Didn't find what you were looking for in our local listings? Here AlchemList lists national non-profits and foundations and sites that may interest you if you are looking to reuse a gently used item or donate a new one. Chances are even if you ship an item to a non-profit, it will still travel less than it travels to reach your its final destination at the landfill! (If you are curious, check with your local city landfill.

Donate Blankets, Towels or Linens: If you would like to donate blankets, towels, linens: Look for the wish list of your local animal shelter or animal rescue site. Most areas have a local humane society. You can google humane society in your area to find a humane society near you! If you have a particular breed dog you like, there are quite a few breed-specific rescues as well. You may also be able to find a shelter near you by visiting www.Pets911.com.

Donate Furniture: National Furniture Bank Association (www.nationalfurniturebank.org) provides furniture to victims of hurricanes, floods, and earthquakes. It also helps families living below the poverty level as well as women starting over after fleeing violent homes.

Donate Books: Most local libraries are happy to accept books to resell at their annual booksale fundrasing events. The Global Literacy Project (www.globalliteracyproject.org) collects books for their worldwide literacy programs. Project Night Night adds donated children's books to "Night Night" tote bags along w a security blanket and stuffed animal. These bags are given to homeless children.

Donate Bridal Gowns: If your bridal gown is just taking up space in your attic or closet, consider donating it too Brides Against Breast Cancer (www.bridesagainstbreastcancer.org). This non-profit organization sells used wedding gowns, veils, and slips and donates all proceeds to Making Memories Foundation (www.makingmemories.org), an organization that grants final wishes to women who have terminal breast cancer.

Donate your Car!: Cars for Kids' Sake (www.bbbs.org), on behalf of Big Brothers Big Sisters, will pick up your car even if it will not work, resell it, and use the proceeds to benefit your local Big Brothers Big Sisters.

Donate Cell Phones: The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (www.nacdv.org) gives donated cell phones to women who may need them in an emergency.

Donate Clothes: Dress for Success (www.dressforsuccess.org) provides work clothes such as dresses, suits, and accessories to disadvantaged women so that they can look their best for job interviews and as they begin new employment opportunities. The men's equivalent, Career Gear (www.careergear.org), provides donated men's clothing to men seeking employment. If it is outdoorsy wear, specifically your fleece, that you are seeking to donate, Patagonia (www.patagonia.com accepts donated worn-out fleece clothing through their Patagonia Common Threads Garment Recycling program. If you donate your fleece by dropping it off at a local Patagonia store, they will be recycled into new clothes. Patagonia also then donates some brand new clothes to local San Francisco non-profit, Environmental Traveling Companions, a non-profit dedicated to providing accessible outdoor adventures as well as environmental education.)

Donate Computers: World Computer Exchange gives computers to disadvantaged kids in more than 65 countries around the world.
Earth911.com/electronics: to find local organizations that accept used computers, televisions, cell phones, and empty ink cartridges (which can be refilled or recycled). National Cristina Foundation (www.cristina.org) supplies electronics such as computers, printers, and software to charities across the country that help at-risk children, people with disabilities, and the underprivileged.

Donate DVDs: Kid Flicks (www.KidFlicks.org) helps you donate children's DVDs to children's hospitals and pediatric wards.

Donate Magazines: Local schools, hospitals, women's shelters and retirement homes may welcome your used magazines.

Donate Musical Instruments: Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation (www.mhopus.org) refurbishes used instruments and gives them to underfunded school music programs.

Donate Shoes: Soles4Souls (www.soles4souls.org) was formed after the tsunami hit Southeast Asia in 2004 to provide shoes to people who lost everything in the storm.

Donate School Supplies: Teachers post their wish lists at: www.iLoveSchools.com

Donate Sports Equipment: Sports Gift (www.SportsGift.org) uses donated sports equipment from tennis balls to soccer balls to uniforms to cleats to... for community sports programs for underprivileged children worldwide. Gently used running shoes can be given to One World Running (www.oneworldrunning.blogspot.com), an organization that will send them to people in need. www.RecycledRunners.com also shows local organizations that will benefit from your used running shoes. If you have used athletic shoes, ideally used to the point of being unwearable (if they are wearable, consider giving them to One World Running or a local youth organization or shelter or even Goodwill) such as running shoes, they can be donated to Nike's Reuse-A-Shoe program (www.nikereuseashoe.com). The Nike Reuse-A-Shoe program recycles your shoes (they don't have to be Nike, they can be any brand shoe) and turns them into basketball courts, running tracks, and even new shoes and other gear! Very cool and so much less stinky!

Donate Video Games and Video Game Systems: Handheld electronic gaming systems are one of the most requested items by troops stationed abroad. If you have one to donate, visit Games for Heroes at www.gamesforheroes.com. Games for Heroes sends gaming devices such as gameboys, PSPs, ninendo DS to our troops (many of whom are under 20 years old!). The Get Well Gamers Foundation (www.getwellgamers.org) distributes games and game systems to children's hospitals and treatment facilities.

Other ways besides the landfill to get rid of stuff you no longer want: Freecycle (www.freecycle.org) and Craigslist ( www.craigslist.org)are both staples in the online world of finding a new home for your stuff.

Note to non-profits ~ If you would like to be listed on this page or in the main AlchemList database, please contact Jen or click on "BE LISTED" and enter your profile. If you are one of the above organizations and would would like to be included in our main, searchable database so that potential donors can find you when they enter "item, zip, search," please contact Jen or go to "BE LISTED" and enter your profile. Listing is fast easy and free! The more non-profits that are listed, the greater the chance that people with something to donate (or an urge to shop) will be able to find a non-profit near them in need of a particular item. Thanks!