Donating Used Items in the Madison Area

A friend just started Tidying Up her home during the recent Polar Vortex. She and her family gathered 22 bags of clothing that no longer fit/no longer sparked joy. That was ONLY from 4 of the 5 family members and ONLY clothing. Her pile of bags probably looks something like the piles in the newest Holderness Family Video.  And yes, the Holderness family video goes against the fact that Marie Kondo doesn’t want you to get rid of other people’s stuff. The other people in your family need to be willing participants in Tidying Up if their stuff is getting the heave-ho!

Is your family, too, deep into decluttering due to watching Tidying Up with Marie Kondo and/or reading The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up ? If so, you have piles or boxes or totes or garbage bags of stuff. Stuff that no longer sparks joy, that you’ve thanked, and that needs to go somewhere–anywhere other than your home! The easiest places to drop all this stuff off is likely Goodwill or St. Vincent De Paul or another local thrift store.

There are MANY other places other than thrift stores in Madison and the surrounding area that will gladly accept your donations to help individuals and families in need. It will take a bit more effort on your part to match what you have to donate with the needs of an organization, but your donations can directly help others in the community.

Prior to listing organizations that can benefit from your donations, I want to review etiquette of donating…

• Donate stuff that can be used again. Non-working electronics, appliances, toys, etc. should be disposed of properly because when you donate non-working items (especially electronics), the organization will incur disposal costs.
• Launder items and fold them nicely prior to donating. Smelly and dirty items aren’t what other people want and aren’t accepted by the organizations listed.
• Inspect clothing for holes, stains, and rips. Clothing and fabric recycling of items that shouldn’t be donated exists in Dane County. (Fabric can be recycled and/or made into cloths and rags for reuse.)
• Make sure that your donation can be used by the organization you are donating to. Not all donations are helpful unless they are needed. Please reach out to an organization to confirm your donation will be useful.

10 Places to Donate Used Items in the Madison Area

The Beacon is a day resource center for homeless individuals. The Beacon serves over 225 people daily. (That means that there is a great need for help for homeless citizens in our community.) Bath towels, wash cloths, and some used clothing items may be able to be donated. Please see The Beacon’s wish list and contact information for specifics if you are interested in donating.

Community Action Coalition works to make sure that the individuals and families they serve have “roofs over their heads, food on their tables, and clothes on their backs.” Community Action Coalition accepts seasonally appropriate clothing and shoe donations and also accepts donation of some used household items.

Luke’s Closet works to provide clothing to foster, adoptive, and kinship families in the greater Madison area. While they have shopping days periodically throughout the year, they also deliver clothing requests to a number of locations throughout the community. Luke’s Closet accepts donations of in-season clothing that is new or very close to new.

The Madison Reading Project’s  focus is “providing quality books and literacy programs to children who may not have books in their own homes or who lack easy access to books.” Part of your Tidying Up efforts may have produced stacks of books your kids no longer read or have outgrown.  Gently used baby, toddler, children’s, and teen books that meet certain criteria are accepted by Madison Reading Project.

Middleton Outreach Ministry (MOM) works to “bring our community together to create food and housing security through action and advocacy.” MOM accepts in-season clothing donations and donations of some household goods. MOM’s guide to donations is very handy in quickly allowing you to see what can and cannot be accepted.

Porchlight accepts donations of new and gently used items from their wish list. Porchlight “provides emergency shelter, food, employment services, counseling, and affordable transitional and permanent housing to homeless people in the Dane County area. Our services are designed to foster independence and the transition into permanent housing and employment.” Please note that used clothing items and used furniture/mattresses are not accepted by Porchlight.

The Road Home serves homeless children and families. The Road Home accepts donations of furniture (especially twin beds and dressers) and other household items. Individuals who enter The Road Home programs generally arrive without many basics required in a home.

Waunakee Neighborhood Connection works to connect those in need with education and resources. As such, they do rely on donations of quality used items. Waunakee Neighboorhood Connection’s donation guidelines are clear on which used items they can accept.

YWCA’s mission is “creating real change by eliminating racism and empowering women.” If you have gently used pots, pans, and utensils that can help make an apartment a home, please consider a donation to the YWCA. The YWCA also serves over 100 children each year and is always in need of items related to child care. The YWCA’s wish list is extensive and will help you match your gently loved items to their needs.

Additionally, I encourage you to also look at your local schools or places of worship who may be involved in supporting individuals or families in need. Your neighborhood school may have a wish list that includes pants, socks, shoes, or tops of certain sizes for families they know could use assistance. Your place of worship may partner with a local school to provide clothing, household good, or food to families and individuals in need. Think local and go from there!

Please note, that while the list is extensive, it is not exhaustive and many other charities that could put your donations to good use exist in the greater Madison area. If you know of other non-thrift store locations to donate items, please leave a comment on this post and list them for the public to see.