In the winter months, we tend to spend a lot of time indoors looking at all our stuff and thinking we really should get rid of it.
The heirloom piano, older tablets, your grandmother’s ornate hutch — everyone’s got something extra lying around. But it can be difficult to take that first step in the clutter-purging process. As any professional organizer will tell you, clutter is filled with emotion. Making a decision to get rid of something can be a difficult one; then you have to figure out the best plan to make it happen. What is it worth? Where is the best place to donate? Will anyone else even be interested in it? There are so many options today: Craigslist, eBay, Freecycle. Take the time to consider donating to charity!
FURNITURE
Selling furniture that is or is not antique, a brand name or in great condition is not that easy. However, if you donate there is a great charity that will come and take away your furniture that is in decent shape for absolutely free.
●Donate
The California Furniture Donation program from the With Causes initiative accepts donations of most types of furniture as long as they are located in California. Their network of volunteers will help remove and redistribute unwanted items including furniture and will pick up at your house on your schedule. You can read more on how to donate furniture to their program here.
MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
Many families have pianos, violins or clarinets that they no longer use. They could be leftover band instruments from children now grown, or a relative’s collection of accordions. Ask yourself, ‘What was the reason I owned this object — was it my high school music instrument?’ And if that is the case, it can probably be somebody else’s high school trumpet too!
●Donate
Musical instruments are always gladly accepted by school music departments, churches or retirement homes. Collectibles with Causes makes it convenient for all sorts of donations including music instrument donation. My recent blog, “Give The Gift Of Music, Donate Musical Instruments To Charity”, goes into more detail about the process and the benefits that come with donating musical instruments.
TECHNOLOGY
Do you and your family have a technology graveyard in your home? It can often be places like a closet in the home office or a in the basement; where old desktops, a laptop or two, some flip phones, some older generation tablets and tangles of old cords have been banished.
People are constantly upgrading technology but not clearing out the obsolete. Many are be afraid that someone can obtain personal information stored on their devices and are confused about how to safely dispose of them.
●Donate
The resourceful Computer with Causes computer and tech donation program can help you empty your technology graveyard. If you have laptops, tablets, desktops, or any other miscellaneous gadgets, they can take them off our hands and out of your home. For more on Computers with Causes, read my blog “Donate Computer To Charity! “
