Decluttering 101 | Where to Donate Your Hard-to-Donate Stuff

This is the third post in my deeply personal Downsizing, Decluttering, Detaching, and Dreaming Ahead series—our heartfelt journey of letting go, lightening up, and listing our beloved family home. You can read all of the posts in this series HERE.

If you’re decluttering like we are, you need to know where to donate all of that hard-to-donate stuff! Oh, it’s easy when it comes to clothing, but what about the rest? I’m talking about everything from appliances to old laptops.

Whether you’re staying put, or downsizing like we are, at some point or another you’ll be divesting yourself of things like the piano that isn’t getting played, the books that no one is reading, and formal wear that no one is wearing. If you don’t do it, your kids will be stuck doing it for you once you’re gone.

Bob and I decided we didn’t want to leave that responsibility to our kids. So we gave them what they wanted from the house, and dealt with the rest ourselves. They didn’t want much! It’s understandable. They want to build their own lives with their own belongings.

But we didn’t want to dump all of the leftovers in the trash, and Goodwill doesn’t take everything! What to do?

I started researching. And researching. And researching! Today, I’m sharing the results of that research and telling you where to donate all kinds of stuff.

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Where to Donate Medical Supplies

After Bob had his hip replacement surgery a few years ago, we ended up with everything from a shower seat to a long-handled shoehorn that we didn’t need once he’d recovered. We were able to pass those items along to family members who needed them, but we found several places that would accept gently used medical supplies in the process. Donate those items at Project Cure and Advocates for World Health. Both organizations take medical gear and unused supplies for worldwide use.

Where to Donate Hearing Aids

Hearing aids are expensive! We didn’t have them, but I know lots of people do, so I decided to include this info for you. To donate a recycled hearing aid, try The Starkey Hearing Foundation or the Hearing Aid Project.

Where to Donate Eyeglasses

Your used glasses could give sight to someone else! Any glasses you donate should be in good-to-excellent condition — no broken frames or missing lenses. Lions Clubs International partners with the Walmart Corporation to accept donations at any participating Walmart Vision Center. The collection boxes are usually near the Vision Center entrance. Find your nearest Walmart with the Walmart Store Locator.

Where to Donate Shoes

If you’ve got gently used athletic shoes to donate, consider donating them to One World Running. They share nearly-new athletic shoes with needy athletes. For other shoes, contact Soles4Souls. They provide new and gently used footwear to people all over the world.

Where to Donate Formal Wear

To donate wedding dresses and special occasion gowns for military and first-responders, try Brides Across America. To donate prom dresses for high schoolers, try Becca’s Closet.

Help a young musician discover a love for music by donating your old instrument in and condition to Hungry For Music. They’ve provided more than 16,000 instruments to children in 50 states (and 32 countries) in the past 27 years!

To donate guitars and related gear to a veteran in need, go to Guitars4Vets.

Where to Donate Tech

Different non-profits use donated electronics in different ways. Some refurbish and sell them for cash if they’re still usable or recycle totaled gadgets for the value of their parts. (Old cellphones and computers contain a significant amount of valuable metal, plastic, glass, copper, and silver that organizations can recover, sell, or reuse.) The proceeds fund their programs.

Other non-profits donate refurbished electronics directly to those in need. So if that’s something that matters to you, research the charity’s methods before donating.

Where to Donate Computers

The National Cristina Foundation can link you with a non-profit right in your area that could use tech like laptops, desktops, tablets, copiers, scanners, and more. They accept corporate and individual donations, so pass on this good information if your company is upgrading!

Where to Donate Phones

You can donate an old phone to Cell Phones for Soldiers to fund calls for service members overseas.

If you have a heart for health care, consider donating your old phone to Medic Mobile. They support health care in 26 countries.

Where to Donate Books

How fun is this? You can donate your books to Operation Paperback. Since 1999, they’ve shipped over 2.9 million books to American troops or military families stationed all over the world! If you’ve got children’s books, consider donating them to a Little Free Library near you! A Little Free Library is a small neighborhood book-sharing box where anyone can take a book or leave a book to encourage reading and community.

Where to Donate Appliances

Habitat for Humanity ReStores sell construction supplies and household goods. You can drop off small appliances, and they will pick up large appliances.

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I hope this list has inspired you to consider donating as you declutter! Donating unused items helps the planet, encourages others, and helps free your space for what’s to come. But I’m warning you — once you start donating, your heart will be so full of joy, you may find it addictive! Blessing others will bless you, and that’s the best feeling in the world.

Know of another place to donate those hard-to-donate items? I might need to add it to this list. Let me know in the comments, and I’ll look into adding it!

If this post has been helpful to you, it might be helpful to others as well! Feel free to share it with others using the icons right below my signature at the bottom of the post.