If you’re looking to donate items to charity, you might not know where to get started. We’ve compiled a list of several organizations in the GTA who accept donations of a variety of items. Before you donate items to charity, make sure you do some extra research to confirm the organization’s preferred method of accepting donations (such as a donation box, home pickup or dropoff at a store). To donate responsibly, you’ll also want to make sure that your items are what a charity is asking for, and that you are donating to a charity whose work you value and want to support.
Habitat for Humanity in the GTA
Habitat for Humanity ReStores accept donations of furniture, appliances, home decor items, flooring, windows, doors, kitchen cabinetry, electronic waste and more. Habitat also has new clothing donation program, which are a great place to donate old clothing for a good cause.
Habitat ReStores are unique social enterprises that resell donations of new or gently used items. Proceeds from sales go directly into efforts to build affordable homes for local families in need of safe and decent shelter. They help Habitat offer a “hand up” to families who need a place to call home.
Habitat offers free home pickup for certain items and also accepts items which are dropped off at ReStore locations. Check out Habitat for Humanity Halton-Mississauga, Habitat for Humanity GTA or Habitat Durham.
Furniture
Furniture Bank
Furniture Bank locations across the GTA accept donations of unwanted and gently used furniture items, including sofas, couches, chairs, shelving and storage units, dressers, desks, electronics, lamps, tables and more.
Donated items are given to recipients such as people transitioning from homelessness, refugees or families living below the poverty line who are referred by community shelters, faith-based organizations and social agencies.
Furniture Bank has locations in Toronto, Mississauga, Niagara and Vaughan. You can either donate items or arrange to have them picked up. Visit Furniture Bank’s website for more information or to schedule your pickup.
Red Door Family Shelter
Red Door Family Shelter is currently looking for donations of dressers, wardrobes, kitchen tables, chairs and coffee tables (large appliances are currently not accepted). The organization has pickups within the boundaries of Bathurst Street to Markham Road in the east, and from Lake Ontario north to Lawrence, with fees ranging from $25 to $45. More information is available on their website.
Clothing
Canadian Diabetes Association Clothesline
The Canadian Diabetes Association Clothesline accepts donations of small household items, including kitchenware, pots and pans, small electronic items, including cell phones, laptops, tablets and gaming consoles, gently used clothing and other cloth-based items, footwear and toys. Donated items are sold to Value Village to generate funding to support Diabetes Canada’s research, education, programs, services and advocacy.
You can find a full list of accepted items on Diabetes Canada’s website (note that they do not offer donation pickups for large furniture or appliances). They have clothing donation boxes across Burlington, Mississauga, Hamilton, Oakville and Milton. You can find your closest location online.
Oasis Clothing Banks
If you’re located in Toronto and want to donate clothing, keep an eye out for an Oasis Clothing Bank donation bin near you. In addition to clothing for men, women and children, the organization accepts shoes, bedding, purses, dishes, cutlery, toys, stuffed animals, electronics, artwork, housewares and more. They currently do not accept furniture or large appliances. You can find a full list of accepted items on their website.
The Kidney Foundation of Canada
The Kidney Foundation of Canada accepts donations of cloth-based items, including used clothing, footwear, belts, purses, fabric, bedding, draperies, luggage and several other items. These items are donated to the Kidney Clothes, a trust which raises funds for the Kidney Foundation of Canada. More information about accepted donation items, as well as drop off donation box locations, is available online.
Electronics
ReBOOT Canada
ReBOOT Canada accepts donations of laptop and desktop computers, keyboards, printers, toner and ink cartridges, video cameras, cords and cables, cell phones and more. ReBOOT Canada safely recycles and refurbishes donated computer equipment. They distribute equipment to non-profit organizations and charities across the country, and offer both a pickup service and an option to drop off items. Residential pick ups have a fee of $50 with additional HST.
ReBOOT Canada has locations in Mississauga, Peterborough and Toronto. More information about accepted donation items and locations is available on their website.
Green4Good
Green4Good is another organization which diverts technological devices from ending up as waste in landfills. They turn the funds into donations of money and new technology for over 140 nonprofits across the country. They look for laptops, smartphones, LCD screens and more. You can arrange a free audit to learn more about what devices are accepted. Learn more on Green4Good’s website.
Other ways to donate items to charity
If you’ve amalgamated a pile of clothing, furniture, appliances, electronics or other clutter this year while doing your spring cleaning, remember that there are a number of local charities who can use your donated items to do good in your community. Several charities accept donations of specific items, and others accept a variety of items.
The Salvation Army accepts gently used clothing, housewares, furniture and electronics for its Thrift Stores. Value Village also accepts donations of clothing, kitchen items, small furniture, other textiles and more. Goodwill is another organization which accepts donations of clothing, books, working electronics, DVD players and other items. You can also donate furniture to certain Goodwill donation centres.
In addition, as previously mentioned, there are several Habitat for Humanity ReStores across the GTA which accept donations of clothing, furniture, electronic waste and many other items you may be looking to get rid of or donate.
Before you donate, take a few extra steps to ensure you are donating the right item to the right charity. Research drop off and pickup details so you’re aware of any possible fees, and make sure you arrive while the charity is accepting donations. A little bit of research can go a long way in guaranteeing that your donation will be valued by the organization you’re donating to, and will be an experience that you can feel good about.