where can i donate gently used toys

by Ms. Kaylah Crist II 4 min read

Sites like Freecycle and the free section on Craigslist can be great places to donate used toys. Many families would love to have more toys for their children, but it’s just not in the budget. As with other sites, be sure the toys are clean, in decent shape, and safe (not broken or dangerous).

10 Places to Donate Gently Used Children's Toys
  • Charities. Salvation Army and Goodwill are two of the most recognizable charities that take toy donations. ...
  • Hospitals. ...
  • Doctors' Offices. ...
  • Daycare Centers. ...
  • Shelters. ...
  • Children's Homes. ...
  • Military Families. ...
  • Religious Centers.
Nov 6, 2020

Full Answer

Where can I donate brand new toys?

The Salvation Army accepts donations of new and used toys, stuffed animals, clothes, shoes, housewares, electronics and more. Your donated toys, games and clothes will be sold in Salvation Army thrift stores, allowing low income families to purchase them and give their kids toys they might otherwise never get.

Where can I donate old clothes and toys?

Where can I give toys to charity?

Where is the best place to donate toys?

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How to claim toy donations on taxes?

Then, you must specifically donate to a tax-exempt organization. If you’re not sure if a facility can claim exempt organization status, check the IRS EO Select Check tool. Then, ask the organization for a donation receipt when you drop off the toys – you’ll need it for your tax records.

Can you deduct toys from a church?

Churches are tax-exempt organizations, so you can claim a deduction if you donate old toys to a church nursery. Many religious organizations offer daycares or nurseries to their parishioners, and since the service is often low-cost or free, they’re often in need of toys.

Do shelters accept toys?

If you know of a shelter or children’s charity in your area, there’s a good chance that it accepts toy donations. After all, kids will be kids, and children who visit shelters can feel more at ease when there are toys nearby. You just need to call ahead, as some charities won’t accept toy donations.

What charities accept gently used toys?

There are so many charities that will accept gently used toys and distribute them throughout their networks. For example, thrift-store organizations like Goodwill and The Salvation Army will resell toys in their shops and use the profits to support their charitable work. You could also give to Toys for Tots, the United States Marine Corps Reserve-run program that gives donated toys to children in need. Toys for Tots hosts popular toy drives around the holidays, but they also accept gently used toys year-round. Cradles to Crayons is another organization that accepts new and nearly new toys to benefit low-income families.

Can daycares go through toys?

If you've ever been to a day-care center, you know that they go through toys quickly. That's why if you have a ton of lightly used toys to donate, you might contact a center in your area to see if they're able to give your items a second life.

Can hospitals accept toys?

Hospitals. Many hospitals will accept donated toys for their young patients to play with, or to keep children entertained in the waiting room; the same thing goes for doctor's offices. But keep in mind: If you want to donate toys to your local children's hospital, they must be new.

How to donate stuffed animals?

You can donate gently used stuffed animals to SAFE. However, please be sure that the stuffed animals meet the following guidelines: 1 Only gently used stuffed animals 2 Stuffed animals that have been properly cleaned (the website has a guide) 3 Stuffed animals that were part of a collection, haven’t been played with, and still have tags on are considered “new” even if they’ve been stored cleanly in your home

What is stuffed animal safe?

Stuffed Animals For Emergencies (SAFE for short) is a charity that gives stuffed animals to children in emergency situations. Such as children who are involved in a domestic violence incident, a house fire, car accident, or other traumatic event. You can donate gently used stuffed animals to SAFE.

Who is Laurie Blank?

Laurie Blank is a blogger, freelance writer, and mother of four. She’s psyched about teaching others how to manage their money in a way that aligns with their values and has been quoted in Bankrate.

What is emergency childcare?

Many metropolitan cities have emergency childcare services – often called crisis nurseries – for parents who are in a bind and need occasional child care. For instance, if a parent is trying to get help for addiction, or move, or something similar, they can find childcare for a specified amount of time.

Does Marines Toys For Tots accept used toys?

There were a few articles that said U.S. Marines Toys For Tots program accepts used toys as well. According to this webpage, that hasn’t been the case since 1980. The Toys For Tots website said that distributing used toys to some children was giving them the wrong message that they weren’t worthy of new toys, while kids who received new toys were more deserving.

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Hospitals

  • Many medical facilities accept gently used toys for their young patients to play with while they are hospitalized. Your local hospital might have a toy wish list posted on its website that you can check for its exact needs. Always check with the medical facility before you show up with a box …
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Doctors' Offices

  • Visit a children's doctor's office, and you might see toys that people have donated. Large toys can entertain children in the waiting room. And small toys can be used in the doctor's prize bin to reward kids for making it through a checkup. Check with your local doctor's office to see what its needs are. If you have kids, you can have them write short messages of well wishes on certain t…
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Daycare Centers

  • It is rare to find a daycare center that is not in need of more toys. With so many children to entertain, daycare centers run through toys pretty fast. If you don't use a daycare center yourself, check with parents in your area to find one that will take your toy donations. The greatest need will likely be toys for young children.
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Shelters

  • Women's shelters, as well as shelters for homeless people, are often overlooked as toy donation sites. But children end up at these locations too, and they often come with very few possessions. So many of these shelters will gladly take gently used toy donations. At the same time, you might be able to donate other items, including clothing, bedding, and toiletries. Contact a particular she…
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Children's Homes

  • Children's homes are another place where you can donate used toys for kids in need. Groups of kids live together in children's homes, so toys for kids of all ages are usually appreciated. Don't forget about toys for older children, as they're often an overlooked group in favor of cute toys for young kids. Check your local directory to see whether there is a children's home near you, and fin…
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Military Families

  • With military families constantly on the move, some toys might not make the trip to the family's new home. So some gently used toys could be a nice welcoming gesture for a military family with kids that's new to your city. You also can contact a local military family support group to find a home for your toy donations, or contact Operation Homefrontto search for current needs.
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Religious Centers

  • From newborns to school-age kids, local religious centers often provide childcare services to a variety of children during services and other facility events. Contact a local place of worship to find out what its needs are. If it's not accepting toy donations at the moment, there's a good chance it will be able to direct you to a reputable location that will take your donations.
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Social Services

  • Your local social services division likely will be able to connect you with a variety of kids who would love to play with your gently used children's toys. Contact your local department to find out what it needs and where to bring donations. It also might have needs for other children's items, such as clothing and shoes.
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Police and Fire Departments

  • Police officers and firefighters often carry small toys, usually stuffed animals, to comfort scared and injured children on the scene. And local departments generally look to the public for donations to provide this service. So call your local police and fire departments to find out whether they would like some gently used toys. Around the holidays, departments also often ser…
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Toy Donation Options

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1. Resell Charities Charity thrift stores such as Goodwill and The Salvation Army accept toys and then put them on the store floor for others to buy. Any proceeds they collect from the sale of the toys is put back into programs that benefit the needy right in your own community. However, you should call your local store prio…
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Specific Charities

  • While local charities may or may not need toys, national charities generally always accept donations. Here are several specific national charities that are looking for goods, such as toys and games. 6. Toys for Tots While you may associate Toys for Tots with a call for new, unwrapped toys, the Marine-facilitated charity also takes used toys in great shape. If you have a box to dona…
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What to Avoid

  • While most charities are thrilled to receive toy donations, there are several things that you must avoid: 1. Don’t Give Broken or Soiled Toys. Most facilities don’t have the ability to clean and repair items, so they may simply be tossed in the garbage if they can’t be put back together quickly. 2. Don’t Give Items With Pieces Missing.It’s unlikely that a charity has the ability to locate a replace…
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Toys and Taxes

  • You can often claim toy donations as a deduction on your taxes, but you have to do a few things first. To start, catalog all of the items you’re donating by type and what shape they are in. Then, you must specifically donate to a tax-exempt organization. If you’re not sure if a facility can claim exempt organization status, check the IRS EO Select Check tool. Then, ask the organization for …
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Final Word

  • If none of these option work for you, visit DonationTown.org, a website designed to facilitate free donation pickups for charities in your area. By going to the website, you can schedule a pickup and delivery to a charity of your choice simply by inputting your ZIP code. Wanting to donate old toys is definitely commendable, and there are literally hundreds of deserving charities that coul…
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Charities

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There are so many charities that will accept gently used toys and distribute them throughout their networks. For example, thrift-store organizations like Goodwill and The Salvation Army will resell toys in their shops and use the profits to support their charitable work. You could also give to Toys for Tots, the United States Marine Co…
See more on goodhousekeeping.com

Buy Nothing Groups

  • Especially amid the coronavirus pandemic, it can be difficult to find charities and organizations that will accept donations of gently used toys — but that doesn't mean your kid's old things are destined for the dump. If you can't find any places to donate toys, try posting the items on your local Buy Nothing Facebook group. You could also list the toys on Freecycle or Craigslist. Make …
See more on goodhousekeeping.com

Hospitals

  • Many hospitals will accept donated toys for their young patients to play with, or to keep children entertained in the waiting room; the same thing goes for doctor's offices. But keep in mind: If you want to donate toys to your local children's hospital, they must be new. Most hospitals have strict hygiene policies, so you'll need to purchase the toy specifically for the purpose of donating (cont…
See more on goodhousekeeping.com

Children's Homes and Shelters

  • Your toys will definitely get played with if you donate them to a local children's or women's shelter. Get in touch with the director of the children's home nearest to you to see where and how your donations can be most useful. Your local social services office might also be able to direct you to children in the foster care system and other children in need who would greatly appreciate gentl…
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Daycare Centers

  • If you've ever been to a day-care center, you know that they go through toys quickly. That's why if you have a ton of lightly used toys to donate, you might contact a center in your area to see if they're able to give your items a second life.
See more on goodhousekeeping.com

Police and Fire Departments

  • Police officers and firefighters often carry stuffed animals and other small toys with them to comfort children at the scenes of traumatic events, and their supply of toys sometimes depends on donations. Reach out to your local police and fire departments to see if they're accepting donations right now. For an easy way to donate toys to this cause, give your items to Stuffed Ani…
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Churches

  • The leader of your local church may know of families within the church who could use a few new toys. Otherwise, the church itself may want the toys to keep children occupied during Sunday school, services or other local events. Contact the church's children's ministry coordinator for more information.
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Recycling Programs

  • If the toys you're looking to get rid of are soiled, torn or otherwise not in great shape, recycling them may be the best bet. You can get in contact with your local recycling service and see if they take toys (because they don't always!), or check out TerraCycle. TerraCycle has a partnership with Hasbro specifically for recycling old toys — it's free and easy! You mail in your toys, and they bre…
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