Sorting it all out

Among the best-selling items online and in stores are musical instruments. Toys are also popular. Toys must be in good condition and have all their parts. Puzzles must be in sealed boxes, since it's assumed pieces will be missing from any already opened box.

The Internal Revenue Service allows a tax deduction for each item donated to a nonprofit charity. Donors are given a receipt listing their donations, and the giver assumes responsibility for determining an item's value.

Goodwill suggests basing an item's value on what it would typically sell for in a thrift shop. A floor lamp in excellent condition, for example, might sell for between $5 and $30.

As "gently used" merchandise has become accepted and even fashionable, more nonprofits are getting into the thrift-shop business. In Sacramento, Calif., for example, potential givers can choose between more than Goodwill and the Salvation Army. They can also donate to the city's Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which operates its own thrift store.

According to Dave Barringer, a Goodwill Industries executive, "whoever gets there first gets the donation. It's all about convenience."

This is not simply a matter of who will send a truck around to pick up items, but which groups have the best-located collection points and stores or services. Goodwill, for example, has many stores where drivers stay in their cars and attendants do the lifting.

Many charities have set up supervised drop-off sites (usually parked trailers) in suburban areas. These are convenient, and they also cut down on the types of donations that can't be sold.

Mr. Barringer says that even though more groups are soliciting donated goods, Goodwill has doubled its collections over the past 10 years.

"I like to think," he says, "that people think that Goodwill and other reputable charities are so good at this that we can take just about anything and make it work - resell and reuse and find a user of this product later on."

To make an informed choice when donating items to charities or organizations, it may be helpful to ask the following questions:

• Will your donation be used to support a cause you believe in?

• What percentage of the revenues generated by your donation will directly support the mission of the organization?

• Does the charity actually operate the thrift store in which your donation will be sold?

• Is the store run by a for-profit operation?

• If the store is run by a for-profit, how will your donation help people in need?

What you should do:

• Give to charities you know and trust. Note that fraudulent charities often modify the names of established groups, so be sure to read carefully the name of the charity before choosing a recipient for your household goods.

• Avoid donating to organizations that can't immediately provide you with information about their mission, history, and the causes they are asking you to support.

• Find out how your donations will be used and how much money the organization intends to raise.

• Realize that if your donated items are not needed at a particular moment by an organization, they may still fulfill your charitable purpose by ending up overseas in the hands of needy people or perhaps with those left homeless by fires or major storms.

Source: Goodwill Industries International Inc.

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