Donations & Collections
Hotlink Email
Have an item you’d like to donate to a nonprofit agency? The Montgomery County Volunteer Center’s "Hotlink" may be just the resource you are looking for!
We send our weekly Hotlink email list of items available for donation to the 1,000+ agencies registered with us. Interested organizations then contact you directly to arrange pick up. Good items usually go fast! As one recent donor noted, "Your newsletter is a great resource. Over the past three years, we have been able to donate bedroom furniture, folding tables and chairs, a rototiller, and now the computer! All went within a day or so of the newsletter's publication!"
We list donations of home and office furniture, equipment, medical equipment, and much more. All items must be in good condition or better. We do not include clothing, books, televisions (except flat-screen TVs), or food. (See the bottom of this page for lists of organizations that may accept these items.)
To list items for donation, please email the following information to volunteer@montgomerycountymd.gov:
- a brief description of the item
- the condition of the item (must be in good condition or better)
- the city where the donation will be picked up
- how you would like to be contacted (email and/or phone)
Information Regarding Tax Deductions: In order for donors to deduct the value of a charitable donation from their taxes, the organization receiving the donation must be considered a qualified organization by the IRS. Organizations are required to provide the donor with a receipt acknowledging the donation. The receipt should include the name and address of the organization, along with the date and a description of the item donated. This can be in the format of a letter on the organization's letterhead.
While the majority of organizations in our database are nonprofit or government organizations qualified to receive donations, some are not. There are some for-profit nursing homes registered with us, as well as some nonprofits such as sports clubs that may not be qualified to receive donations. If you have a question about the suitability of the organization, you can email us or use the IRS's online organization check tool.
More information about charitable donations can be found in IRS Publication 526: Charitable Contributions. This document also includes information about how to calculate the value of donated goods.
QUICK GUIDE TO ORGANIZATIONS THAT RECEIVE DONATED GOODS:
Books: Friends of the Library of Montgomery County has three locations where you can drop off books. Velocity of Books also accepts a wide variety of books, audiobooks, and magazines for people of all ages. Email Carolyn Thompson or call 301-674-3056 for more information.
Furniture and Household Items: These local nonprofits--as well as others listed in the chart below--accept furniture and other household goods:
- Habitat for Humanity's ReStore accepts furniture, appliances, building materials (and may be able to work with you when remodeling or demolishing a home to remove salvagable items).
- A Wider Circle accepts furniture and household items to help furnish the homes of neighbors in need.
Medical Equipment: Donors have found new homes for their medical equipment through these resources:
- Medical Loan Closet of the Lutheran Church of St. Andrew generally accepts walkers, bedside commodes, crutches, canes, wheelchairs. motorized carts, disposable underwear, dressings, prescription formulas, knee immobilizers, enteral feeding, and stoma suppies/equipment. Contact Marilee Tollefson, 301-384-4394 or office@mystandrew.org
- DC Shares provides accepts manual wheelchairs, walkers, and other items, which the organization provides to DC residents with an income of less than $20,000 annually.
- Some local fire stations accept crutches, wheelchairs, and related equipment for loan to area residents.
- The Montgomery County Commission on People with Disabilities has compiled a list of medical equipment loan closets that may accept certain types of medical equipment donations.
Clothing, Toiletries, Sports Equipment, and More: The following organizations accept donations of clothing and other items (as outlined here) in good condition:
| Organization Name | Location / Phone | Types of Items Accepted |
|---|---|---|
| A Wider Circle | 9159-C Brookville Road Silver Spring 301-608-3504 |
men and women's professional clothes (suits, dresses, blazers, dress pants, skirts), furniture, linens, household items, infant supplies, toiletries, non-perishable food |
| Abused Persons Program
|
1301 Piccard Drive Rockville 301-279-1640 |
adult and children's clothing |
| The Arc Montgomery County's Urban Thrift | 10730 Connecticut Avenue, Kensington, MD 20895 301-933-5666 |
adult’s and children’s clothing and shoes, furniture, lamps, linens, household items, books, CDs, DVDs, DVD and CD players, sports equipment, toys, electronics, appliances and tools. |
| Auted, Inc. | Germantown, MD 800-442-1938 301-793-9333 |
used automotive tools and equipment in good condition. |
| Baby’s Bounty | 15729 Crabbs Branch Way Rockville 240-813-8190 |
playpens, car seats (new), diaper bags, infant clothing, supplies, toys |
| Bethesda Cares | 7728 Woodmont Avenue Bethesda 301-907-9244 |
food, clothing, computers |
| Goodwill of Greater Washington | 619 South Frederick Avenue Gaithersburg 301-527-0970 |
clothing, furniture, computers, linens, cars, boats, household items, books, DVD and VCR players and disks/cassettes, sports equipment, toys, electronics |
| Dorothy Day Place | 251 N Stonestreet Avenue Rockville 301-762-8314 |
women's clothing |
| Dress for Success | 101 Q Street NE Washington, DC 202-269-4805 |
dry-cleaned contemporary women's suits, gently used shoes, blouses, accessories (by appointment only) |
| Ethiopian Community Development Council | 8121 Georgia Ave., Suite 800 Silver Spring 301-562-7303 |
large furniture (couches, bed frames, mattresses) |
| Interfaith Clothing Center | 751 Twinbrook Parkway Rockville (former Broome Middle School) 301-424-3796 |
clothing, shoes, small household items, toys, children's books, linens, school supplies, infant supplies, calculators, toiletries |
| International Rescue Committee | 8719 Colesville Road, Floor 3 Silver Spring |
new or gently used clothing for all ages, baby items, household goods, cleaning supplies, personal hygiene supplies, small furniture items |
| Leveling the Playing Field | 9170 Brookville Road Silver Spring, MD 20910 |
used or new sports equipment |
| Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless | 600-B East Gude Drive Rockville 301-217-0314 |
new men's clothing, household items, toiletries, cleaning products |
| Master Gardeners of Montgomery County | Derwood mgmont@umd.edu 301-590-9650 |
gardening tools and equipment in good condition (rakes, shovels, hoses, planters, 5 gallon buckets, etc.) |
| Montgomery Avenue Women’s Center | Rockville 301-984-7765 |
new or gently used clothing for women, shoes, jewelry, accessories, computers, TVs, DVD players |
| National Center for Children & Families/Greentree Shelter | 6301 Greentree Road Bethesda 301-365-4480 |
household items, clothing, computers, furniture, automobiles, toiletries, cleaning supplies, school supplies, infant supplies, books (no textbooks, encyclopedias), sports equipment |
| Organization for Advancement and Service to Individuals with Special Needs | Gaithersburg, MD 703-283-2102 |
farm equipment and supplies |
| Rainbow Place for Women | Rockville Presbyterian Church 215 W Montgomery Avenue Rockville 301-762-3363 |
sweat suits, pajamas, winter accessories, umbrellas, flip flops, toiletries, individual packs of pain relievers |
| Shepherd’s Table | 8106 Georgia Ave Silver Spring 301-585-6463 |
safety razors, toiletries, gently used clothing, shoes, blankets, stamps, non-perishable food |
| Stepping Stones Shelter Rockville | Rockville 301-251-0567 |
clothing, household items |
| Suited for Change | 1010 Vermont Avenue NW, Suite 420 Washington, DC 202-293-0351 |
new or nearly new women's professional attire on hangers (suits, dresses, blazers, dress pants, skirts, jewelry, shoes, scarves, purses, briefcases) |
| Victim Assistance and Sexual Assault Program | 1301 Piccard Drive Rockville 240-777-1355 |
cell phones and toiletries |
| Wells Robertson House | One Wells Avenue Gaithersburg 301-258-6390 |
household items, comforters, business attire, linens |
RECYCLING & DISPOSAL OPTIONS:
If you aren't able to find an organization to accept your items for donation, try Craigslist or Freecycle, or visit the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection's recycling and disposal information page.
