Donations: What do I do?
Donating can become a huge part of our organizing process.
Can this be donated?
Is it in the right condition to be donated?
Who would want this?
Where do I bring it?
Can I bring everything to the same place?
When are they open?
I don’t have time to drop these things off.
Have you ever had a similar conversation in your head? Has it resulted in a huge pile of stuff you don’t want by your front door? Or deciding not to get rid of it at all? First, remember it is ultimately YOUR decision as to whether you want to donate an item, throw it away, or keep it. You decide what the best option is for you. If you decide to donate, don’t let that decision stress you out, getting organized can already be stressful, don’t add more to it. Let someone help!
That’s what I’m here for. One of the great things about donating today, is that many of the organizations want to make it easier for us to donate. In my house, our routine is to bag it up, set a pick up time with the organization we are donating to, and put it out on our front stoop. They come pick it up for us, and we don’t even have to leave the house, or set aside time to get ourselves to the donation center. We just need to remember to put it outside in the morning before we head out for the day!
That is just one option. Do you have a particular cause that you want to support? Are the majority of the items you are donating for kids or adults or are they are particular item, like books? Maybe you want to donate them to a school, or a nursing home, or the library. Do you have friends that you think might like some of the stuff you are purging, ask them if it would be of use to them.
There are so many options for donating.
3 things to remember for donating:
It is your decision where you want to donate to. If you have a place that you want to donate your things to, donate it there. Don’t let someone else influence your decision. This thought can also help you donate even more, because you are passionate about where your items are going.
Check for any restrictions the donation place might have on items. Some places will have limitations on what they will take, and the conditions of the items they will take. For example, I donate my books to the library, they will not accept old textbooks, reference books, or books that are damaged. Be respectful, don’t give some place an item that is damaged just so you can get rid of it.
When your bag is ready to donate, drop it off or schedule the pick up as soon as possible. We can often end up in donation overload, having piles of items that we are meaning to donate nad haven’t yet. Once you make the decision, follow through and clear that clutter!
Pro tip: Keep a box or bin in a common area of the house that is out of the way. Label the box - “donations.” Make clearing out a habit, when you find an item that you want to donate, put it in the box. When the box is full, it’s time to send it off, and start again!
Good luck!