To begin, please enter your zip code and press “Schedule a Pickup”
Everything You Need To Know About How To Schedule a Donation PickUp
So you clean your house and realize that you have several household items you no longer use. Rather than adding them to the landfill, you decide to give them a new purpose by donating them to a local charity. But where do you start?
Donations greatly benefit many charities, whether you need to get rid of old clothes, household goods, furniture, or food. Donating is not only an excellent way to give back to the community, but it's also easy! Many charitable organizations offer free donation pickup services.
It is easy to schedule a donation pick-up, but you need to consider a few things first. For example, you should confirm that your unwanted items are donation-worthy and in relatively good condition. You also must select a charity to donate your items to and schedule a donation pick-up.
Although the donation process is fairly straightforward, various considerations can help you make the most of your charitable contribution. This guide will cover lots of things you need to know about how to schedule a donation pickup and which items you can donate.
How Does Your Free Donation Pickup Work?
At Easy Donation Pickup in Orange County and Los Angeles, we make getting rid of unwanted items straightforward.
To schedule a pickup, follow these three basic steps:
SCHEDULE
Check availability in your area by entering your ZIP code on the website and exploring the available pickup service days. Call to schedule a pickup or use the online scheduling tool.
PACK
Find a box (or multiple, depending on how much you are donating) and pack the items. Ensure that the box is light enough for one person to easily carry and is clearly labeled.
PICKUP
Place the items outside your home for our team to pick up. You do not have to be home during the scheduled pickup time; we will be there, rain or shine.
Before pickup day arrives, we will send you a reminder so that you can remember to put out your donation.
Once we pick up the items, we take them to the donation center. Your donations, whether shoes, clothing, or large appliances, help the National Veterans Foundation. Our drivers start their route at 8 a.m. and pick up items until 5 p.m.
Since your donation is tax deductible, we will leave a tax receipt upon picking up your donation.
Can I Schedule a Pickup on Holidays and Weekends?
Yes! Our pickup service only runs during the weekdays, but you can schedule these weekday pickups at any time on our website. You can check availability by entering your ZIP code to schedule a donation pick-up.
Do You Pick Up in My Area?
Easy Donation Pickup offers a donation pick-up service in several areas around the United States. You can easily check availability in your area by entering your location's ZIP code.
Our drivers are on the road two to three times per week, depending on the location and donation volume. When entering your ZIP code, you can also schedule an available pickup date.
What Household Items Are Acceptable Donations?
Perhaps the most important factor to consider when donating furniture and other items is which ones are acceptable donations. Although we pick up nearly any donation, there are certain items that we turn away.
For example, we only accept items that a single person can lift by themselves since we typically have one driver per route. As such, we cannot accept the following large items:
- Mattresses
- Large furniture, such as couches or loveseats
- Refrigerators, dishwashers, and other large appliances
- Televisions
- Large building materials
We also do not accept money, items with severe damage, unusable items, or donations with hazardous waste like fuel or pesticides. Donation items should be in lightly used or like-new condition. If your clothing, household items, or small furniture donations have significant damage or potent odors, it is better to toss them than to give them to someone else.
Although we cannot accept large furniture, we have a long list of accepted items. The following are acceptable donations:
- Small exercise equipment like weights and mats
- Toys
- Shoes and clothing
- Bags
- Small kitchen appliances
- Books
- Small home furnishings and household goods
- Jewelry
- Office chairs in good condition
Generally, as long as the donated items are not too heavy for one person to lift, we will take them! The list above covers only a portion of what we consider acceptable donations. If you are unsure whether you can donate your items, feel free to contact us.
Condition of Items
Donations are not trash; the goal of donating is to give unwanted items to someone who will use them. So, donations should be in relatively good and usable condition.
For example, if you have an old wooden chair missing two legs or severely splintered, it is best to throw it away. However, if you have used clothing that you simply don't wear anymore, we will happily accept it!
When donating items, ask yourself the following questions:
- Are these items completely broken or unusable?
- Do these items contain hazardous materials such as fuel, pesticides, or paint?
- Do these small kitchen appliances not work when you plug them into the outlet?
- Would thrift stores turn these items away?
If the answer to any of these is "yes," you should avoid donating your used items.
Who Are You Helping?
One of the best things about donating your unwanted or old items is that donations greatly benefit numerous charitable organizations. Easy Donation Pickup partners with The National Veterans Foundation to give your donations a second life and raise funds for much-needed services for Veterans.
The National Veterans Foundation proudly supports veterans and their families by providing clothing, food, transportation, and employment resources. The founder, Floyd "Shad" Meshad, served as a Medical Service Officer in the Vietnam War. His veteran support efforts date back to 1970.
As a Medical Service Officer, Meshad helped fellow soldiers by counseling them. Many of these soldiers suffered from emotional and psychological issues, including what we now know as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Today, his organization, Lifeline for Vets, provides outreach to veterans in need. Your clothing, shoes, and furniture donation supports this mission by helping United States veterans and their families.
What You Need to Know When Donating
Donating is an excellent way to support local charities and give to those in need. Easy Donation Pickup loves working with donors to turn their old items into valuable resources for veterans and others in need.
When donating to a charitable organization, make sure to keep several things in mind.
How to Donate Properly
As with anything, there is a wrong and a right way to donate. For example, donating equipment, small home furnishings, or furniture that is completely unusable or broken is not beneficial to anyone. Remember, donating isn’t a garbage disposal service.
One of the first things to do is to contact the charitable organization and see if they offer pickup service in your area. You can also visit the charity's physical location to drop off your items.
If you schedule a pickup service, it is essential to follow the organization's donation pick-up guidelines. For example, when you schedule a pickup service with Easy Donation Pickup, you must pack your shoes, clothing, and other donation items into an easy-to-lift box. Once you pack and seal the items, you should use a permanent marker to label the box by writing something like "For Easy Donation Pickup" so our drivers know what is for them.
In addition to properly packing items, your charity donation should be easily accessible. For example, if you have stairs leading up to your front door, you should leave the box (or boxes) at the bottom of the stairs so that our driver can quickly take them to the truck. Our typical route includes multiple stops, so the easier your items are to pick up, the more stops we can make.
Most Charities Do Free Donation Pick Up
These days, you do not have to drive to various drop-off locations or thrift stores to donate toys, shoes, equipment, or other items. Instead, most charities offer free donation pick up services, allowing you to declutter your home without planning a trip.
For example, organizations like the Salvation Army offer free charity donation pick up services to available areas. When you schedule a pickup, all you must do is pack your donations into a box, label it "for the Salvation Army," and place it outside. The organization, whether it be the Salvation Army, Easy Donation Pickup, or another charity, will then pick up and deliver the donation for yourt.
After picking up the donation, different organizations will do different things. While some organizations take clothes, exercise equipment, household items, and other donations directly to needy families, others take them to local thrift shops and use the proceeds to fund their mission. By exploring their websites or contacting them directly, you can see what charities do with donations.
How Do I Know If a Charity Is a Good One?
One of the more difficult decisions donors make is choosing a charity. With hundreds of organizations working toward a good cause, it can be challenging to narrow down your options and decide which one to support.
Fortunately, donors have access to various resources to help them explore different charities and their missions. For example, the Center for High Impact Philanthropy provides reports that briefly explain different charitable organizations by category. Using this organizaton's annual High Impact Giving Guide, you can find charities focusing on poverty, education, global health, and numerous other missions.
If you want your donations to go toward a specific mission or community, using the Center for High Impact Philanthropy's guide is a great place to start. The reports summarize a particular charity's operations, community impact, and programs.
The website also allows you to track where donations for each organization go, including the Salvation Army, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and more. That way, you can see who directly benefits from your unwanted toys, equipment, clothes, and other donations.
Unfortunately, around 67% of donors sometimes feel uncertain about how trustworthy certain charities are. Although it costs you nothing to donate your items, knowing where they go and that the charity uses them for a good cause is crucial.
If you doubt an organization's trustworthiness, you can take a few steps to verify its credibility.
One of the easiest things you can do is basic research. Most charities have newsletters or weekly emails that keep donors up-to-date with their programs. You can also check the website to see where donations go.
If you need more information, you can ask the organization directly. Reputable charities are more than happy to explain their mission, process, and where donations go.
For third-party resources, you can use GuideStar or Charity Navigator. Similar to the Center for High Impact Philanthropy, these sites produce informative reports about non-profit organizations and charities.
By knowing where your donated items go and who directly benefits from them, you can be more confident in your giving efforts.
Donations Are Tax-Deductible
Donors love contributing to local charities for several reasons. Along with helping those in need, donations are also tax-deductible.
Unsurprisingly, around 47% of donors are willing to donate more if they know they can receive a greater tax deduction. As such, many use donor-advised funds, which help people convert their appreciated assets into charitable dollars. Using a donor-advised fund can help you qualify for a tax deduction while planning a long-term charity donation strategy.
If you have a financial planner, you can rely on them to help you navigate tax deduction requirements, among other financial objectives.
Schedule Your Hassle-Free Pickup Service
Whether you have shoes and clothing sitting in your closet, toys your children no longer play with, or equipment collecting dust, you can turn your unwanted items into valuable donations. In Los Angeles, CA, our team at Easy Donation Pickup is passionate about supporting the local community by helping people declutter their homes and turn their gently used clothing, office chairs, equipment, and other items into philanthropic contributions.
To request a pickup, enter your ZIP code on our website and schedule an available pickup date. You can also contact our team at 1 (855) 628-8387 or email mail@easydonationpickup.com to get your donation pickup scheduled.