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How your donation helps Goodwill

Scheduling a pick up

Item-related donation questions

Donation hours

Valuing donations for tax purposes

Other

Answers

Why should I donate to Goodwill rather than another organization?

Goodwill puts your donations to work. More than 87 percent of our revenue goes directly into employment and training programs for people with disabilities and others with barriers to employment. Many of our retail sales associates and donation attendants are former clients who came through our Career Solutions programs.

When you donate to Goodwill, you're donating to a reputable charity.  Some for-profit companies use a charity's name to collect donations in exchange for a flat fee or percentage of the revenue. The charity may receive less than five cents for every dollar spent.  Please ask questions about the agency to which you're donating to ensure the your donation provides maximum resources to the organization and not an outside company.

At Goodwill, your donations provide jobs to those with disabilities and others with barriers to employment.

Who is helped by Goodwill?

Goodwill's programs and services are designed to meet the needs of the communities in the 46 counties we serve in middle and west Tennessee. While some of our programs are specifically designed for individuals with disabilities, anyone in need of help finding a job, fine-tuning their resume and job interview skills, and other job search needs, may take advantage of many of our job support services.  Goodwill offers job readiness classes, retail training, forklift certification and computer literacy training.  Those services are free of charge.

Goodwill helps individuals who face various obstacles to employment including a lack of work history, illiteracy, language barriers, criminal background, dependency on public assistance and corporate downsizing.

Does Goodwill offer a pick up service?

In order to keep costs down, we only pick up donations under certain circumstances.  Please contact our special projects manager at 615-346-1601 for more information.

Goodwill has more than 60 attended donation centers in convenient locations throughout middle and west Tennessee.  Our attendants will gladly help you unload your donations. All of our retail stores also accept your donations.

If Goodwill doesn't have a pick-up, then who does?

The United Way Help Line, a referral service only, may have the information about other agencies that do do home pick-ups. The United Way's phone number is 615-269-4357 or you may also dial 2-1-1.

I have a lot of nice furniture. Can't Goodwill make an exception and pick up my items?

Unfortunately, Goodwill is unable to pick up your items.  However, please visit any of our donation sites to donate during Goodwill's operating hours.  An attendant will be on duty to help unload your donation.

I am an apartment manager and people left things in their apartment. Can Goodwill pick up these items?

Please contact Goodwill's special projects manager at 615-742-4151.

I'm calling from a church. We had a rummage sale last weekend and have many clothes and other items left. Can Goodwill pick up the remaining items?

Please contact Goodwill's special projects manager at 615-742-4151.

I'm calling from a business.  I'd like to request a pick up.

Please contact Goodwill's special projects manager at 615-742-4151.

Does Goodwill accept large appliances?

Goodwill is unable to take large appliances. Our retail stores do not have the resources and/or space to accomodate these items.

Do you accept mattresses and box springs?

Goodwill is unable to take mattresses or box springs. State law requires that mattresses be sanitized and wrapped before being sold in our stores. We don't have the resources or facilities to prepare these items for resale.

I have a couch with a small tear in it.  Will Goodwill accept it?

All items donated to Goodwill must be in good condition for resale. If you think that the tear is minor, you may take it to one of our donation centers.  However, the attendant is always the final judge on whether an item is acceptable.

All donations to Goodwill go directly to a retail store and must be in good condition in order for us to sell them.  It is thanks to you, and your donations of gently-used items, that Goodwill is able to support its mission.

A donation attendant turned down my couch. I noticed a couch that was placed under the trailer that is not in good condition.  Why did the attendant accept that couch and not mine?

Someone who didn't know our acceptance policy may have left the couch before or after operation hours. Our attendants may only accept furniture in good condition, as the sale of these items goes towards our mission. If the couch cannot be placed in our stores, then the company has to contact a salvage company to haul away the merchandise.  This is an unnecessary cost that displaces funds that should be used to support Goodwill's mission.

As a note, we can't accept any furniture with tears or stains, and the attendant has the final judgment based on our policy for acceptable donations.

I have a TV that works most of the time. Will Goodwill accept it?

Goodwill doesn't have a repair service and only accepts items that are in working condition. Floor/projection model televisions are accepted only at our retail locations.

I have some items in need of repair.  Will Goodwill take them?

Goodwill doesn't have a repair service or department and only accepts items that are in good working condition.

Will Goodwill accept my computer?

Goodwill does not accept CPUs or monitors as donations.  However, we will accept computer accessories such as printers, keyboards, software and other computer components.

Do you have any suggestions about where I can take my computer CPU or monitor?

We usually refer donors to:

United Way Help Line / 615-269-4357 or 2-1-1

  • Lists all United Way funded agencies and may be able to suggest a business in your area.

What can Goodwill use?

Books, clothing, cooking accessories, furniture (in good condition), tools, house wares, jewelry, linens, pictures, TVs, shoes, musical instruments (excluding pianos), sports equipment, toys, or vehicles. For a complete list, please refer to our Donation Guidelines.

What is Goodwill unable to accept?

Auto parts, mattresses and box springs, building materials (sinks, toilets, etc.), lumber, carpet, paint, hot water heaters, large appliances, computers CPUs/Monitors, swing sets, or Venetian blinds. For a complete list, please refer to our Donation Guidelines.

My schedule does not allow me to donate during the operation hours.  May I drop it off donations before or after the a donation site opens or closes?

Goodwill prefers that donations be brought only during operating hours. Donating before or after hours may result in litter and encourages theft. Please refer to our Donation Locations page or contact the Donations Administrative Assistant at (615)742-4151 or 1-800-545-9231 for information about donation sites, including operating hours.

Why didn't the attendant assess a value to my donation?

Goodwill is not permitted by law to place a value on donations. The IRS requires that the donor place a value on his/her donation. This information can then be written on your copy of the receipt or on a separate sheet that you attach. If you need to determine a value for an item you donate, please use our suggested value list as a reference, or use the market value for the item. Communication sheets are available at any donation center as well as a suggested value list that you may use.  Please consult your tax professional should you have any further questions.

I stopped by a donation center during normal operating hours and no one was there. Where were they and when will they return?

The attendant may be away on a break, but isn't permitted to be away from the trailer more than 30 minutes. There should be a return clock to indicate the time the attendant will return to the trailer.

I saw an attendant steal something from the trailer.  What should I do?

We will need all the information that you have about the incident. Please contact the Director of Donations at 615-742-4151 or 1-800-545-923. You may also leave a detailed message on our Donor Hotline 615-346-1624 or use the Silent Whistle if you'd like to remain anonymous.

I lost my receipt. Can you send me another one?

Goodwill is not required to maintain copies of receipts. We cannot issue a replacement for a lost receipt. After we capture the demographic information from the receipt, it is destroyed.

I have a tax form that I need you to sign. May I bring it by a donation center and have the attendant sign it?

Our attendants are not authorized to sign anything other than the original receipt. Please visit the Suggested Value List/Tax Information page for more information.

When I made a donation recently I saw an item that would be perfect in my home, how can I find out which store it was sent to so I may buy it?

Due to high volumes of donations, it is next to impossible to tell where an item is going. Attendants are not authorized to sell an item from a donation site. Items may only be purchased through one of our retail stores. If you would like to find a Goodwill retail store near you, please call 615-742-4151 or 1-800-545-9231 or visit our zip code locator.

Can get back something I donated by mistake?

It depends on the date and time the items were donated. Unfortunately, once an item is donated it is rarely found because of the volume of donations. Donations in our trailers are normally processed 1-2 days after the trailers leave the donation site and then the donations are shipped to our stores. If we believe the trailer has not yet been unloaded, then there is a slight possibility we may be able to recover the item. We will need your name and phone number, a detailed description of the item, date and time of day it was donated, location where it was donated, and if possible, the trailer number. Please contact the Donations Administrative Assistant with the information at 615-742-4151 or 1-800-545-9231.

I've read that some for-profits companies disguise themselves using names that may seem to be nonprofit. How can I be sure that I'm donating to a legitimate charity?

We recommend you ask a lot of questions.

  • Is the organization's name familiar?
  • Is the organization local?
  • Is the organization an IRS-approved 501(c)(3) nonprofit? If the answer is yes, ask for its federal identification number.
  • Does the organization have a Web site?
  • What happens to the items you've donated?
  • What percentage of the proceeds from your donation is spent on the organization's mission?
  • Is the mission work local or in another state or country?

What are disadvantages and disabilities?

A person with a disadvantage is someone who has barriers toward employment, such as prior history of substance abuse or incarceration, being a long-term welfare recipient, possessing little or no marketable job skills, or having poor English or math skills. A disability is either mental or physical as described by the Americans with Disabilities Act and as diagnosed by a qualified physician. Goodwill's mission is to train clients through our Career Solutions group and support them through their job search efforts.  We offer a hand up, not a handout.

 

 
 
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