Where to Donate Baby Items: 13 Donation Options for Clothes, Food, etc

William Lipovsky headshot William Lipovsky
Verified & Updated Sep 9, 2020

Whether you’re looking to donate items you no longer need or you’d like to purchase new items to donate to a good cause, there are several places you can go to donate baby items. Some places will even come to pick up your items or allow you to mail in your donations. Below, we have more about the places that accept donations of baby items, including lists of accepted items and information about tax deductibility. We’ve ordered the list starting with the overall best and most accessible options.

Most organizations and thrift stores accept almost anything, but there are a few things to keep in mind before donating baby items:

  • Many organizations will only accept baby furniture and items that have not been recalled and meet the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s guidelines.
  • Most places will not accept items with holes, stains, and obvious wear.
  • Most places prefer new, never used, or like-new items.
  • If you have the time, it is best to clean items before donating them.
  • When donating baby food, you should make sure the products are not expired, and in general, you should not donate food that comes in glass jars.
  • Call ahead to make sure the organization will accept the items you’d like to donate.

Where to Donate Baby Items

1. Goodwill

  • Accepted items: Goodwill accepts almost any baby item, as long as it meets the current safety standards.[1] However, Goodwill does not accept cribs, car seats, walkers, or other baby items that have been recalled.[2]
  • Item pickup available? Yes, in some locations. Call ahead to see if item pickup is available.
  • Accepts mail-in donations? Yes, Goodwill has the Give Back Box program, which allows donors to mail items for free.
  • Tax deductible? Yes[3]
  • Accepts monetary donations? Yes[4]
  • Find out more or find a Goodwill

If you frequently shop at Goodwill, you may be interested in our article on Goodwill sale days.

2. Salvation Army

  • Accepted items: The Salvation Army accepts almost any baby item, including clothing, high chairs, cribs with or without mattresses, and playpens.[5]
  • Item pickup available? Yes, in some locations. You can schedule a pickup online.
  • Accepts mail-in donations? No[6]
  • Tax deductible? Yes[7]
  • Accepts monetary donations? Yes[6]
  • Find out more or find a Salvation Army

3. Habitat for Humanity ReStore (Furniture Only)

  • Accepted items: ReStore accepts almost any kind of furniture, as long as it is in good condition, has not been recalled, and meets current safety standards.[1]
  • Item pickup available? Yes[8]
  • Accepts mail-in donations? No[9]
  • Tax deductible? Yes[10]
  • Accepts monetary donations? Yes[11]
  • Find out more or find a ReStore

4. Once Upon A Child (Consignment Shop)

Note: Once Upon a Child is a network of consignment shops, and the store will pay you for your items.

  • Accepted items: Gently-used clothing, footwear, toys, strollers, high chairs, cribs, and other baby items.[12]
  • Item pickup available? No
  • Accepts mail-in donations? No
  • Tax deductible? Not applicable; you will receive money from the sale of your items.
  • Accepts monetary donations? N/A
  • Find out more or find a Once Upon a Child

5. Care Wear (Handmade Baby Items Only)

  • Accepted items: Handmade baby items that are knitted, crocheted, or sewn. Some items that Care Wear accepts are hats, blankets, socks, booties, and quilts.[13]
  • Item pickup available? No[14]
  • Accepts mail-in donations? Yes. You can send your items directly to the hospitals on Care Wear’s list.
  • Tax deductible? Yes[14]
  • Accepts monetary donations? Yes[14]
  • Find out more or find a Care Wear

6. Furniture Bank Association of North America (Furniture Only)

  • Accepted items: Accepted items vary by location, so call your local furniture bank for more information. Furniture banks generally accept any furniture that a family in need might require; this includes beds, cribs, chairs, tables, etc.[15]
  • Item pickup available? You may be able to arrange a pickup — call your local Furniture Bank for more information.
  • Accepts mail-in donations? No[15]
  • Tax deductible? Yes[15]
  • Accepts monetary donations? Yes, by check only[15]
  • Find out more or find a Furniture Bank

7. Good+ Foundation

  • Accepted items: The Good+ Foundation accepts gently used and new products and clothing for infants and children up to age 14. The foundation does not take certain used items, such as stuffed animals, feeding supplies, cribs, and car seats.[16]
  • Item pickup available? No[17]
  • Accepts mail-in donations? No[17]
  • Tax deductible? Depends on the organizations that have partnered with the Good+ Foundation in your city.
  • Accepts monetary donations? Yes[18]
  • Find out more or find a Good+ Foundation

8. Operation Give

Note: Operation Give is an online-only organization and does not have any physical locations.

  • Accepted items: Operation Give accepts almost any toy that doesn’t require batteries and is nonviolent.[19]
  • Item pickup available? N/A
  • Accepts mail-in donations? Yes, this is the only way to donate your items.[19]
  • Tax deductible? Yes[20]
  • Accepts monetary donations? Yes[19]
  • Find out more

9. Project Night Night

10. SAFE (Stuffed Animals For Emergencies)

  • Accepted items: SAFE accepts new and gently used stuffed animals, baby blankets, books, toys, baby items, and clothing. Not all chapters accept the same items, so check the website for details or contact your local chapter.
  • Item pickup available? SAFE chapter members are volunteers and some may offer to pick up items if you live nearby.
  • Accepts mail-in donations? Yes[24]
  • Tax deductible? Yes[25]
  • Accepts monetary donations? Yes[26]
  • Find out more or find a SAFE chapter

11. Savers

  • Accepted items: Savers accepts accessories, clothes, shoes, toys, games, puzzles, stuffed animals, and certain types of small furniture. Car seats and cribs are not accepted at any Savers location. Some locations may not accept any type of furniture.[27]
  • Item pickup available? No[28]
  • Accepts mail-in donations? No[28]
  • Tax deductible? Yes[28]
  • Accepts monetary donations? No, but customers can donate directly to one of Savers’ nonprofit partners.
  • Find out more or find a Savers

12. Vietnam Veterans Of America (VVA)

  • Accepted items: VVA accepts almost any item. Baby items, clothing, toys, strollers, and furniture are welcome.[29]
  • Item pickup available? Yes[30]
  • Accepts mail-in donations? No[30]
  • Tax deductible? Yes[31]
  • Accepts monetary donations? Yes[29]
  • Find out more or find a VVA

Donating Baby Food/Formula to a Food Bank

While the organizations listed above don’t accept donations of baby food or formula, you can typically donate these products to your local food bank. As mentioned above, you should avoid donating items that are expired or expiring soon. Additionally, the food’s packaging should not have any dents or damage, and many food banks will not accept food that’s packaged in glass. This is particularly important when you consider donating baby food, as most brands package their baby food in glass jars.

It is also important to note that some food banks don’t accept baby formula donations, and instead prefer to buy new formula with donated funds.[32]

The national organization Feeding America has more information about what to donate to a food bank, and what to avoid. If you’re uncertain whether or not your items will be accepted, you can contact your local food bank to confirm. Our related research features food banks listed by region.

Finding a Local Organization That Accepts Baby Supplies

Although it might seem easy to donate your gently used baby items, many places have restrictions on what they will take. Fortunately, it is likely that there are several local charities and organizations near you that accept baby items, in addition to the regional/national organizations. The following places tend to have a strong local presence and will likely baby items:

  • Local women and children’s shelters
  • Food banks in your area that take baby food, formula, diapers, and other non-perishable baby items.
  • Local children’s hospitals that accept books, toys, or other baby and children’s items.

There are even a few national directories you can use to find places to donate your baby items:

  • The Thrift Shopper — A directory of thrift stores across the country
  • Donation Town — A directory of organizations that offer donation pickups
  • Freecycle — A way to give and get stuff for free in your local area, including baby items
  • Recycle Your Car Seat — A site that provides information specifically for recycling car seats
  • National Diaper Bank Network — A site helping American families give and get diapers

If you also have school-aged children and supplies you’d like to donate, our related research lists the places to donate school and office supplies.

  1. https://www.cpsc.gov/[↩][↩]
  2. http://www.amazinggoodwill.com/donating/donor-guidelines[↩]
  3. http://www.goodwill.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Donation_Valuation_Guide.pdf[↩]
  4. https://www.goodwill.org/donate/financial-donation/[↩]
  5. https://www.salvationarmycarolinas.org/winston-salem/downloads/donation-guidelines.pdf[↩]
  6. https://www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn/ways-to-give/[↩][↩]
  7. https://satruck.org/Home/DonationValueGuide[↩]
  8. http://www.habitat.org/stories/does-habitat-offer-furniture-donation-pickup[↩]
  9. https://www.habitat.org/restores/donate-goods[↩]
  10. http://www.habitat.org/support/tax-information[↩]
  11. http://www.habitat.org/restores/donate-goods[↩]
  12. http://www.onceuponachild.com/what-we-buy#Clothing[↩]
  13. http://www.carewear.org/index.php?page=join[↩]
  14. http://www.carewear.org/[↩][↩][↩]
  15. https://www.furniturebank.org/faqs/[↩][↩][↩][↩]
  16. http://goodplusfoundation.org/give-goods-other-cities/[↩]
  17. https://goodplusfoundation.org/give-goods[↩][↩]
  18. https://goodplusfoundation.org/give-money[↩]
  19. http://operationgive.org/[↩][↩][↩]
  20. Operation Give Facebook page[↩]
  21. http://projectnightnight.org/FAQ.html[↩]
  22. http://www.projectnightnight.org/donate-items/[↩][↩][↩]
  23. http://www.projectnightnight.org/donate-money/[↩]
  24. https://www.stuffedanimalsforemergencies.org/chapters[↩]
  25. https://www.stuffedanimalsforemergencies.org/[↩]
  26. https://stuffedanimalsforemergencies.org/[↩]
  27. https://www.savers.com/donate/what-we-take[↩]
  28. https://www.savers.com/donate[↩][↩][↩]
  29. https://vva.org/donate/[↩][↩]
  30. http://www.vvapickup.org/[↩][↩]
  31. http://www.scheduleapickup.com/Tax-Deduction[↩]
  32. https://www.insider.com/things-you-should-never-donate-to-a-food-bank-2017-10#some-baby-foods-6[↩]
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