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Make the most of your charitable donations

Published: Dec 29, 2011 12:01 a.m. ET


Where to send your old eyeglasses, office supplies, DVDs




SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) — As the New Year approaches, many of us will clean out the clutter in anticipation of a more organized 2012, but instead of dropping off all that stuff you no longer need at one location, consider donating to charities that are set up to re-purpose specific items.

There’s a charity for just about every item, including organizations that, among other things, will deliver your old eyeglasses, office supplies and DVDs to people in need.

But, whether you are donating money or goods, don’t get scammed. “The scammers are always out there, trying to find another angle,” said Joanne Reisser, vice president of development for Charity Navigator, which rates 5,500 of the nation’s largest charities on their financial health, accountability and transparency.

“People should not be donating reactively; they should be donating proactively,” she said.

Donating goods has drop-off locations for you to donate your old eyewear, so your glasses can help people with poor vision in countries worldwide.

Not sure what to do with extra office supplies? At, type in your zip code to find classrooms in your area that need supplies. They can use everything from pens and notebooks to cameras and furniture. 

Donate your children’s old DVDs to This nonprofit, started by four sisters, helps to organize movie libraries for children’s hospitals and pediatric departments in the U.S. and elsewhere, so that hospitalized children can watch movies to pass the time. sells your old phones to companies that refurbish or recycle them. The money is then used to purchase calling cards for soldiers to call home.

If you have leftover hotel toiletries like shampoos and soaps — or if you want to organize a soap drive — delivers soap and shampoo to parts of the world where life-threatening, communicable diseases are thriving.

Many of us will be bagging up our clothes to donate. Be aware that some of the clothing drop-off bins you see in parking lots are not for charity.  Some are put there by companies to collect clothes for re-sale, at a profit. But there are many worthy causes that can use your clothes. Look for drop-off bins from organizations such as the Red Cross.

Giving cash, buying products, donating time

Giving cash is always good, but do your due diligence. Check with the IRS or your state attorney general’s website to make sure your donation is going to a legitimate charity. Look for a 501(c)(3) status. And keep in mind that, according to Charity Navigator, the most efficient charities spend at least 75% of their budget on programs and services.

Avoid phone solicitors. Often, they are for-profit fundraisers and keep as much as 95% of your donation. Also, pay attention to names: Some bogus charities will use a name that is similar to a well-established charity in the hopes of duping the consumer into donating. Just because a website’s name ends in “.org” doesn’t mean it’s a non-profit.

A big area of growth in charitable giving is for people to purchase products that are made by survivors of human trafficking, genocide or domestic violence. Look for programs like and, where a percentage of the money goes back to the survivors and the program.

But be wary of websites that say a percentage of profits goes to a specific charity — find out the percentage and confirm with the charity.

A donation of your time is desperately needed by thousands of charities. will connect you with a charity specializing in a cause close to your heart. They have already connected almost 6 million people to charities that need volunteers.

It’s a great way to help others, feel good about yourself and meet new people. I can’t think of a better New Year’s resolution.

Jeanette Pavini is a regular contributor to various publications and Better.TV. She also hosts the weekly TV series, “The Real Deal” on NBC Bay Area and is the national spokeswoman for Write to her at

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