Is There a Wrong Way to Donate (and am I doing it)?

​Stained couches, buttonless or torn shirts, a game with missing pieces, a coat with worn elbows, a lamp that just needs a little glue to hold it together...  

​Most people have great intentions when they donate their stuff but based on many conversations I've had with organizations that have received all kinds of things like these they don't want, don't need, and ends up being a burden on their strained resources, there definitely seem to be wrong ways to donate. Most of the time, it is unintentional. We think we're donating stuff that is 'good enough' and the reality is that most of us unintentionally give stuff that goes right into the trash - either because we didn't check the condition closely enough, or get the right stuff to the right place where it can be used. Fortunately, it is avoidable if we follow some simple guidelines.

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How can you be sure you aren't unintentionally
​one of 'those' donors?

​​Here are 3 easy steps to avoid the pitfalls

1) Know what happens to your item.

​You donate stuff because you want to make a positive difference with the things you no longer need. If you don't want your stuff to become someone else's problem when you show up with it at their door, it's up to each of us as individuals to take responsibility for the stuff we brought into our homes when we no longer want it. Part of that means taking a moment to learn where it's going when you get rid of it - and to make the best possible choice. Just because you hope your donation is useful doesn't keep it from actually going in the trash, or worse, the organization has to pay for disposal or removal.

As an example, one organization I spoke with takes donations of very specific books. Storage is expensive for them and they don't have extra staff to re-home books that they can't use. When they get books in other languages than what they need, or that generally don't fit what they can use, perfectly good books end up destroyed (recycled, but destroyed) which is really sad. It's also unnecessary. Making good choices about what and where you donate  makes all the difference.

​Below are questions to ask yourself to find the best place. 

Will my item .....

• be reused in its current state? Best case: locally & immediately.  (9-10 points)
• be up-cycled? Best case: sustainably, without waste (5-8 points)
• be recycled? Best case: little transport or manufacturing energy (3-4 points)
• be resold? (with potential to be bulk-sold, recycled, or trashed) (0-5 points)
• Likely go in the trash? Are you donating a broken lamp?... (0 points)

2) Donate only useful things
​This is trickier than it sounds. Usefulness is in the eye of the beholder, and in this case, the judge has to be the recipient. Be careful not to fall into the wish-cycling trap. (I know you would really love to drop off those those VHS movies somewhere)

Even if your item was really awesome at one time, things can really change when stuff sits for a while.  

Take a close look & determine:

• Does it have any broken or missing pieces, tears, missing a button or have other damage?
• Are you telling yourself 'someone could easily fix this.....'
• Is it old and outdated?
• Has it been sitting where it's gotten a dusty and dirty or picked up basement or garage smells? 

If you answered 'yes' or even 'maybe' or 'I don't know' to any of these, it is likely to create a burden on the recipient. Consider if you can fix it, clean it, or update it to make it good for donation. Either don't donate it, or take the next best step (#3 below) and ask. 

Two More Tips for Screening Your Items
​
Consider if it would be acceptable to give to your sister. She's going to notice if it's not good, and she'll tell you all about it. So if it's not sister quality, don't assume it's OK to donate. (Ignore this advice if you don't have a sister or you have a really nice sister like mine. Instead, think of someone else who holds you to a higher standard, AND who is brutally honest with you.)

"When in doubt, throw it out" is a common quote of guidance. But I think there is an even better - just ask. That said, if you are in a situation where you have to make an assumption and you aren't sure, don't donate it. 

The good news is that there are a lot of other great ways to divest of the things you no longer need. To get new ideas about how to ethically and easily re-home or repurpose your items, and also tips for decluttering & reducing, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, or subscribe to our newsletter for tips each month.

3) Get consent. "Good intentions do not a good gift make"
THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP.
It's happened to most of us.... Remember a time you received a 'gift' from someone that you didn't need or want? Maybe it was a parent cleaning out the house, or  a friend who just doesn't 'get' you. The intent may have been there, but you still ended up with an extra item that you didn't want so instead of a lovely gift, you had the burden of storing it or figuring out what to do with it. Usually, these aren't a big deal, but they aren't the positive experience they are meant to be. And you can imagine if this happened to you over and over (like it does with places that accept donations), it becomes unmanageable and expensive.

Some organizations are very explicit about what they do and don't accept. Those are easy - Just follow their lead.  Some organizations are less explicit. The key is not to assume.

Drop-off sites seemingly take 'everything' so it's easy for people to grab a bag full or car load and 'let them worry about it, they are set up for it'. In reality, many things end up going right into the trash because they can't be resold or reused. 

'Give to, not at'

When you follow these 3 simple guidelines, your donations will make the impact you hoped for - great for the community and great for the environment

DonateGoodStuff.org is set up to help you see what organizations do with your donations, what is truly useful and wanted, and contacts for finding out more. Just go to DonateGoodStuff.org. 

We'd love to hear from you!
What are things that you struggle to donate? What great donation gems have you discovered? Comment or email and if we select your comment to share, you'll be entered in a drawing for a Donate Good Stuff re-useable, donation collection bag for your 'good stuff'.