How To GIF Back With Your Gently Used Event Items
Got “event junk” to donate?
It’s no secret that waste is an issue in the event industry and that event businesses accumulate a LOT of “junk" whether that’s event decor, equipment, office supplies or furniture. While most of these items get great use at events or our office/home, oftentimes businesses end up “retiring” items whether that’s due to not being in-demand, damaged, broken - or worse, single-use.
So what does an event business do with all this “junk” you ask?
The Problem With Goodwill Donations
Goodwill is typically a first choice for busy event businesses thanks to the drop-and-dash convenience their donation centers provide. While it’s generally still a good choice for donating gently used items, what most people don’t know is Goodwill doesn’t accept every item you drop off. For example, Goodwill of Southern Arizona includes TVs, strollers, weights, office equipment, pianos and more common items on their list of Items We Do Not Accept.
Furthermore, NPR reported in 2021 that many items donated to Goodwill (not included on their list of unacceptable items) are rejected and sent straight to the landfill. In fact, Goodwill admitted that in 2020 it “threw away more than 13 million pounds of waste!”
According to Reagan Bissonnette, Executive Director of the Northeast Resource Recovery Association (a recycling group), this is in part because of people “wish-cycling,” which is "where people are hoping that something is recyclable and therefore they put it in with their recycling,” or donate it to Goodwill.
Alternative Solutions To Goodwill
The good news is there are several sustainable solutions for donating your “event junk” as well as your “every-day junk” if you want to ensure it doesn’t end up in the landfill!
Below we break down 7 types of smaller nonprofits you can search for in your area that are a great alternative to Goodwill. For our Arizona event friends we’ve also shared our top picks for Tempe, Arizona nonprofits that we donate old “event junk” and “everyday junk” to along with a list of their in-kind donation needs.
Remember event friends! One event company’s “junk” can be a nonprofit’s treasure!
Refugee Nonprofits
Local nonprofits that serve refugees (or the unsheltered transitioning to housing) often are looking for household furniture, home decor, kitchen appliances, backpacks, board games, etc. We recommend contacting your local refugee and transitional housing nonprofits to learn more about their specific needs.
FEATURED TEMPE, AZ NONPROFIT: The Welcome To America Project is a Tempe, Arizona 501 (c)(3) nonprofit that shares transportation, technology and transformational resources to enhance success, so that refugees do not just resettle in our country, they find community and flourish. Their services include assisting refugees with resettlement in various ways as well as partnering with ASU and Goodwill to provide refugees with valuable job skills training, career guidance, and English language training.
Currently they are accepting donations of gently used household furniture, kitchen items, toys and athletic equipment, various household items such as rugs and throw pillows, backpacks, brooms and winter coats.
Learn more about making a donation to The Welcome To America Project here!
Animal Nonprofits
Local nonprofits like animal shelters and pet rescues often are looking for anything related to pets, but also bedding, towels and cleaning products to use at their facilities. We recommend contacting your local pet nonprofits to learn more about their specific needs.
FEATURED TEMPE, AZ NONPROFIT: Lost Our Home Pet Rescue is a Tempe, Arizona 501 (c)(3) nonprofit that serves as a response to the housing crisis that left thousands of people displaced and thousands of pets abandoned. Their services include temporarily caring for pets, pet rescues for abandoned pets, low-income pet boarding and a pet food bank program.
Currently they are accepting donations of unopened cat, dog, kitten & puppy food, formula, litter, toys and treats as well as clean pet beds, kitty condos, and towels for the shelter/use in a foster home/ or for their Pet Food Bank to help others in need. They cannot accept opened bags or opened cans of food or bedsheets or pillows.
Learn more about making a donation to Lost Our Home Pet Rescue here!
Educator Nonprofits
Local nonprofits that serve educators and children often are looking for school supplies which can include your old event business office items such as school supplies, arts & crafts items, office supplies, containers, games, etc. We recommend contacting your local teacher nonprofits to learn more about their specific needs.
FEATURED TEMPE, AZ NONPROFIT: Treasures 4 Teachers is a Tempe, Arizona 501 (c)(3) nonprofit that serves as a donation-based supply store for educators in Arizona. Their services include providing local educators low cost and free school supplies as well as resources and trainings that aim to enhance and expand the learning process.
Currently they are accepting a long list of donations including (but not limited to) all kinds of books, arts & crafts supplies, office supplies such as folders, pens, paper, etc., various electronics such as flatscreen monitors, learning games, small furniture and much more.
Learn more about making a donation to Treasures 4 Teachers here!
Community Nonprofits
Local nonprofits that serve community members often are looking for food donations, typically non-perishable boxed and canned goods. They also will usually accept personal hygiene items, back to school supplies and baby shower items. We recommend contacting your local community/food bank nonprofits to learn more about their specific needs.
FEATURED TEMPE, AZ NONPROFIT: Tempe Community Action Agency is an Arizona 501 (c)(3) nonprofit whose mission is to assist with strengthening families and neighborhoods through initiatives that address the causes and effects of poverty. Their services include hunger relief, emergency rent and utility assistance, senior independence program, pre- and post-natal services for families, financial success center and community garden.
Currently they are accepting a long list of food donations for the seniors and unsheltered individuals they serve along with laundry pads, hand sanitizer, back to school supplies, infant formula, baby shower or newborn gift items (listed as “critical needs”) as well as tarps, gardening supplies and personal hygiene items. Additional items needed can be found via the link below.
Learn more about making a donation to Tempe Community Action Agency here!
Tech Nonprofits
Local nonprofits that recycle or up-cycle old tech often are looking for TVs, cellphones, computers, printers, fax machines, etc. They also will usually accept wires, cords and any tech-related items as well. We recommend contacting your local tech nonprofits to learn more about their specific needs.
FEATURED TEMPE, AZ NONPROFIT: Arizona Students Recycling Old Technology (AZStRUT) is an Arizona 501 (c)(3) nonprofit that supports Arizona’s technical education and a community effort towards a more sustainable future. Their services include refurbishing and recycling old technology and finding it new homes such as at schools.
Currently they are accepting a long list of tech-related items that include audio/visual equipment, TVs, wires, hard drives, DVD players, gaming consoles, desktop computers, laptops, cellphones, fax machines, Additional items needed can be found via the link below.
Learn more about making a donation to AZStRUT here!
School Nonprofits
Local nonprofits that serve students and their families often are looking for child and teen clothing items as well as back to school items such as backpacks. Most of these programs operate within the school and serve as a resource center for low-income families or families who have suffered a recent loss.
FEATURED TEMPE, AZ NONPROFIT: Threadz is a community partnership between Tempe and Kyrene schools. It serves as a free middle and high school teen resource center and provides students access to clothing, shoes, personal hygiene and school items.
Currently they are accepting new and gently used clothes for teens 13-17 years old, personal care and hygiene items and school supplies.
Learn more about making a donation to Threadz here!
Library Nonprofits
Many local libraries have a nonprofit attached to them that is happy to accept donations of books, which can include business or event industry books. Most of these programs operate within the local library and will resell donated books to fund community projects and/or programs they provide free of charge to local residents via the library.
FEATURED TEMPE, AZ NONPROFIT: Friends of the Tempe Public Library is an Arizona 501 (c)(3) nonprofit that sells used books at the Tempe Public Library. Proceeds from these sales are used to manage the library’s Connections Cafe coffee shop, sustain the library’s summer reading program, enhance the library’s play areas for children, provide lifelong learning classes in partnership with Arizona State University to community members, among other specialty projects at the Tempe Public Library.
Currently they are accepting any and all used book donations!
Learn more about making a donation to Friends of the Tempe Public Library here!
BONUS IDEA: Drop off gently used books to a Little Free Library in a different zip code than your neighborhood! This gives community members a chance to enjoy books for free!
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