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Donations
Donating Used Furnishings – A Cascade of Benefits
April 4, 2012 | 
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When you donate good used home furnishings to homeless shelters or other charities, you are helping (1) yourself, (2) your community, (3) the environment, (4) the charity and (5) its clients. When you throw usable items away, you help push landfills toward capacity and deprive all those entities of an easily obtainable benefit.
You benefit by qualifying for a tax deduction, cleaning out your home, and knowing that you have helped others. The charity may even pick up your items, saving you the hassle of carrying them out. Remember, the used furnishings must be in very good or like new condition. The charity is not a trash pickup service and it does not wish to provide furnishings in poor condition to its clients.
The proper tax deduction amount is based on the current fair market value of the donated item. Refer to IRS Publications 526 and 561 for guidance. Always obtain a receipt for your donation and don’t overvalue your gift. Unless the item is new or rare, the proper deduction value is probably a fraction of the purchase price.
The donation benefits the charity by supporting its mission and helping it grow. It benefits the charity’s clients (e.g., unemployed, low-income, abused or homeless people) by helping them establish comfortable and cheerful living spaces. Since most such donations are local, helping these people get a fresh start can raise the standard of living in your community.
Giving your used home furnishings to charity creates a chain of environmental benefits. Many furnishings contain toxic substances that can pollute your air or water supply when they are incinerated or placed in landfills. The U.S. EPA reports that in 2009, we as a nation discarded 9.8 million tons of furniture and furnishings, more than double the 4.8 million tons discarded in 1980. The 2009 amount comprised 4.1% of the nation’s municipal solid waste for the year.
Keeping usable items in use minimizes unnecessary production of new items. Product manufacturing consumes natural resources and creates waste byproducts. Shipping burns fossil fuels and pollutes the air. Donating good used furnishings delays this cycle as we develop cleaner, more efficient technologies for manufacturing, shipping, and disposal.
Don’t throw furnishings away when they are in very good condition. Donate them to a local charity and create a chain of benefits for yourself, your community, the charity, and the environment.
- Written by Alan Biehn of ab.editing, a member of the Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia
To see a list of donation items Deserving Decor is accepting, please visit the Donate page.
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Bucks County Housing Group Needs Bensalem Volunteers/Donations
The Bucks County Housing Group needs Apartment Partners for 19 of it’s 20 transitional homeless shelter apartments in Bensalem. Apartment partners “adopt” a shelter apartment and provide that extra “TLC” the apartment AND the family needs. AP’s provide necessary items for the apartment (bedding, dishes, etc) as well as support for the family (clothing, holiday help).
A typical AP group will assist two families a year. The Apartment Partner program is ideal for groups who want to participate on a regular basis, but face time constraints. Apartment Partners include service organizations, business groups, church groups and individuals. Please contact Karen at kmanzo@bchg.org or John at jkunes@bchg.org if you are interested in becoming an Apartment Partner.
Written by Beth Baker, Deserving Decor Founder
Living Philanthropic – A Year of Giving
What would you attempt if you could attempt anything? No fears!
What would you change if you could change anything? No repercussions!
What would you give if you could give anything? No limits!
Think about it for a second…
I recently came upon an interesting article about a guy from Chicago attempting change through giving! I’d like to introduce to you a new concept in philanthropy. Living Philanthropic proves it doesn’t have to thousands. I’d take it one step further to say, it doesn’t even have to be money. Say you don’t have thousands or even hundreds to give, who does? Say you don’t have any money? You can effectuate change by giving of your time and your talents by volunteering. Be creative!
Read the article below and be inspired to answer one or all three of the questions asked above.
http://mashable.com/2011/02/22/living-philanthropic/
Introduction by Cheryl A Galowitch, Deserving Decor Volunteer