Making The Most Of Your Charitable Donations
You want to help and you want to make charitable donations in a way that does the most good. Before you begin, however, do your research and check your charity’s guidelines for what is needed most. You also want to be aware of what they can’t accept. It can save you time, and it saves them money.
With the increasing demand for food assistance and rising prices, your local food pantry needs your help now more than ever. How can you help keep their shelves stocked? The first item on their wish-list is non-edible, it’s cash. Food bank managers know what’s in stock and where they are falling short. Cash allows them to buy the food they need; maybe it’s fresh produce or protein to supplement the donated dry and non-perishables. Many pantries will combine to buy in bulk, with this increased buying power stretches they can buy more corn for the same amount you spent on one can.
Still, food drives and individual donations keep the shelves filled and drive awareness of the issue of hunger. Check your local food pantry’s wish list; it will include shelf-stable, non-perishable foods such as pasta, rice, canned vegetables and fruit, cooking oil, and canned tomato sauce. What don’t they want or need? Junk food. They also don’t want donations of perishable items such as dairy, meat, or cheese. They don’t want items packed in glass or plastic wrap that could break in transit or items that need can openers or special equipment to prepare.
Want to organize a food drive? Why not host a themed drive with your neighborhood, your family, or your business and ask for one item? Canned tuna, chunky style soups and peanut butter are always in demand. You can make it bigger and include everyone by hosting a virtual food drive and collect donations online. Find easy instructions for hosting a live or virtual collection drive at Feeding America.
Your closets are overflowing with clothes you don’t wear, and your attic is filled with furniture you don’t use. You bought a new vacuum, but the old one still has some life in it, so you kept it. Can you donate these items to a local charity? The good news is probably “yes.” Charities such as the Salvation Army and Volunteers of America will accept furniture, clothing, collectibles, appliances, and household items. Goodwill Industries will take almost everything but furniture. Habitat for Humanity Habitat ReStores are home improvement stores that accept donations of new or gently used furniture, appliances, housewares, and building materials.
The first rule of making a donation is to ask yourself, would you want it? If not, toss or recycle. Look closely at your items, would you wear clothing that is stained, torn or out-of-date? Who is in the market for a piano, VHS tapes or an over-sized hutch today? Broken or built-in appliances, electronics without a power cord, televisions older than 5 years are not accepted. In some areas, upholstered furniture or bedding must be specially cleaned before being offered for resale, so ask before calling for a pick-up. Remember, if the thrift cannot use or resell the item, they must dispose of it, which is a costly burden you’ve now passed onto them. Before calling for a pick-up or loading the car, visit the website of your charity for a list of what to give and what NOT to give.
Hurricanes, tornados and floods don’t recognize the holidays, they can strike at any time. When disaster hits – send money. You may hear that victims need clothing, cleaning supplies or clean water. You may want to buy or donate these goods, but consider first how that will affect the relief teams on site. Those goods, food and water need to be transported to the disaster. They have to be unloaded by volunteers and then stored in a secure place. Food has special rules for storing to maintain its quality. Don’t add to their work! Donated dollars allow the relief agencies to buy what is needed when it’s needed. It also pumps money into the afflicted community, a double ‘win.’ Before you host that drive for bottled water, check with the local community’s government or a relief agency such as the American Red Cross or the Salvation Army. Their websites will have information on what is needed and how you can help most efficiently.
Donating unwanted furniture not only helps the charity, it provides a low cost option for furnishing a new home or first apartment and help us all by keeping the items out of our landfills! This Old House has a list of national non-profit who will gladly pick up your donations.
Puppies! Kittens! Every shelter animal is special and needs your help. But what are they looking for? Just like your food pantry, your local animal shelter will have a wish list that almost always includes litter and bedding material, unopened bagged dry food and canned dog, cat and kitten food, leashes, non-porous bowls, and new chew toys. Many shelters will also accept towels, sheets, blankets – especially fleece – and bedding such as comforters. Donate unopened cleaning supplies for a huge thank you! The don’ts? Opened items, including food or medical supplies. Anything that can’t be washed or sanitized, as shelters deal with both healthy and sick pets, they have to keep germs at bay. Shelters will often refuse crochet items with holes large enough for a paw or head to pass through, filled items such as quilts or stuffed animals or fitted sheets with elastic bands. When in doubt, call before you bundle it up! Best yet, visit their website for a list of items they need the most, many will have online links to let you buy the items and have them shipped directly to the shelter.
