Got furniture you need to get rid of? This article walks through exactly what you need to know about donating furniture in California - which charities will actually pick it up, what they accept, and how to maximize your tax deduction. As part of the AppraiseItNow team, I work with furniture donation appraisals regularly. We regularly see California residents donating everything from bedroom sets to antique armoires, and through this work we’ve learned which charities make the process smooth and which ones are worth your time.
There's a lot of confusion about how furniture donations work and which organizations are legitimate, so let's dive in!
Before we get into the charities themselves, let's talk about what you can actually donate. Most organizations have similar requirements:
Since most charities decline damaged items, being realistic upfront saves you the hassle of a rejected pickup.
Habitat ReStore locations are all over California - Los Angeles, Orange County, Bay Area, San Diego, Sacramento, and more. These aren't your typical thrift stores. They're nonprofit home improvement stores that sell donated furniture and building materials, with all proceeds going directly to building affordable housing through Habitat for Humanity.
What Makes Them Great:
Important Notes:
For complete details on accepted items and pickup requirements, visit: https://www.habitatla.org/restore/donate-items/ or call (424) 246-3637.
The Salvation Army operates thrift stores across California and has been serving communities since 1865. Donations are either sold at Salvation Army thrift stores or given directly to individuals in need. Proceeds from thrift store sales fund their Adult Rehabilitation Centers and various community programs.
Who They Help: The Salvation Army assists people from various backgrounds including the homeless, victims of domestic abuse and human trafficking, at-risk youth, the elderly, and those affected by natural disasters.
What They Accept: In general, Salvation Army thrift stores accept gently used:
Note: Specific acceptance criteria vary by location - check with your local donation center for their policies.
How to Donate:
Tax Receipts: The Salvation Army provides donation receipts for tax purposes. However, it is up to the donor to determine the valuation of donated items.
Learn more and schedule pickups at satruck.org.
Goodwill operates as a nonprofit organization where thrift store sales fund job training and employment programs. Their mission is helping individuals with barriers to employment - including veterans, at-risk youth, the homeless, ex-offenders, and those with disabilities - secure sustainable employment through education, training, and career placement services.
Important Fact About Their Mission: 92 cents of every dollar donated (or earned from selling your donations) goes toward preparing and placing someone in sustainable employment. Revenue from donated items funds vocational training programs.
What They Accept: Goodwill Southern California accepts items in good or new condition, including:
Furniture Donation - Location Specific: Not all Goodwill locations accept furniture. Policies vary significantly:
Important: Call ahead to confirm your specific location accepts furniture before loading up your vehicle.
Pickup Service:
How to Donate:
Note: Goodwill locations in Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Diego, and Orange County operate independently and may have different policies. Always check with your specific local Goodwill.
Learn more at Goodwill Southern California.
St. Vincent de Paul (SVdP) operates through independent regional councils across California. Each council has its own donation policies and procedures, so there is no single statewide system. Regardless of the region, all councils share the same mission: providing person-to-person service to those in need through home visits, free goods distribution, and thrift store proceeds that fund charitable programs.
Mission: SVdP volunteers visit families to provide clothing, furniture, appliances, financial assistance, food, and disaster relief. Donations directly support these efforts.
California SVdP Councils (examples):
What They Accept (varies by location):
General Pickup Requirements:
Tax Receipts: All SVdP councils provide donation receipts for tax purposes.
Impact: Your donations stay local. For example, the Contra Costa council alone distributed more than $70,000 worth of free goods to families in need in a single year.
How to Donate:
If supporting veterans is important to you, the Purple Heart Foundation (operating through GreenDrop in some California areas) might seem like the perfect choice. And it is - but with a major limitation.
The Restriction: They only accept furniture pieces under 50 pounds. That means nightstands, end tables, small chairs, lamps. That's basically it.
Got a couch? Dining table? Bedroom set? This isn't your charity. But if you have smaller accent pieces and want them to benefit veterans specifically, Purple Heart is a solid choice.
Who They Help: The Purple Heart Foundation assists veterans and their families through programs focused on financial assistance, mental health care (including PTSD support), academic scholarships, and service dog training for veterans with traumatic brain injuries.
What They Accept:
Note: All donated items should weigh 50 pounds or less for driver safety.
How to Donate:
Tax Receipts: All donations are tax-deductible. Receipts will be left at your door after pickup.
Make It Home operates differently than other charities on this list. There are no thrift stores. Instead, they work directly with social workers and agencies to furnish homes for people transitioning out of homelessness or escaping domestic violence.
Here's the catch - they're extremely selective. The furniture needs to be in excellent condition, the kind you'd be comfortable having in your own home.
I get why though. Someone moving into their first safe apartment after months in a shelter deserves furniture that looks and feels dignified. They're doing it the right way, even if it means turning down donations that aren't quite good enough.
Who They Help: Make It Home Bay Area provides furniture and household items to individuals and families transitioning from homelessness, domestic violence situations, or foster care. They serve approximately 50 households per month throughout the Bay Area.
What They Accept: Quality, gently used, and new home furnishings that are safe, clean, and functional. Items must be:
Important Notes:
How to Donate:
Warehouse Locations:
Learn more or email [email protected].
With locations throughout Southern California, Out of the Closet operates thrift stores that fund the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. If HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, and advocacy matter to you, this is where your furniture should go.
Who They Help: Out of the Closet thrift stores generate revenue to fund AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the world's largest HIV/AIDS healthcare organization. 96 cents of every dollar made goes directly to HIV prevention, treatment, and care services.
What They Accept: A wide variety of items in good condition:
How to Donate:
Additional Services at Select Locations:
Tax Receipts: All donations to Out of the Closet are tax-deductible.
Learn more at Out of the Closet.
City Team will take furniture that other charities might reject - as long as it's clean and functional. Got a couch that's a little worn but still has good structural integrity? City Team might say yes when everyone else passes.
They run emergency shelters, transitional housing programs, and recovery services. Furniture that's not showroom-perfect but is still usable can serve their mission just fine.
Who They Help: CityTeam provides emergency shelter, transitional housing, and recovery programs for people experiencing homelessness, poverty, hunger, and addiction. They serve over 500,000 people each year across San Jose, Oakland, San Francisco, Portland, and Chester.
What They Accept (Verified from Official Site): Based on CityTeam's official donation page, they accept:
Important Note About Furniture: While the description suggests CityTeam accepts furniture for their transitional housing programs, this is not specifically listed on their official donation needs page. If you have furniture to donate, please contact them directly to confirm acceptance.
How to Donate:
San Jose Location:
Oakland Location:
Contact for Furniture Donations:
Learn more at CityTeam and view donation needs at https://www.cityteam.org/giving/donation-needs.
If you're in San Diego, Father Joe's Villages is probably your best bet. They operate the largest homeless services program in the entire county - thrift stores, donation centers, the whole infrastructure to handle serious volume.
Who They Help: Father Joe's Villages provides emergency and permanent housing for more than 2,000 men, women, and children each night. They offer emergency services, meals, medical and behavioral healthcare, job training, therapeutic childcare, and addiction treatment. All proceeds support their mission to end homelessness in San Diego.
What They Accept:
Items Must Be: Gently used or new, clean, and functional - not torn, stained, broken, or needing repair.
Items NOT Accepted: Mattresses, cribs, toilets, chemicals, and items restricted by California law.
How to Donate:
Learn more and view donation guidelines.
With Causes operates a California-wide donation program that's particularly convenient. Their online scheduling system actually works, and they focus on furniture with decent resale value.
Bonus: They're currently looking for recreation equipment donations. If you've got a pool table, ping pong table, or arcade game gathering dust in your garage, they specifically want it.
Who They Help: With Causes is part of the Giving Center (EIN#92-1162407), a 501(c)3 nonprofit that provides assistance to students, teachers, elderly individuals, foster homes, shelters, disabled U.S. veterans, military families, and various nonprofit organizations across the country. They focus on education and helping those less fortunate through financial assistance, grants, and donated goods.
What They Accept: Furniture with resale value, including:
How to Donate:
Tax Receipts: All donations are tax-deductible. With Causes is operated by the Giving Center, a registered 501(c)3 organization (EIN 92-1162407).
Learn More: https://www.withcauses.org/ — Mail: Giving Center, 1175 Shaw Avenue #104-135, Clovis, CA 93612.
That last requirement isn't optional—it's IRS-mandated. For donations valued over $5,000, a professional appraisal from a qualified appraiser is required to claim your deduction.
Many people significantly underestimate the fair market value of their furniture donations. Quality furniture from brands like Restoration Hardware, Ethan Allen, or antique pieces often retains more value than donors realize. A professional USPAP-compliant appraisal can help you claim the full deduction you're entitled to while providing documentation that holds up under IRS scrutiny.
If you're donating multiple furniture pieces with a combined value that might exceed $5,000, consider getting a professional appraisal. For qualified appraisals, visit AppraiseItNow.com. The cost of the appraisal may be offset by the additional tax savings from claiming the accurate fair market value.
Donating furniture in California isn't just about clearing space in your home—it's about giving quality items a second life while supporting organizations doing meaningful work in your community.
Your donated furniture becomes someone's first couch in their own apartment after transitioning out of homelessness. It's the dining table where a family experiencing domestic violence sits down together in their new safe space. It furnishes the bedroom where a foster youth aging out of the system finally has their own bed.
These aren't abstract concepts. They're real outcomes happening every day across California because people choose to donate instead of discard.
So pick a charity whose mission resonates with you, make sure your furniture meets their requirements, and get your documentation in order. Every piece of furniture you donate makes a tangible difference in someone's life.
Thank you for choosing to help!
