Charities That Will Pick Up Furniture for Free (2024 Guide)

Written by Shane Sentelle Updated 05/03/2024

Shane Sentelle

Shane Sentelle is a content writer with more than six years of experience producing content about home services. A main area of focus is the moving industry, but Shane has also written for home inspectors and published articles to inform readers about pest control, lawn care, and gutter services…

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Whether you’re downsizing to a small condo or upgrading to your dream home, you may discover that moving your current furniture to a new environment just doesn’t work. If you want to skip the hassle of selling your items, or hiring a moving company to transport them, you can have a charity pick them up—often for free.

Donating unwanted furniture is a charitable act, especially given rising costs and recession worries among customers. It can provide indirect assistance to an organization that helps people. It’s also more sustainable than simply throwing your furniture away, helping to keep furniture out of landfills. We’ve compiled several charities that will pick up furniture for free below.

National Charities That Offer Free Furniture Donation Pickup

A charity thrift store can often visit your home to pick up items, saving you the hassle of dropping them off. Learn which stores accept furniture donations, what they’ll accept, and how to arrange pickup below.

Goodwill

Goodwill is one of the biggest thrift store chains in the United States. Its mission is to provide jobs to individuals who would otherwise struggle to find work. Most Goodwill stores offer free donation pickup services, especially for larger items. 

According to the Goodwill website, 81% of people in the United States live within ten miles of a Goodwill location. Even though it’s a national chain, each Goodwill operates independently and has its own policies. Some Goodwill stores may not accept furniture donations or have strict rules about what furniture you can donate, so contact your local store to ask about policies.

Salvation Army

The Salvation Army is a religious organization that provides various resources for individuals, including disaster relief, temporary housing, social work, advocacy, and more.

The Salvation Army often accepts large appliances as well as furniture. You can drop furniture off at a Salvation Army or schedule a pickup at your home. Call ahead to confirm that your location will take your items before dropping them off; every store may have its own policies.

Habitat for Humanity

Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit organization that builds affordable homes for families who need assistance. It also runs Habitat ReStore, a thrift store that sells secondhand furniture, appliances, home goods, and more. Proceeds go toward the main organization.

When you donate furniture to Habitat for Humanity, it will be sold at a Habitat Restore location. You can drop off items or schedule a pickup. The organization accepts most items, including coffee tables, bookcases, sofas, tables, chairs, dressers, and bed frames.

AMVETS (American Veterans)

AMVETS is a veteran organization providing direct support to former service members. For example, it helps veterans file claims with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and offers scholarships to veterans attending college.

AMVETS accepts a limited amount of furniture but will pick up flat-screen TVs, computers, and exercise equipment. 

The Furniture Bank

The Furniture Bank is an organization that accepts furniture donations and distributes items to families in need. However, the Furniture Bank only accepts items that are gently used.

The Furniture Bank is only available in select states and Canadian provinces. Each location may have its own rules about what it will pick up and how far it will travel to pick up items. There may be a fee to haul away your items. Call your local Furniture Bank location for details.

The Arc

The Arc is an organization that supports adults and children with developmental disabilities by offering programs and services and advocating on their behalf. The organization has a pickup service and will collect donated clothing and household items. The organization will often resell these items to other distributors.

Find your local Arc chapter and ask if your items will be accepted before scheduling a pickup. Donation restrictions vary from chapter to chapter; some don’t list donation rules on their websites.

GreenDrop

GreenDrop is an organization that collects items to sell at thrift stores in its partner network. Greendrop won’t take items that weigh more than 50 pounds, but you can schedule a pickup if you’re trying to get rid of any of the accepted items listed on its website. You don’t need to be home for the exchange; you can leave your donations outside, and a GreenDrop driver will pick them up.

GreenDrop isn’t available in every state, but it has locations in the following:

Regional or Local Charities That Offer Free Furniture Pick-Up

Cities across the United States, from New York City to San Diego, have regional store locations and local charities that service their communities. We compiled the table below to help you find charities that will pick up your furniture for free in the eight most populous cities in the United States.

Tax Advantages of Donating Furniture

Donating furniture can simplify the moving process and save you money come tax time. When you donate items that are in “good used condition or better,” you can claim a tax deduction per Federal law. 

Carefully itemize your donations to deduct the items’ value. As long as they’re in at least good condition, items that are eligible for deduction after you donate them include the following:

Take careful note of what you donate and its donation value. According to the Salvation Army’s donation valuation guide, you can deduct anywhere from $1 per item up to several hundred dollars. For example, the Salvation Army estimates that a dining room set has a value between $156 and $934. You can use the Salvation Army’s valuation guide as a starting point when determining how much you can deduct based on your charitable donation. The IRS offers tips for deducting charitable contributions. For the most accurate itemization of your donations, consult your tax advisor.

Tips for Donating Furniture

Charities and thrift stores won’t take all furniture, so research accepted donations in advance to avoid headaches. The following tips can help make your furniture donation a success:

• Call the thrift store before scheduling a pickup to confirm it will take the item. Otherwise, you may waste time getting an item to the curb that won’t get picked up.
• Coordinate with your neighbors to see if more than one house is interested in donation. Then, schedule one pickup time and save the pickup crew a trip.
• If you can’t schedule a pickup, look up drop-off times. Sometimes the easiest way to donate old furniture is to drop it off yourself.
• Many thrift stores have limited pickup windows, so you should schedule as soon as possible. You may need to drop off the item if it’s too late in the day.
• Mention any scratches, nicks, stains, or other defects and confirm that your item will be accepted. Some thrift stores are strict about the condition and may refuse to pick up items with noticeable imperfections.

Furniture Disposal

Most charities will only accept gently used furniture. If your furniture isn’t in good condition, you may need to find another way to dispose of it. You can contact your regular garbage service to schedule an extra pickup, but it may cost money or limit the size and number of items you can dispose of. You can also enlist the services of a junk removal company to remove your unwanted furniture. 

1-800-GOT-JUNK?

1-800-GOT-JUNK specializes in making your used furniture disappear and will take almost any item. You can schedule a pickup online; it may have availability for the same day. It has locations in most U.S. States, as well as Canada and Australia.

LoadUp

LoadUp takes cardboard, exercise equipment, and more. You can book a pickup online, and LoadUp guarantees transparent pricing. It has served more than 360,000 customers across the United States, according to its website.

College Hunks Hauling Junk & Moving

Most people know College Hunks Hauling Junk & Moving as a moving company, but it also provides junk and furniture removal. The company has more than 200 locations across the United States and provides free online estimates. It offers both donation and junk removal, so you can knock both off your list by choosing College Hunks.

Expert Tips and Insights

We asked three experts about the impact of furniture donations on low-income households and other ways to support people living in poverty. Read their insights and tips below.

Rigaud Joseph, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Social Work

California State University, San Bernardino

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What are some challenges or barriers that people living in poverty commonly face?

There are two related yet different concepts that reflect challenges people living in poverty generally face: lack of opportunities and lack of access. First, it is important to understand that all communities have opportunities, with some having more and some having less. However, competition for current and future opportunities in a given community is unfavorable for individuals and families who experience poverty. Second, those who manage to find opportunities usually face an “access” challenge. These people lack access to key community resources such as healthcare, education, childcare, transportation, and social welfare services, to name a few. Consequently, they may be forced to miss medical and benefits recertification appointments, show up late for work, or complete an educational program over a longer timeframe.

How can getting low-cost furniture and household items help families maintain home stability and improve their well-being?

Furniture and household items constitute in-kind income. Families receiving in-kind donations are financially better off because, counterfactually, these recipients would have either kept their homes furniture-less or freed up money from an already thin budget to buy beds, sofas, couches, tables, chairs, and other necessities. The in-kind income equivalence could be geared toward meeting other household needs or put aside in savings. This is where the connection with household stability and well-being becomes obvious.

What are some other ways to help low-income households in need of home furnishing?

We certainly can advocate with and on behalf of low-income individuals and families by bringing their cause to the forefront of the fundraising process. We can raise awareness of the gap between demand and supply regarding home furnishing and convince donors of the potential impact of their contributions on families and society.

Rigaud Joseph, Ph.D., was born and raised on the beautiful island of Haiti before moving to the United States in 2007 for family reasons. A graduate of the Haiti State University system, Joseph earned an associate degree in pre-nursing from Broward College in 2009, a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in social work from Florida Atlantic University in 2011 and 2012, respectively, and a Ph.D. in social welfare from Florida International University in 2017. Joseph has a background working with culturally and linguistically diverse groups of people, including underprivileged children, adolescents, and families. Between 2012 and 2014, he served as a functional family therapist at two social services agencies in South Florida: The Starting Place and Family Central. Joseph currently works as an associate professor of social work at California State University San Bernardino College, where he coordinates, among other functions, the online master of social work program. Joseph’s areas of interest include poverty and social welfare policies, marginalized populations, theory development and analysis, andragogy, and webagogy. Joseph has published solo and with colleagues more than 30 peer-reviewed articles. Watching soccer games and playing guitar constitute his favorite hobbies.

Danielle Groton, Ph.D.

Associate Professor in the Sandler School of Social Work

Florida Atlantic University

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What are some challenges or barriers that people living in poverty commonly face when trying to obtain household items?

There are several challenges to obtaining household items when living in poverty. For one example, transportation poses a barrier for individuals who do not have access to their own car and need to bring larger household items to their residence (e.g., cookware, bedding, etc.). I’ve worked with many clients who had sufficient income to cover their monthly rent and utilities for an unfurnished apartment but did not have extra income to cover one-time expenses such as furniture, shower curtains and towels, and kitchen items. This often leaves folks needing to make decisions about which items are most important and/or continuing to rely on community resources (e.g., meal sites) to have their basic needs met despite having permanent housing.

How can getting low-cost furniture and household items help families maintain home stability and improve their well-being?

When families have the ability to take care of their basic needs at home and feel comfortable within their home, there can be an increased sense of self-efficacy and confidence. Having these supplies at home can also help the family save money long-term. For example, a parent who does not have cookware will not easily have the means to make food at home, and beyond aggregate feeding programs may rely on highly processed or fast food as the primary means of feeding their family. Those types of meals are often less nourishing and more costly than preparing meals at home, and family members may be prone to more health concerns (e.g., diabetes, hypertension) from the meals and spend more money over time on the food itself. Additionally, a lack of cookware and groceries may limit the parent’s ability to teach their children how to prepare meals for themselves. As another example, a household without bedding may not get quality rest, and sleep health is critically important to one’s immune system, mental health, and cognitive development.

What are some other ways to help low-income households in need of home furnishing?

I always encourage people who have gently used household items they no longer need to donate them instead of throwing them away—many organizations will even come pick up the items for you. You can also check the “wish lists” for housing programs and emergency service centers, as they will know the items most needed by their clients when they move into permanent housing. If you do not have items for in-kind donations, some organizations have Amazon registries for their clients or will accept gift card donations. You can also make a difference by volunteering to help with delivery of household items and letting people in your social circle know about these types of opportunities. If an organization is always in need of a specific item (e.g., linens), you could organize a donation drive for that specific item too.

Danielle Groton earned her Ph.D. in social work and MSW and MPA from Florida State University. While residing in Tallahassee, Groton worked on program evaluations for nonprofits and assisted with coordination and training for the biennial Homeless Point in Time count for the Big Bend region. She has worked in homeless services in various capacities, from case management and event coordination to data management and administration in emergency and transitional housing. Dr. Groton’s area of expertise is on homelessness and housing, particularly related to women experiencing homelessness. Her secondary area of research focuses on housing placement for youth survivors of trafficking.

Mike Kerkorian

Chief Development Officer

Family Promise

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What are some challenges or barriers that people living in poverty commonly face when trying to obtain household items?

People living in poverty face numerous challenges and barriers when it comes to furnishing a home. Often, their financial limitations mean that they must focus on life’s basic necessities and don’t have extra funds to buy household furnishings. And since transportation can be an issue for those living in poverty, the cost to move or ship household items, especially larger furniture, can be prohibitive. There are even greater obstacles for people transitioning from homelessness, as they’ve probably had to abandon most—if not all—of their possessions. This means when they find a home, they must furnish it from scratch.

How can getting low-cost furniture and household items help families maintain home stability and improve their well-being?

Having a secure place to call home is critical to a family’s well-being and long-term success. Access to affordable household furnishings allows a family to build a comfortable and functional living space, fostering a sense of security and belonging. A family’s quality of life is enhanced by a home where everyone can be together, where kids can play, do schoolwork, and feel safe. And the dignity of living in your own home has a positive impact on mental health and self-esteem, which provides families the stability to become successful in other areas of life.

What are some other ways to help low-income households in need of home furnishing?

Habitat ReStores, run by local Habitat for Humanity organizations, are a great resource for low-cost furnishings. They accept donations of furniture and household items and sell them at a fraction of the retail price. Goodwill and Salvation Army stores are another source for inexpensive housewares. There are also social media groups whose members offer secondhand household items for free. Most communities have a network of resources to help those in need, and you can always call 211 to learn about the support system in your area.

Mike Kerkorian serves as the chief development officer for the Family Promise national office. He leads the resource development and marketing team focused on the organization’s national revenue and brand strategies. Prior to joining Family Promise, he spent more than ten years working at United Way, where he held several fundraising roles, including managing the corporate partnerships team at their global office.

Our Conclusion

Donating furniture to charity is typically faster and easier than trying to sell it. Unless you own a valuable antique, you may be better off donating furniture to a worthy organization. Plus, you can feel good knowing your unwanted items may greatly help a family in need.

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