared for pieces of furniture. Seems like if you're dirt poor and desperate for furniture, they'd work just fine. They were good enough for us all those years, seems like they'd be good enough for someone else who really needed them, but apparently not.

Yeah, I'm with you. I hate the Salvation Army. Seriously, when I hear their interminable bell-ringers panhandling at a store, I just want to take a fire hose and blast them into the wall. The Salvation Army combines proselytizing, begging, infernal bell-ringing, and fake military uniforms. It's like they took the worst qualities of the Mormons, Baptists, Episcopalians, and Scientologists to create the most annoying fake religion that ever existed.

The Goodwill on Main Street in Fairfax City accepts donations.

Flamingo13 · 09-10-2012, 05:53 PM

I personally wouldn't donate to Purple Heart (as far as I know, most profits go to the folks that run the place). We're in a neighborhood where it would go with a sign (especially when it's Spring or Fall cleanup, folks drive through looking) - otherwise, I agree either Freecycle, CL, contact some churches??

NCN · 09-10-2012, 06:07 PM

If the donation amount is not important to you for taxes, you might want to try what I did.
We put in a new heat pump and the old pump was left on my patio. I kept asking my husband to move it and he kept saying he could not lift it. Our radio station has a swap shop. I called in and told the announcer what I had and where it was and I would give it to the first person that showed up. It was gone at the end of the day. I had looked at that thing for months.

Many second hand stores will come pick up whatever you want to give them and some will quote a price for you. Just another idea.

navygirl7 · 09-10-2012, 06:15 PM

Vietnam Veterans' association has ALWAYS taken my stuff - no problems.

Oldhag1 · 09-16-2012, 08:28 PM

I just put stuff like that on the free part of craigslist and it always gets taken within a couple of days.

ersatz · 09-17-2012, 12:47 PM

I have always had excellent luck with National Childrens Center. Leave an itemized list with the donations and they will leave you a receipt. The key (with NCC or others) is to make sure that you leave what they can use and do not include what they will not take. Here is the NCC link - they usually pickup within the week. You can set a pickup online or call them to do so - National Childrens Center :: Items We can and cannot Use There's a local number listed on their website so if you aren't sure, call them and talk with them directly.

That's the good. On the other hand, I have never found them listed under Charity Navigator or Charity Watch though they claim they are recognized as charitable under IRS 501(C)(3).