Did you want to donate something but don't have the time or energy to find a place? You are not alone! Many people don't give because they don't have the time or the energy to find the right place to donate a particular item. To inspire you to get rid of that unused stuff, I wanted to share how to make your very own Charitable Locations List.
A charitable location list helps remind you of where you may have donated items in the past. This is also great for retirees who forget which donation places are near them. It also helps parents who do not have the time to spend looking for charities every time they need something donated. This list will be specifically for you. But, to create it, you will need to do a few things first.
How to create a customized charitable list?
First, gather all the information below. Answer these questions.
- What causes do you love to support? Check online for those causes near you and find out if they accept specific items. Write the location and the items they need on a piece of paper.
- Where have you donated in the past? Are they still around? Donation locations (especially the newer ones) may close down after a few years, so make sure they are still around.
- Then ask other people where they donate their stuff in the area. You may find that there are places you didn't even know about. So ask as many people as possible. Then, write down those locations.
- Do the places you listed have a website? Their website gives you a lot of information and will help you save time needlessly going to a place to find out they no longer take that particular item.
Now, decide what items you want to donate to these Charitable Locations.
You do not need to bring all the articles to one place. Find a charity close to you and see what you can give them to help. It could be office supplies for their office, furniture for their waiting room, anything is possible. All you need to do is ask them or check their website and see what they are looking for.
Some charities take a variety of items. Others may only need certain ones. A kennel may only need blankets and newspapers, where the nearest women's shelter will need baby supplies and women's clothing.
Now, it's time to make your customized charitable locations list! Here is the layout to start.
- Start with the items you want to donate and may donate often. Write them down on a piece of paper. List as many locations as possible to help you cover all the different areas of the home.
- Second, write down the locations you would donate those particular items.
- Then, find the website and find their actual address, phone number, email. Make a note of this information on your list.
- While on the website, look for their hours, if they pick up or if you have to deliver the items.
- Then when you are ready, purchase some small colored circle dots in various colors. Assign each dot color to the different locations. And go around your home and place dots on each item you want to donate to the particular charities.
| Items to Donate | Where to Donate | Address | Phone number or email/website | Donation Hours Pickup or Delivery | Color of Dots |
| Enter the general type of items to donate here, like Toys. | Enter the name on where to this item here, like Goodwill. | Enter their address here | Enter their phone number or email/website here | Enter their hours and if they pick up or deliver here | Enter the color that relates to this donation site, use red stickers. |
Below are the dots I am talking about above, you can purchase them through Amazon.
(Please note these are affiliate links through Amazon and at no additional cost to you, I will earn affiliate fees if you decide to make a purchase.)
You can add the corresponding colored dot to your charitable location list as well.
This list can be created in a spreadsheet online to share with family members, or you can have a physical paper list like this one below. Feel free to print the image below out to use in your home. It is up to you where you want to place this list.
Tip: Hang the list in your kitchen or garage to remind you to donate. Store the dots in a safe place to use in the future.
By taking the time to make up your very own customized charity list, you will not only be reminding yourself that you can get rid of things in your home. You are also helping others regularly with minimal delays in donating. I hope this inspires you to go through the cluttered areas in your home and clean out some items to donate to these worthy charitable places.
What do you donate most from your home? I would love to hear from you. Feel free to leave a comment below. Please share this post to help motivate others to do the same thing.
Looking for locations in the U.S., check out our curated list of charitable places.
Please note these are affiliate links through Amazon and at no additional cost to you, I will earn affiliate fees if you decide to make a purchase.
Julie Bestry
This has been such a complicated year for giving. So many non-profits have shuttered or limited their hours due to COVID. Locally, a tornado whipped through town and destroyed our largest Goodwill donation drop-off and store. This is a perfect time to use your guidance and develop and updated compendium of non-profits, what they take, and when items can be dropped off. (Almost nobody did donation pickups here, even before the pandemic, so making sure items get dropped off and out of the house is key.) Thanks for writing this!
Janet Schiesl
I love your list of area donations that you linked here. I also have created a long list. You can donate just about anything. But usually we drop items off at a Goodwill, Salvation Army or Green Drop nearest home for the convenience.
Ronni Eisenberg
In full disclosure, my donation go-to list is my cousin and sister. They always have the best ideas. I do have a few other favorites for when I’m giving a donation. It can be a challenge though, thinking of the right donation for the right person or cause.
This is definitely the time of year to start thinking.
Stacey Agin Murray
Getting all that info out of your brain and onto paper (or a digital file) is the first step to getting donated items out of the house. Your printable is going to be very helpful and could very well be the tipping point for someone who needs to donate their stuff but is too overwhelmed to do so. You've just made the act of donating goods so much easier--and that is a good thing for both the person doing the donating and the people on the receiving end of the donations!
Melanie
This is excellent! This year I took to Facebook to ask people for their favorite charities and got some great suggestions for new organizations this year. I like your chart idea for keeping track of/building an organized list. Great idea!!!! Thanks for sharing.
Diane N Quintana
Great idea, Sabrina! I have a list that I keep in my head but I can see how having a chart like the one you have created would come in handy.
Linda Samuels
This is an interesting topic. Some clients care deeply about where their items are going and others just want them gone. It's good to tease that out. Particularly with the circumstances where it matters where a donation goes, doing the research up front is so helpful. They feel better about letting the items go- giving them what we call in the industry, "safe passage." Like Seana, one of my go-to donation places is vva.org. They take almost everything and will pick-up for free. However, other clients prefer to give to a local charity that they have a connection to.
Seana Turner
Donating can be complicated, especially right now. Calling ahead or checking the websites is important, because many charities have altered their policies due to COVID. Donating can be a wonderful way to circulate items out, so it is smart to keep a list of the charities that you like to support. I love scheduling a pickup with the Vietnam Veterans. It is so easy, and I feel good about having my items support this organization.
Julie Stobbe
This is a good idea for my clients. I work in a variety of towns and the donation locations are different for most of my clients. Doing the research once and recording it stops people from procrastinating on delivering donations and having a build up in the garage.
In addition, I have a donation schedule for financial donations. I pick my charities in January and decide when I will make the contribution. Then when I get phone calls asking for money I just say I have picked my charities for this year. Gradual giving through the year helps my budgeting and it helps the charities to receive money through the year instead of just at the holiday season.
Janet Barclay
Great idea! It might be helpful to note what type of things they don't accept as well. It's so frustrating to be sent away!