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

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.

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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:

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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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