Goodwill, Habitat For Humanity, Salvation Army and other charities have seen a boon in donations since the pandemic began, but it's actually hurting them! While they appreciate you bringing the stuff in, they ask you think before you do.
Broken furniture and stained clothes actually hurt their cause. They have to pay to have them taken away.
So while you may think you’re helping with your donation, unless it's something that you think someone may want to pay for, you are actually hurting the mission of thrift stores. Megan Fink, a marketing executive at Palmetto Goodwill, which operates 31 stores in South Carolina says “I’m careful not to shake my finger at donors because without them, we wouldn’t have a business model but we are trying to educate.”
Goodwill doesn’t repair items or clean them. The condition you bring them in is what goes on the sales floor. At this point, the Salvation Army is now only accepting “high quality, new and gently used items.” Goodwill may soon follow suit. Think of it this way, if you wouldn’t give it to someone you love, then put it in the trash pile.