There’s no doubt – the biggest issue with decluttering is getting rid of the stuff you don’t want anymore.
Because putting perfectly-good stuff in the trash feels like such a waste. And not getting rid of it because it’s still perfectly good leads to a cluttered house.
It’s the ultimate catch-22.
If you’re in the midst of a huge declutter, you need to get rid of the stuff you don’t want before it creeps back into your home.
Here are the top charities that will pick up donations for free.
Charities that Will Pick Up Your Donations
Vietnam Veterans of America
Vietnam Veterans of America runs outreach programs that help struggling veterans and community members. They accept a wide range of household items and are always in need of high-quality used clothing.
VVA provides pick-up services in most states, but not all. So, if you don’t see your state on their interactive map, try scheduling a pick-up from Goodwill, Salvation Army, or Habitat for Humanity.
You can schedule a pick from the VVA website. On pick-up day, make sure your items are outside and labeled for VVA. The driver will need to be able to spot them from the road.
Website: Schedule a Pick Up with Vietnam Veterans of America
Areas Served: 33 Out of 50 States
What they accept:
- Clothing (All types, all sizes)
- Shoes
- Baby items
- Bedding
- Household items
- Small Furniture
- Tools
Goodwill
Goodwill helps people in the community by providing job training and other charitable services. One of the main ways they earn money for community outreach is through their thrift stores.
If you’ve ever been to a Goodwill store, you know that they accept a wide variety of household goods and clothing. So, if you’re in the midst of a whole-house declutter, Goodwill is a great place to unload your still-in-good-condition belongings.
Not all Goodwill stores do pickups, though. Most offer pickup services for large items (like furniture) or big donations- you’ll need to contact your local branch for specifics.
Website: Find Your Local Goodwill
Areas Served: Entire United States
What they accept:
- Clothing
- Shoes
- Baby Items
- Small Furniture
- Small Appliances
- Bedding
- Towels
Salvation Army
The Salvation Army runs thrift stores similarly to Goodwill. This organization uses its profits to do good locally, helping struggling individuals around the world.
A great thing about the Salvation Army is that they have stores located across the country, and almost all of their branches do pickups. You can schedule your pickup right from their website.
Website: Schedule a Salvation Army Donation Pickup
Areas Served: Entire United States
What they accept:
- Clothing
- Furniture
- Vehicles
- Household Goods
- Small Appliances
- Small Exercise Equipment
Habitat for Humanity
Habitat for Humanity is a non-profit that helps at-risk community members obtain safe, reliable housing. They have independently run “ReStores” all over the country that accept donations of construction-type material.
The profit from ReStore sales goes directly toward helping at-need community members obtain housing.
So, if you have things like old cabinets, light fixtures, appliances, extra flooring, etc., and you need to get rid of it, donating to your local Habit ReStore is a great way to declutter and contribute to your community.
Each ReStore runs independently and will have its own set of rules. However, almost all of them are more than happy to come to pick up donations.
Website: Find Your Local ReStore Branch
Areas Served: Entire United States
What they accept:
- Construction material
- Flooring
- Appliances
- Light Fixtures
- Furniture
- Kitchen cabinets
GreenDrop
GreenDrop picks up donations and delivers them to charities. The charities GreenDrop supports include the American Red Cross, the Military Order of the Purple Hearts Service Foundation, the National Federation of the Blind, and the Society of St. Vincent De Paul in Philadelphia.
Unfortunately, GreenDrop is not available nationwide. However, since they make donating so incredibly easy, this is an excellent service to use if you’re within their service area.
You can schedule a pickup from their website. You’ll need to pack everything in large plastic bags or sealed boxes and label the donations with the charity’s name on pickup day.
Website: Schedule a GreenDrop Pickup
Service Areas: Parts of MD, PA, Washington D.C., DE, NY, NJ, VA
What they accept:
- Clothing
- Men’s Suits
- Shoes
- Bedding
- Tools
- Household items
- Small appliances
- Sporting equipment
Big Brother Big Sister Foundation
If you live in Massachusetts, you can schedule a pickup of your household items from the Big Brother Big Sister Foundation. You’ve probably heard of this foundation in the volunteer sense – where a “big” adopts a “little” and spends time with them.
In the state of MA, they take it a step further and collect used but high-quality items, sell them and give 100% of the proceeds to the Big Brother Big Sister program.
You can schedule a pickup from their website. Just make sure to clearly label the items you want to donate with “BBBS.”
Website: Schedule a Pickup for Big Brother Big Sister Foundation
Areas Served: Massachusetts
What they accept:
- Clothing
- Small toys
- DVDs
- Household items
- Books
- Art
AMVETS
The AMVETS National Service Foundation has thrift stores across the country that accept gently used household items. The profits from the stores go directly to programs that benefit veterans.
While the thrift store locations aren’t everywhere, this is still a great program to donate to if you live in an eligible area.
Website: Schedule an Amvets Pickup
Service Areas: MD, Washington D.C., DE, TX, OK, and Northern VA
What they accept:
- Women’s clothing
- Men and children’s clothing
- Jewelry
- Shoes
- Small appliances
- Household items
- Toys
- Games
- Exercise equipment
Furniture Bank Network
If you’re looking for charities that will pick up donations like furniture or appliances, this is a good option.
The Furniture Bank Network is a group of individually run furniture banks. These furniture banks help at-need families obtain furniture for free or low-cost.
Furniture banks run off of donations from businesses and individuals. Most of these organizations offer pick-up services, but this can vary from location to location since they’re independently run.
You’ll need to locate and contact your local branch for specifics on pickups.
Website: Find Your Local Furniture Bank
Service Areas: Nationwide
What they accept:
- Furniture
- Lamps
- Small appliances
The Arc
The Arc focuses on empowering people with disabilities. They serve those with intellectual and developmental disabilities by running numerous outreach and representative services.
Most local Arc chapters accept donations of clothing, furniture, and everyday household items. You’ll need to contact your local branch to inquire about donations and pickups.
Website: Find Your Local Arc Chapter
Service Areas: Entire United States
What they accept:
- Clothing
- Shoes
- Furniture
- Household items
Final Thoughts
If you’re looking for charities that will pick up donations, you have nine great options.
If you’re in the midst of a big declutter, go ahead and schedule your donation pick-up now. Don’t put it off until later or you may end up with a house full of items you don’t want or need.
By scheduling a donation pick-up, you can take solace in the fact that your stuff will make a difference in someone else’s life, and you will improve your life by eliminating your clutter.
