A stroller is not only one of the most expensive baby items but also one of the most essential. A good stroller makes your life easier when traveling outside the house with your child, but many models cost hundreds of dollars — far outside the price range of most low-income families.
Many struggle to afford strollers and other baby equipment, so donating your old stroller can make a huge difference in a family’s life. This article discusses everything you need to know about donating used strollers, including where to take them.
Yes, most organizations that accept donations will take gently used baby items, such as old strollers, baby clothes, stuffed animals, toys, and more. Unlike used car seats, strollers don’t have a safety expiration date, making them safe to donate if they’re in acceptable condition.
Your community likely has many options for places you can donate your gently used strollers. The place you choose depends on factors like your ability to carry the stroller to the donation center and whether you want your stroller to go to a specific cause.
Below are a few types of locations to donate your stroller:
Local charities are a great place to start when searching for a new home for your stroller. Before you pack up your car and head to your local charity to donate items, however, you should call to make sure they accept baby items.
If you want to find a family that needs a stroller, you can try posting pictures on social media outlets like Facebook, Craigslist, or neighborhood apps like Nextdoor. These online marketplaces are also great if you prefer to sell your stroller to recoup some of its cost.
The benefit of using social media is that you can contact the parents directly and know that your stroller is going to someone who needs it. When you donate your baby supplies to charities, it’s almost impossible to know if your stuff ends up with a family or in the trash.
Moms and dads with busy schedules can benefit from junk removal and recycling companies that come to your location to collect donations. You can check with pickup services near you to see whether they will take a stroller.
To better inform you about where to donate strollers, we’ll provide some examples of specific organizations and charities that accept children’s items, including hand-me-downs.
The Salvation Army is a prominent charity organization that probably has a location or two near you, and they accept the old strollers your child has outgrown. They can take household items and baby gear, such as carriers, clothing, a used crib, and other essentials. For safety reasons, The Salvation Army doesn’t accept car seats.
Harvest Home is a registered nonprofit organization in Los Angeles, CA, that strives to support and uplift pregnant women experiencing homelessness.
The organization provides housing and baby items to pregnant women in need and will accept donations of gently used baby gear, including strollers, baby and maternity clothing, and car seats (within the safety expiration date). Your donations will go to the residents of Harvest Home housing facilities.
Local charities generally make it easy to donate strollers and other baby or toddler stuff that your children no longer need. However, you should keep the following things in mind when giving away your stroller:
Whether you want to give away or sell your stroller, it’s important to check whether it’s been recalled, meaning it’s unsafe for parents to use for their kids. Like car seats, strollers are prone to safety issues, leading some organizations to refuse them.
Before handing your stroller over to a new family, you should ensure it’s in good condition and not missing any parts. If you wouldn’t use it, the new parents receiving your stroller probably won’t like using it either.
A damaged stroller is unusable, and even if you donate it, the charity will have to throw it away. Damaged baby gear, whether a stroller or used car seat, is better off going to recycling.
Follow these steps to give away your stroller, car seats, and other gear:
Yes, your charitable baby item donations are tax deductible based on their fair market value. When doing your taxes, you should itemize the deduction by using Schedule A of Form 1040. If you include standard deductions on your return instead, you won’t be able to include the stroller.
However, to qualify as a tax-deductible contribution, you must give your stroller to a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. You can use the IRS website to check which organizations qualify.
When you take your stroller to the donation center, you should ask for a tax receipt to keep in your records.
If you’re a mom or dad with gently used items your kids no longer need at their age, we can save you from having to take time out of your hectic schedule by picking up your donations directly from your house.
We go to most areas in Orange County and Los Angeles, picking up large and small donations that benefit the National Veterans Foundation. Check our list of acceptable items, then call us at 855-628-8387 to schedule your pickup.