What does Goodwill Accept?  

 

Goodwill store and donation centers in Greater Milwaukee and Chicago accept a wide variety of items, including:

  • Vehicles—We accept donations of vehicles and boats in all conditions
  • Clothing
  • Shoes and boots
  • Jewelry
  • Hats, gloves, mittens and scarves 
  • Books
  • Records
  • CDs and DVDs
  • Laptops
  • Pots and pans
  • Glassware and dishes
  • Utensils and serving ware
  • Small kitchen appliances
  • Home decor
  • Artwork
  • Lamps
  • Games and toys
  • Sporting goods
  • Hand tools and small power tools
  • Linens, curtains, blankets and sheets
  • Flat screen TVs and monitors (no CRTs) 
  • CPUs 
  • Hard drives
  • VCRs and DVD players
  • Household items

Donate your vehicle to Goodwill  

What is my donation worth? 

Use our handy Value Guide to help you determine your donation’s fair market value. 

Will Goodwill pick up my donation? 

There are three ways to schedule donation pick ups. 

  • Through a partnership with Careasy, Goodwill will pick up vehicle donations
  • Corporate partners can schedule donations directly with us.
  • Donors interested in donation pick up at their home can schedule with our partner, ReSupply. Through this convenient service, you can schedule a pickup for all your items including larger pieces like furniture and exercise equipment. They will bring your donation to the nearest store and donation center. We’ll sort through what we can accept, and ReSupply will ensure the rest goes to other local nonprofits. 

Items Goodwill does not accept 

It's hard to say "no thank you" to a donation when those donations help to fund Goodwill programs. However, we do need to refuse some items for being non-recyclable or containing hazardous materials. Other times, the item must be refused because it costs more to transport, repair or refurbish than it can be sold for in our stores. Our donation attendants are trained to know what we can and cannot accept and will help guide you to other possibilities for donations we cannot use.

Although we cannot accept certain items directly, the ReSupply service allows you to include items such as furniture in your scheduled donation pick up. ReSupply will donate these items to other local nonprofits and the rest of your donation will support Goodwill job training and placement programs. 

The following items cannot be donated to Goodwill: 

  • Large exercise equipment 
  • Chairs, stools, or couches
  • Mattresses or bed frames 
  • Desks or office furniture
  • Tables 
  • Dressers or bookcases
  • Pianos or organs
  • CRT TVs
  • CRT computer monitors 
  • Household chemical items and cleansers, including pesticides, paint, paint thinner and aerosols
  • Automotive hazardous waste such as tires, lead-acid batteries, additives, gasoline, oils, antifreeze, etc. 
  • Large appliances such as refrigerators, freezers, stoves/ovens, washers/dryers, air conditioners, dehumidifiers, furnaces, trash compactors, water heaters, large console stereos, freon-based appliances, etc. 
  • Personal care items such as shampoo, conditioner, nail polish remover, shaving cream, hairsprays, or shavers 
  • Fragrance items
  • Carpet or carpet padding 
  • Plumbing fixtures or building materials 
  • Traditional recyclables such as glass, newsprint, office paper, cardboard, plastics, magazines, junk mail, etc. 
  • Weapons such as guns, bows and arrows, ammunition, etc. 
  • Cribs, car seats, walkers or other products that do not meet the current safety standards of the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, including recalled items. 

Track your donations with our online receipt builder

  

Connecting people to work. Preparing people for life.