Every single group in the area is criticized by one faction or another so I tend to go with convenience and how they are within my community. Sometimes it’s Goodwill (yeah, yeah, but they have good local programs training special needs people for employment). Sometimes the local churches get my donations for distribution in the community (oh no! Not the churches! Religion is evil!) and sometimes I donate to local businesses that have coat drives.

Forgive my attitude, but whenever I have discussed such things I tend to hear why I shouldn’t donate to anyone.

I give to St Vincent de Paul. Despite being Catholic, they give to anyone, of any faith or no faith, no questions asked.

I don’t give to Goodwill anymore because of their terrible treatment of special needs people (paying abysmal wages). And I don’t give to Salvation Army because they will not help struggling LGBTQIA people.

I donate to the store run by the Kidney Foundation of Hawaii. They help pay for dialysis for needy patients. I’m not familiar with their business practices, but I like to shop at the store. I buy clothing there instead of Goodwill, because it’s actually separated by size. Our Goodwill stores separate only by sex of the clothing’s wearer.

I give nothing ever to Salvation Army for the reason mentioned by @zenvelo.

I donate to a thrift shop that supports a local childrens home, for wards of the staye.

Our family is very interested in child welfare and legislating to protect children.

Goodwill.

Our Goodwill separates by sizes, age and sex @Hawaii_Jake.

Makes no difference to me. Whoever has the closest drop-off office is OK with me. I feel that this is the equivalent of Level 3 on the scale below

Maimonides defines eight levels in giving charity (tzedakah), each one higher than the preceding one.

On an ascending level, they are as follows:

8. When donations are given grudgingly.

7. When one gives less than he should, but does so cheerfully.

6. When one gives directly to the poor upon being asked.

5. When one gives directly to the poor without being asked.

4. Donations when the recipient is aware of the donor’s identity, but the donor still doesn’t know the specific identity of the recipient.

3. Donations when the donor is aware to whom the charity is being given, but the recipient is unaware of the source.

2. Giving assistance in such a way that the giver and recipient are unknown to each other. Communal funds, administered by responsible people are also in this category.

1. The highest form of charity is to help sustain a person before they become impoverished by offering a substantial gift in a dignified manner, or by extending a suitable loan, or by helping them find employment or establish themselves in business so as to make it unnecessary for them to become dependent on others.

I don’t consider donating stuff to Goodwill to be “charity.” It’s a convenience to me. I can’t throw this perfectly good stuff away, and I sure don’t want to hassle with a garage sale.

I like to give to shelters that help women who escaped abusive relationships. Only two cities I’ve lived in did I come across that fairly easily. Unfortunately, I don’t put much effort into it.

I give to goodwill most often, because of convenience, but I know you are not looking for that sort of answer.

The local mission has outreach centers with donations drops and a network of thrift stores. In addition to shopping at them I donate a lot there. They do a lot of good for the community and the homeless. It’s not for profit like Goodwill. They resell everything in the stores and don’t cull the good stuff for auction online. I also donate to habitat for humanity.

In our apartment complex we have a cabinet in the entrance where people can put stuff they no longer need/want (in good condition, clean).
This morning I hung a winter coat there.
Usually stuff is gone within the day.
I like the idea of gifting stuff to your neighbors.

Where I live, Goodwill is my preferred donation site. Not only will they accept pretty much anything, & with certain items they will send a truck out to pick it up. They sell their items at very reasonable prices & they also give back to the community. I donate pretty much ALL my old & worn out computers to them because they refurbish the barely working computers with parts from the not working computers & sell at a reasonable price. Our Goodwill has a training area where they help mentally or physically challenged people & the homeless to get training & eventually a job. Many of our local businesses will hire the Goodwill trainees because they say they have been taught GREAT work ethics!!!

It’s been a while since I checked, but Goodwill had a lower administrative cost overhead than most of the others that you listed. In other words, when I donate to Goodwill I feel like I’m improving my community!!!

@LadyMarissa, our Goodwill is pretty good to their workers as well. They pay as much as they can so that the workers won’t lose their SS and Medicaid benefits.

One group that is beginning to have more donation/resale stores (but the nearest is 45 minutes from me) is Habitat for Humanity. Their places are call Habitat ReStore. I wholeheartedly endorse them.

@zenvelo Do they take clothes or just household items?

@chyna They take both

I have a bunch of stuff that normally would go to Goodwill, but is going to a warehouse to be stored instead until Habitat has their annual garage sale.

I heard on the radio about a gal who takes donated business clothing and gives it to low income women to help them get started in jobs. I tried to take a bunch of my unused casual business to her, but she was never open.
Then I called her and she said she had a donation box in the back of the building so I tried that. It was overflowing with clothes and open to the elements.
So I gave my stuff to Goodwill.

Anyone that has a good use for the items.

A large bonfire

I have very large clothing. So. I hope it goes to a big guy.