Congratulations on conquering the clutter! But now, where to donate them?

If your decluttered items are gathering dust in the basement, they haven’t quite completed their journey. Letting them linger is a common oversight, yet it’s crucial to move them swiftly and thoughtfully to their next destination. 

Donating responsibly means ensuring your items serve a second life where they’re most needed. To help you achieve just that, I’ve curated a list of stellar places in Calgary, each ready to welcome your donations. Organized by category, this guide ensures your items find the perfect new home.

Choose your items to donate

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Physical donation centres that accept variety of items with many drop off locations around Calgary

The Salvation Army

They accept pretty wide variety of stuff with only small limitations, such as:

• No gas appliances
• No televisions older than 5 years
• No built in appliances (Ovens, Stoves, Dishwashers, microwave etc.)

Benefit of donating here

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The Salvation Army has many drop off locations and little limitations on what you can donate, which makes it super convenient. 

They are a very good not for profit organization, helping children and families, often tending to the basic necessities of life, provides shelter for homeless people and rehabilitation for people who have lost control of their lives to an addiction.

Goodwill

They accept lots of categories for donation, although they also have an extensive list of items that won’t be accepted, so check before you go. 

Items that will be accepted:

Items that will NOT be accepted:

Benefit of donating here

Lots of locations around the city. Goodwill employs people with disabilities and cares about the environment. They recycle or repurpose donations that cannot be sold to keep them out of landfills. 

WINS

Women in Need Society accept a large variety of items for a good cause of helping women and children in need. Lots of drop off locations around Calgary but few things to keep in mind:

1. Large items such as furniture and houseware are accepted at Dover, Macleod, and Donation Centre locations ONLY
2. Vacuums that are not working, or working poorly can be donated to Superior Vacuums to be repaired and given to a family in need through WINS House to Home program.

Items that will be accepted:

Items that will NOT be accepted:

Benefit of donating here

Women in Need Society (WINS) support vulnerable women and their children, through their community programs that provide basic needs, emotional support, and vital resources. They care for environment and strive to minimize waste.

Schedule a donation pick up

Don’t want to drop off your donations? No worries, these organizations below will come to your location and pick up donations from your porch.

Diabetes Canada

Diabetes Canada accept a lot of items, similar to donation centres mentioned above, and there are a few thing they won’t take:

• Beds and bedding
• Construction material
• All furniture 
• Exercise and sport equipment
• Infant products
• Large appliances
• Tv and monitors

Benefit of donating here

Diabetes Canada is very convenient as they pick up from your porch on a scheduled day. You can schedule time online. 

They lead the fight against diabetes by preventing the onset and consequences of diabetes, helping those affected by diabetes to live healthy lives amd working to find a cure.

Kidney Clothes

Like Diabetes Canada, Kidney Clothes will come to your house and pick up your donations from your porch. 

They will take all the typical donations, plus yarn and fabric. You can also include ripped or worn out items for recycling as long as they are clean, dry, and free of contaminants.

Items that will NOT be accepted:

• Building and hazardous materials 
• Cribs and car seats
• Food
• Furniture
• Large Appliances
• Tires

Benefit of donating here

The Kidney Foundation is very convinient as they pick up from your porch on a scheduled day. You can schedule time online.

The Kidney Foundation is a leading investor in kidney research and provides programs and services to those living with and at risk of developing kidney disease.

Construction materials & large appliances

Habitat for Humanity ReStore

Habitat for Humanity ReStore has two locations in Calgary and they will do pickup for your furniture, kitchen cabinets, or appliances that are in good condition. 

Items that will be accepted:

• Kitchens
• Lumber
• Windows & doors
• Light fixtures
• Appliances
• Paint
• Tiles
• Hardware
• Furniture
• Home decor
• Tools

They have extensive explanation on their website, of what exactly they will and will not take. So you better check before going there, for example, they will not take appliances 10 years old or more.

Health equipment

Canadian Red Cross

Canadian Red Cross will accept health equipment that other donation placed often do not:

• Wheelchairs
• Walkers
• Crutches
• Canes
• Bath seats and benches
• Commodes and toilet seats

Hygiene items & medical supplies

Calgary drop in Centre (3640 11A St. NE)

They accept lots of items, not only hygiene and medical supplies, but because there’s only one drop off location it’s not as convenient. 

Benefit of donating here

Calgary Drop in Centre accepts items other donations centres don’t, like medical supplies and hygiene items, computers. 

Calgary drop in centre provides free furniture, household items, kitchenware, and other essentials to Calgarians who need them.

Women’s Centre of Calgary (39 4 St. NE)

Women’s centre of Calgary accepts:

• Diapers (size four and up)
• Shampoo & conditioner
• Lotion (hand and body)
• Body wash
• Deodorant
• Sanitary pads/napkins
• Plastic & reusable bags (new and used)
• Face care products
• Toilet paper

Benefit of donating here

Women’s Centre of Calgary accept cosmetics that other donations centres don’t.

Women’s Centre of Calgary helps women with issues as diverse as poverty and hunger, family breakdown, parenting, homelessness, unemployment, health and education, immigration and settlement, domestic violence, isolation and loneliness, life transitions and discrimination. 

Car seats & baby items

Car seats & baby items

Made by Momma (66 21 Street NW)

Car seats must not be within 12 months of expiry, have never been in any kind of accident, have no recalls, have no signs of wear/tear, must be clean and should include the manual if available.

Made by momma also accepts donations of:

• Non perishable food and baby food formulas
• Cosmetics for mommas and babies
• Cribs, strollers, swings, high chairs
• Diapers
• Toys, books, clothes
• Lots of other items moms and babies may need

Benefit of donating here

Made by Momma accept car seats and baby items, food and cosmetics that other donations centres don’t. 

Provide wholesome nourishment and nurturing care to mothers and young children facing situations of adversity and crisis.

Youth sports equipment

Calgary Flames Sports Bank

They accept donations of equipment for all different sports.

All equipment be placed in a clear plastic bag when being dropped off at one of the 8 locations. They collaborated with The Wood Automotive Group and all the locations are actually dealerships. 

Clear bags are available at the dealership if you don’t have one. 

Benefit of donating here

The Calgary Flames Sports Bank distributes all used sports equipment to children who would otherwise be denied the opportunity to participate in sports.

Books & textbooks

Any large donation centre accepts books, but if you recently decluttered your book library and have only books to donate, you may consider donating to these wonderful organizations that only specialize in books. 

Note: New textbooks can be donated, outdated textbooks should be recycled.

Peakbooks

Peakbooks accept all different types of books/media. Including but not limited to:

• Modern Textbooks
• Business
• Music incl. sheet music/piano books
• History
• Fine Arts
• Religion
• Children & Young Adult Books
• Fiction of all sorts
• Comic books/graphic novels/Manga
• Plus any other non-fiction!
• Video games/consoles, DVDs, blu-rays, CDs, vinyl records
• Board games

Benefit of donating here

Peakbooks accept textbooks and wide variety of books that other places may reject. 

As much as 95% of books donated will not be sold by Peakbooks, and instead, they will look for a new home for the books.

Books Between Friends (14, 3434 – 34 Avenue NE)

They will accept all books in good condition, for the exception of these items:

• Foreign language books
• Encyclopedias
• Harlequins
• Readers Digest Fiction
• Magazines
• Library discards
• Text books
• DVD’s, CD’s and VHS tapes

Benefit of donating here

Proceeds from book sales go towards supporting several local organizations, including B.C. and Alberta Guide Dogs, Bethany Care Society, Calgary Cerebral Palsy Association, and Veterans Food Bank of Calgary.

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These are just a few of the many organizations that accept donations in Calgary. When choosing a place to donate, consider the types of items you have and the causes you want to support.

By donating your unwanted items, you can help those in need, reduce waste, and protect the environment. So next time you declutter your home, be sure to consider donating your gently used items to a local organization.

What you should not donate, but should recycle or dispose

• Any appliances that have mechanical difficulties, missing power cord or is rusty or dirty.
• Automobile parts
• Old textbooks
• Old car seats
• Stained or ripped clothes
• Toys that have missing parts
• Anything broken
• Firearms, fireworks, dangerous goods

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