Do your bit for humanity—and your storage space! Here's how to donate anything you can possibly think of.
Donate used electronics
Where to donate: Homeboy Electronics Recycling
Don’t toss your old electronics in the trash, even if you’ve long since moved on to a new tech obsession. No, your old Blackberry is not going to magically become usable—but it can be put to good use once it’s out of your junk drawer. From smartphones and tablets to 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,” Siegel says. Have an old Nintendo or an ancient cellphone gathering dust? They’ll take those too. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends removing any batteries from your electronics before donating, since they need to be recycled separately due to the risk of toxic chemical emissions.
Donate winter coats
Where to donate: One Warm Coat
Donating always feels good, but helping someone in your community stay warm during winter is extra meaningful. That’s why Amodio keeps doing the work she does: “I love the fact that we are helping people in a really tangible way, while also providing people in our community a really hands-on way to make an impact for their neighbors.”
One Warm Coat works with a network of more than 1,900 local nonprofit organizations in all 50 states. These local orgs have various missions, from helping veterans to seniors to low-income families—anyone who might need coats and warmth in wintertime. Amodio says providing a warm coat takes that piece off the nonprofit’s plate, so they can fully concentrate on their primary mission.
“We got a letter from a young woman who said her grandmother was a recipient of a coat through our program,” Amodio says. She was wearing the coat inside her home to avoid turning on the heat. Then there are the kids wearing thin hoodies in the bitter cold or skipping recess because they don’t have warm outerwear. These are real people that you can help just by decluttering your closet.
To donate, check out the map on the website above. Enter your location to find local nonprofits as well as businesses, service clubs and schools that are ready to accept your gently used coats and other outerwear. Or they’ll help you organize your own coat drive! Amodio says in the last 34 years, One Warm Coat has kept 22 million pounds of textiles out of landfills.
Donate surplus fresh produce
Where to donate: AmpleHarvest.org
Gary Oppenheimer is a master gardener who started AmpleHarvest.org 17 years ago to solve a problem: 80% of America’s 62 million gardeners are willing to donate surplus harvests. But show up to a food drive, and what can you donate? Jars, cans, boxes—no fresh food. He says the infrastructure of the food bank system just wasn’t set up for produce. “This is solving an information problem that is really messing up the food safety net,” says Oppenheimer.
AmpleHarvest, however, clearly identifies nearly 8,500 food pantries where gardeners in all 50 states can donate surplus produce to people in need. And it happens in hours, not days or weeks. “The food that you harvested this morning from your garden is on somebody’s dinner table tonight, possibly with the dirt still on the carrots,” he says.
To find a food pantry near you, enter your zip code at the AmpleHarvest.org website. Pack up your surplus fruits and veggies, print out the helpful “ProducePedia” flyers so recipients can learn about the food you’re donating (including storage and cooking tips) and drop them off at the pantry. Keep going as long as you have a harvest.
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 that 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 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 easy for you to live more sustainably.
Donate your old shoes
Where to donate: Soles4Souls
Keeping your kids’ baby shoes gives you a sweet memento, but the seven other pairs that they’ve outgrown can definitely help another little dreamer step into a new life. Soles4Souls welcomes donations of new and used shoes from companies, retailers and individuals, and distributes them to those in need. The group’s goal is to help lift people out of poverty by providing them with a basic necessity: comfortable and safe footwear.
There are three ways to get your footwear to new owners. “You can ship them to Soles4Souls yourself,” Siegel says, or bring them to one of their drop-off locations. If you have fewer than 15 pairs to donate, you can also take them to a DSW or Famous Footwear. Head to the Soles4Souls website to find a location near you.
Donate old formal attire
Where to donate: Operation Prom or Becca’s Closet
Many of us have gorgeous evening gowns and other formal wear 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 a big time commitment.
Enter Operation Prom. Your donated new or gently used formal attire, including evening gowns, dresses, suits and tuxedos, can help teens get decked out on their big night. Some Operation Prom locations even accept formal-wear accessories like shoes, strapless bras, jewelry and bow ties. To live your fairy-godmother dreams, check out their website and find your closest donation site. Keep checking back, since more sites get added during prom season!
Another great idea is Becca’s Closet. This nonprofit organization not only helps your dress reach a teen girl who needs one—it also awards scholarships to high school seniors who demonstrate exemplary service to their communities. Find a location on the website to give your beautiful dresses a new, deserving owner.
Donate wheelchairs and medical equipment
Where to donate: Wheels for the World
Wheelchairs take up a lot of space, and if you’ve graduated to a newer, high-tech model or just recovered from an injury (congratulations!), your old one can definitely be put to better use than gathering dust in your garage. According to the World Health Organization, nearly 70 million people need a wheelchair but can’t access one, so donating yours becomes a no-brainer.
Wheels for the World accepts donations of used wheelchairs and other mobility accessories, such as wheelchair footrests, trays and seat cushions, and they’ll even take (new) armpit pads and hand grips for crutches. Each donated wheelchair is repaired to like-new condition by inmates (another of the group’s initiatives helps incarcerated individuals find meaningful work) and then delivered to those in need. Every recipient gets a wheelchair that is tailored just for them.
Donate old work clothes
Where to donate: Dress for Success
A successful career requires the right opportunity, skill and determination … and often, a well-fitting suit. But that key part of the process is a huge barrier for millions of people looking for jobs. And research shows that clothing not only influences how employers view job seekers during interviews but also how applicants themselves navigate negotiations and other work situations.
If you have women’s workwear that you no longer need, donate it to Dress for Success, a nonprofit that provides women with smart business-casual clothes and supports them with career-development tools. The group has a presence in 22 cities nationwide and works with more than 5,000 organizations around the world.
Men also need help overcoming employment barriers, and national organizations like the Salvation Army and Goodwill accept donations of men’s professional attire. But look for local options too. Career Gear of Houston, for example, has helped more than 40,000 men with donations, coaching and other professional services since 2004.
Before you donate, check out the org’s donation policy to see what it accepts. And remember: No matter which clothes you choose to part with, make sure they are clean and pressed and check for missing buttons, zippers or stitches. Fixing the issue is a small act of kindness that could leave a lasting impact on someone’s life.
Donate building materials and furniture
Where to donate: Habitat for Humanity ReStores
Did a recent home renovation leave you with more building materials than you anticipated? The extra bricks, pipes, insulation and roofing materials don’t have to gather dust for the next 15 years. If you’re not sure what to do with it, check out Habitat for Humanity’s ReStores, which sell everything from surplus building materials to furniture—all of which they receive via donations.
“When you support Habitat by donating or shopping at Habitat ReStores, you’re directly supporting Habitat’s work to build homes, stronger communities and hope,” says Coelho, who has been with Habitat for nearly four years and knows firsthand what this simple decision can mean to families in need. “Every donated item that is sold helps Habitat partner with local families to build, rehabilitate and repair safe, affordable homes in your community and around the world.”
Donate your older bras
Where to donate: The Bra Recyclers or 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 that supports women inside and out. Its focus on empowerment goes beyond bras—along with gently used foundation garments, you can also mail in donations of new underwear, individually wrapped menstrual-hygiene products and sealed, non-expired toiletries like shampoo, soap, toothbrushes and toothpaste.
Donate your eyeglasses
Where to donate: OneSight/LensCrafters or Lions International
If you have old glasses—especially ones you’ve taken good care of—don’t even think about trashing them, says Siegel. LensCrafters has partnered with the OneSight Essilor Luxottica Foundation to repair used and unwanted eyeglasses and give them to people who cannot afford new ones.
The partnership has provided 100 million underserved people with eyeglasses through nearly 38,000 rural access points across the country. And it’s easy! Simply visit your nearest participating LensCrafters to donate.
You can also donate preowned glasses (free of lens scratches and major breakage) to Lions International, which has been collecting and distributing eyewear since 1994. Locate a participating Walmart Vision Center or Lions Club near you to donate your pre-used spectacles. If there are no chapters or stores in your area, you can also mail your glasses to a Lions Eyeglasses recycling center.
Donate old toys
Where to donate: Second Chance Toys
The research is clear: Toys are essential to a child’s development. Yet data from the most recent U.S. Census tells us that about 11.7 million kids live below the poverty line, which likely makes buying toys a luxury for their parents. If you can part with your kids’ surplus toys—and let’s be real, they probably have many—you will be providing needy kids crucial building blocks for a healthy life.
Donating even one toy can bring a smile to a child who faces hardship, and Second Chance Toys has a dual mission: keeping plastic out of landfills. To donate, check out the recipient locator map on their website to find a drop-off location. Toys must be clean and in good working condition, with no small or missing parts, and they do not accept stuffed animals. Toy drives are generally offered twice a year, in April and again in November or December.
Donate old crayons
Where to donate: National Crayon Recycle Program or The Crayon Initiative
If you have kids, chances are you’ve thrown away plenty of broken crayons. But did you know you can recycle them? Yep, even the tiny nubs at the bottom of the bin, as well as broken or unwrapped crayons, can be recycled into good-as-new color sticks for kids in need. (You can donate new or barely used ones too!)
The National Crayon Recycle Program “takes unwanted, rejected and broken crayons to a better place, where they’ll be recycled into fresh, new crayons,” Siegel says. It’s not necessary to sort them by color, but it’s definitely appreciated and can be a fun and meaningful activity for kids. 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 nonprofit then donates crayons to children’s hospitals around the country—after making them three-sided so they can’t roll off a hospital tray table—which powers creativity and brightens the days of young patients. Just drop off your old crayons at a participating Staples office store or ship them directly to the charity.
Donate musical instruments
Where to donate: Hungry for Music or Children’s Music Fund
In the last three decades, Hungry for Music has delivered 27,000 musical instruments to kids in all 50 states and 40 countries. The nonprofit happily accepts unused or unwanted musical instruments, including their top requests: guitars, keyboards and drums.
They do not accept upright pianos or organs, so if you have one of those, check out Pianos for Education. But aside from that, the organization takes any instrument in any condition. Of course, it prefers working instruments, but it has people who repair instruments too. So if that old guitar of yours just needs a string change (and someone to actually play it), fill out the form on the org’s website. You can ship your instrument, drop it off at a local donation center (if available) or possibly arrange for a volunteer to pick it up.
After any needed repairs, Hungry for Music distributes the instruments to children in need and pairs them with willing teachers. If you’d like to take it a step further, Siegel suggests the Children’s Music Fund, where you can sponsor a brand-new musical instrument for a child in need.
Donate old DVDs and Blu-rays
Where to donate: Beyond Video
These days, decluttering must include your old DVDs and Blu-rays, but if you think no one would want them, think again. Baltimore’s Beyond Video is a volunteer-run, membership-based movie library owned and operated by the Baltimore Video Collective. The library currently has more than 40,000 titles and is always seeking more.
Beyond Video’s mission is to preserve cinema history in the age of streaming and video on demand. The digital revolution has forced the closure of the vast majority of video stores across the country, so the Collective did something about it. They opened Beyond Video as a re-imagined, independent video-rental store like we used to love in the ’90s.
Check out their movie wish list for a list of the most sought-after titles, though you’re not limited to donating from the list. Beyond Video accepts any DVD or Blu-ray you have (no VHS or Beta), but you have to email first: Do not ship titles to the store. If you happen to be in the Baltimore area, you can drop off up to five discs at the store (stick them in the mail slot if the store is closed).
Donate your old cars, trucks, boats and even real estate
Where to donate: Habitat for Humanity
Donating your old car to Habitat for Humanity instead of sending it to a scrapyard has multiple benefits. You’re helping people and helping the environment—and it’s a nice little tax deduction, to boot. 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.
“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,” Siegel says.
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!
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Sources:
- Jon Siegel, professional organizer and owner of The Spatial Guy; interview, 2025
- Beth Amodio, president and CEO of One Warm Coat; phone interview, April 3, 2026
- Gary Oppenheimer, founder of AmpleHarvest.org; Zoom interview, April 3, 2026
- Micaela Coelho, media relations specialist with Habitat for Humanity; email interview, April 7, 2026
- Frontiers in Human Neuroscience: “How helping others helps us: neural mechanisms linking prosocial behavior to psychological and physical wellbeing”
- EPA: “Textiles: Material-Specific Data”
- Scientific American: “Dress for Success: How Clothes Influence Our Performance”
- U.S. Department of Energy: “NREL Research Quantifies Economic Losses from Cardboard, Paper Waste”
- Child Indicators Research: “‘Understand More What We Do’: Investigating Children’s Perspectives of Play Through a Co-Constructed Review of the Literature”
- EPA: “Electronics Donation and Recycling”
- U.S. Census Bureau: “Older Adults and Child Poverty Rates Changed in Many States in 2023”
