These days, you can donate just about anything, from warm coats and shoes to fresh produce and even cars. Here's where and how to donate your old things to do your bit for humanity—and your storage space!
How to Donate Anything and Everything You Don’t Use Anymore
Updated on Apr. 18, 2025
Donate your used electronics
Where to donate: Homeboy Electronics Recycling
Don’t toss your old electronics directly in the trash, even if you’ve long since moved on to a new tech obsession. If watching dozens of YouTube tutorials hasn’t helped you revive that old Blackberry of yours, or you don’t love the idea of it releasing toxic chemicals while sitting in a garbage dump, it’s probably time to consider donating it. From smartphones and tablets to bigger home electronics like microwaves and refrigerators, most electronic items can either be repaired to reuse or recycled to extract valuable materials like copper, gold and other rare earth materials.
“Homeboy Electronics Recycling breaks down electronics and either ships them out for proper recycling or fixes them for resale,” explains Siegel. Have an old Nintendo or an ancient cellphone gathering dust? They’ll take those too. The United States Environmental Protection Agency recommends removing any batteries from your electronics before donating, as they must be recycled separately due to the risk of toxic chemical emissions.
Donate used cardboard boxes
Where to donate: Box Cycle
So many of us stick our old cardboard boxes in the recycling bin thinking we’re helping the environment. However, researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory found something rather surprising during their recent analysis of America’s annual waste. Only about 38% of paper and cardboard waste actually gets recycled, while the rest ends up in landfills or is burned—resulting in $4 billion in lost economic value, significant methane emissions, exorbitant waste-disposal fees, deforestation and various local environmental issues.
Here’s how you can help: Donate your used cardboard boxes to Box Cycle, a service that focuses on the importance of reuse to reduce environmental impact. It’s designed to let people with unneeded cardboard boxes connect with those who may have a use for them—all at a fraction of the boxes’ original price. Whether you choose to donate your used cardboard boxes or sell them for a payout that’s well above scrap value, Box Cycle makes it easier for you to live more sustainably.
Donate winter coats
Where to donate: One Warm Coat
Donating anything any time of the year is a noble act, but there’s something extremely meaningful about helping someone stay warm during the cold winter months. One Warm Coat has a simple yet powerful goal: to provide people in need with outerwear that’ll help them stay warm. The charity started in San Francisco in 1992 and has grown into a national organization that runs more than 3,000 coat drives each year. Gently worn coats that are clean and free of any holes, stains, missing buttons or broken zippers are perfect to be donated for others’ use. Since the need is greatest during the fall and winter, it’s best to donate your coats before the cold fully sets in. Simply clean, pack and take the coats you’ve stopped wearing to the nearest One Warm Coat donation drive in your area, which you can find on the website.
Donate your old shoes
Where to donate: Soles4Souls
Keeping your kids’ baby shoes can be a sweet memento for life, but the seven other pairs that they’ve outgrown can definitely help another little dreamer step into a new life. Both new and used shoes from companies, retailers and individuals are welcomed at Soles4Souls, which then distributes them to those in need. The group’s goal is to help lift people out of poverty by providing them with the basic necessity that comfortable and safe footwear is. “You can ship them to Soles4Souls yourself, or Zappos will ship them for you,” explains Siegel. You can also go to their website to find a donation location near you.
Donate old formal attire
Where to donate: Operation Prom or Becca’s Closet
Not sure what to do with that dazzling evening gown you bought four seasons ago? Many of us have gorgeous pieces carefully stored in the back of our closets (we’re looking at you, bridesmaid dress our friend promised we could rewear). Repurposing them is an eco-smart option, but it takes some serious skills (or money for a tailor) and time commitment. Enter Operation Prom. Here, you can donate new or gently used formal attire, like evening gowns, dresses, suits and tuxedos that are appropriate for teens about to attend their big night. Some Operation Prom locations even accept accessories that go with formal attire, such as shoes, strapless bras, jewelry and bow ties. To live your fairy godmother dreams, check out the website and find your closest donation site. And keep checking back, since more sites get added during prom season!
Alternatively, you can also donate a dress to Becca’s Closet, a nonprofit organization that not only helps your dress reach a teen girl in need of one but also awards scholarships to deserving high school seniors who have demonstrated exemplary service to their communities. Simply find a location nearby on the website to give your beautiful dresses a new, deserving owner.
Donate wheelchairs and medical equipment
Where to donate: Wheels for the World
Whether you upgraded from your old wheelchair to a new one with more high-tech features or just recovered from an injury (in which case, congratulations!), your spare wheelchair probably takes up some unnecessary space. Considering the fact that the World Health Organization reports that nearly 70 million people require a wheelchair but cannot access one, donating yours becomes a no-brainer.
Wheels for the World is an organization that accepts donations of used wheelchairs. Along with your old manual wheelchair, you can also donate other mobility accessories you no longer need, such as wheelchair footrests, trays and seat cushions—the organization even accepts new armpit pads and hand grips for crutches. Each donated wheelchair is repaired to a like-new condition by inmates (part of another impactful initiative that helps incarcerated individuals find meaningful work) and then delivered to those in need, making sure the right kind of wheelchair reaches the right recipient.
Donate old work clothes
Where to donate: Dress for Success or Working Wardrobes
A successful career requires the right opportunity, skill and determination … and often, a well-fitting suit. Data from U.N. Women tells us that 153 million women across the globe continue to have “unmet employment needs,” but donating your used work attire that is in good shape just might be the missing piece in a woman’s professional journey. Check out Dress for Success, a nonprofit organization that provides women with smart business-casual clothes and supports them with the career-development tools needed to enter and succeed in the workplace and beyond. Its 140-plus locations accept donations of gently worn workwear to help empower women to look their best. Before you pack the clothes you want to donate, make sure to check out the nearest location’s donation policy to see what it accepts.
If you have more smart business-casual clothes that don’t fit you, you can donate them to Working Wardrobes—an organization that has helped more than 130,000 women overcome logistical barriers to unemployment. And remember: No matter which clothes you choose to part with, give the pieces a quick check for any missing buttons, zippers or stitches. Along with cleaning and ironing the clothes, adding the missing button or stitch could be a small act of kindness that leaves a lasting impact on someone’s life trajectory.
Donate your older bras
Where to donate: The Bra Recyclers and I Support the Girls
For women in disadvantaged communities, something as essential as a bra often takes a backseat to basic needs like food. Even a $5 to $10 bra can be unaffordable for many, and that’s why your donation of gently used bras can make a real difference. The Bra Recyclers takes gently used bras and repurposes them for someone in need rather than letting them end up in a landfill.
I Support the Girls is another organization with the goal of making women feel supported, inside and out. Its focus on empowerment goes beyond the basics—along with gently used bras, you can also mail in your donations of new underwear and menstrual hygiene products as well as sealed, non-expired toiletries (think shampoos, soaps, toothbrushes and toothpaste that you accidentally bought extras of).
Donate your eyeglasses
Where to donate: One Sight Organization or Lions International
If you have any old glasses—especially ones you’ve taken good care of—don’t even think about trashing them, says Siegel. One Sight Organization will repair used and unwanted eyeglasses with the help of its partner organization, All About Vision, which will subsequently give them to people who cannot afford new glasses. (Note: One Sight itself only offers new eyewear to patients.) Simply visit your nearest participating LensCrafter store and donate your gently used glasses.
Alternatively, you can also donate preowned glasses that are free of lens scratches and any other major breakage to Lions International, which has been collecting and distributing eyewear since 1994. Locate a participating Walmart Vision Center or Lions Club to donate your preused spectacles. If there are none in your area, you can also mail your glasses to a Lions Eyeglasses recycling center.
Donate old toys
Where to donate: Second Chance Toys
Toys are essential to a child’s development. A 2021 review emphasizes that toys help in “raising self-confident, creative and happy children.” Yet 2023 U.S. Census Bureau data tells us that about 11.7 million kids live below the poverty line, unable to afford toys—essentially robbing them of the crucial building blocks for a healthy life.
If you’re wondering how to donate anything for these young lives—start by donating some of the old toys that are lying around your house. Organizations like Second Chance Toys have a dual mission: to keep plastic toys out of landfills and donate them to children in need instead. You can donate your used toys by dropping them off or shipping them to the nearest designated locations twice a year, in April and again in November and December.
When donating, make sure that the toys you’re putting together for other children are in good working condition, with no missing parts and no choking hazards (if it fits through a toilet paper roll, it’s too small to be played with!). Donating even one toy can help bring a smile to a child who faces hardship and struggles every day.
Donate old crayons—big or broken
Where to donate: Crazy Crayons or The Crayon Initiative
If you have kids, chances are you’ve thrown away plenty of broken crayons. But did you know that you can actually recycle them—even the tiny pieces? “Crazy Crayons’s Crayon Recycle Program takes unwanted, rejected and broken crayons to a better place where they’ll be recycled into fresh, new crayons,” explains Siegel. Just follow the easy color-sorting chart before packing up your crayons to make sure your donation reaches a young artist as quickly as possible.
Another great organization, The Crayon Initiative, also recycles those old bits of broken crayons to make perfect new ones. The nonproft then donates them to art programs at children’s hospitals around the country, brightening the days of young patients by powering their creativity.
Donate musical instruments
Where to donate: Hungry for Music or Children’s Music Fund
As the Hungry for Music website puts it, “our most important service is putting musical instruments into hungry hands.” The nonprofit happily accepts unused or unwanted musical instruments, including acoustic guitars, flutes and drums (though not upright pianos or organs). Of course, it prefers working instruments, but it has people on hand capable of fixing and repairing instruments as needed. So if that old guitar of yours just needs a string change and someone to actually play it, it is a good candidate for the donation. After any needed repairs, Hungry for Music distributes the working instruments to children in need and pairs them with willing teachers.
If you’d like to take it a step further, Siegel also suggests the Children’s Music Fund, where you can sponsor a brand-new musical instrument for a child in need.
Donate excess fresh produce
Where to donate: Ample Harvest or Feeding America
Maybe your thriving garden has left you with more fruits and veggies than you’ll ever be able to eat. Or maybe you’re looking at a monthlong trip and a fridge stocked with fresh produce. Instead of tossing those extra tomatoes in the bin, consider using them to feed someone in need. “Ample Harvest diminishes hunger in America by educating and enabling gardeners to donate their excess harvest to the needy in their community instead of allowing it to rot in the garden,” Siegel explains. Find a nearby Ample Harvest pantry and donate your fresh produce there.
Can’t find an Ample Harvest pantry near you? You can still make a difference by donating your excess canned and nonperishable food items to Feeding America. Just reach out to your local Feeding America member or food bank to see which items they’re most in need of.
Donate building materials and furniture
Where to donate: Habitat ReStore
Did a recent home renovation leave you with more building materials and discarded furniture than you anticipated? The extra bricks, PVC pipes and other insulation and roofing materials don’t have to gather dust in a corner of your storage space for the next 15 years. If you are unsure about where to donate furniture and other building materials, here’s your answer. Habitat ReStore resale outlets sell everything from reusable and surplus building materials to furniture—all of which they receive via donations. “While every ReStore is a little different, most focus on home-improvement goods like furniture, home accessories, building materials and appliances,” Siegel explains. The goods are then sold to the general public at a fraction of the retail price. But here’s the best part: The proceeds help local Habitat affiliates fund the construction of Habitat for Humanity homes within their communities.
Donate old DVDs and Blu-rays
Where to donate: Beyond Video
The path to minimalism is peaceful but tough. And if you’re just starting your decluttering journey, having DVDs you once enjoyed collecting dust on your shelves or taking up space in boxes doesn’t make the process any easier. If it’s hard for you to throw away DVDs (as it should be, because of their resulting plastic pollution), donating them to someone who would enjoy watching them is a much better idea. Donate your old DVDs and Blu-Rays to Beyond Video, whose mission is to preserve film culture by maintaining a library of old DVDs, Blue-Rays and VHS tapes (although it no longer accepts donations of VHS tapes). Don’t have a DVD from its movie wish list? You can still send your favorite flicks off for donation; simply email Beyond Video to receive a shipping address.
Donate your old cars, trucks, boats and even real estate
Where to donate: Habitat for Humanity or Kars 4 Kids
Donating your old car instead of sending it to a scrapyard gives you the assurance of having done your bit for the environment … and a nice little tax deduction. Siegel suggests Habitat for Humanity‘s vehicle program. “By donating a car to Habitat’s Cars for Homes vehicle donation program, you help your local Habitat for Humanity affiliate build and rehabilitate houses in partnership with families in need of a hand up, not a handout,” he explains.
The program accepts a wide range of vehicles, including cars, trucks, RVs, boats and motorcycles—even if the greatest technicians on earth can’t get them to run anymore. Some affiliates can even help take farm and construction equipment off your hands. Once you submit your donation through the website, a Habitat for Humanity rep will pick up your vehicle within two to three days. The working vehicles are then resold to be reused, while the junk cars and trucks are recycled for valuable parts like engines, batteries, tires and fluids—leaving you with a tax deduction certificate as well as the assurance of having done a good deed!
Siegel also suggests checking out Kars 4 Kids to donate anything from old cars, RVs and boats to something you probably never knew you could donate: real estate. Kars 4 Kids has accepted more than 450,000 cars since its founding in 1995 and raised more than $100 million for kids’ charity programs. One such program is a summer camp that focuses on educating and mentoring kids. They’ll pick up your car, boat, RV, snowmobile or pretty much any other vehicle within 24 to 48 hours—and it’s all tax-deductible. Kars 4 Kids is also where you can donate vehicles that are no longer running. And you can do it all online.
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Sources:
- Jon Siegel, professional organizer and owner of The Spatial Guy
- World Health Organization: “WHO convenes global stakeholders to improve access to assistive technology”
- U.S. Department of Energy: “NREL Research Quantifies Economic Losses from Cardboard, Paper Waste”
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: “Electronics Donation and Recycling”
- U.N. Women: “Facts and figures: Economic empowerment”
- Northern Clinics of Istanbul: “Children’s only profession: Playing with toys”
- U.S. Census Bureau: “Older Adults and Child Poverty Rates Changed in Many States in 2023”
