Furniture is heavy, awkward, and hard to haul, which is why free pickup is the feature most donors care about. Several national charities will come to your curb at no cost, and furniture banks will route your couch or table straight to a family that needs it. Here is who picks up for free and what condition your pieces need to be in.
The Salvation Army runs the largest free donation pickup service in the United States and accepts furniture, appliances, and household goods in sellable condition. Proceeds fund its recovery and social-service programs. Schedule a pickup at satruck.org or call 1-800-SA-TRUCK (1-800-728-7825). Pickups are typically scheduled within a few days to a couple of weeks.
Habitat for Humanity ReStores accept furniture along with appliances and building materials, and many locations offer free pickup of large items. Sales fund Habitat home builds in your community. Because each ReStore sets its own policy, call your nearest one to confirm pickup and what it accepts.
Furniture banks give donated furniture directly to people in need, including individuals exiting homelessness, survivors of domestic violence, refugees, and low-income families furnishing a first home. The Furniture Bank Network operates in many states. Because items go straight into homes, condition standards are higher, but your donation has an immediate, direct impact.
AMVETS, Vietnam Veterans of America, and services like Pickup Please offer free curbside pickup of household goods and small furniture, with proceeds supporting veterans' programs. Most take only pieces one person can lift: Purple Heart's GreenDrop pickup, for example, accepts solid wood furniture under 50 pounds and refuses sofas, dressers and beds. You leave items out on the scheduled day and they collect them, which is convenient for contactless donation.
Homeless shelters, transitional housing programs, and refugee resettlement agencies often need furniture for clients moving into housing. A direct call can match your sofa or dresser to someone setting up a home this week. Ask about pickup, since smaller organizations may or may not have a truck.
If you are not sure who serves your area, a scheduling tool like Schedule a Donation (formerly DonationTown) lets you search by ZIP code and book a free pickup with local charities, so you can compare options without a string of phone calls.
Moving or hauling it yourself?
If no charity picks up in your area, a few inexpensive tools make moving heavy pieces far easier:
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Who runs the truck decides what it will take. Charity-run and affiliate-run trucks handle sofas and dressers; the for-profit collectors that work for veterans charities take bags, boxes and small pieces. Each service was checked against its own site in October 2026.
| Service | Who runs the pickup | Large furniture | Cost | How to book | Coverage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salvation Army | Charity | Yes | Free; paid priority pickup in 24 to 48 hours through partner ReSupply | satruck.org or 1-800-728-7825 | Varies by ZIP code |
| Habitat ReStore | Local Habitat affiliate | Yes | Often free; paid faster pickup in some areas (Milwaukee from $99) | Local ReStore form or phone | Affiliates nationwide |
| St. Vincent de Paul | Local council | Varies | Free in some areas, paid priority option in others | Local council, online or phone | Local |
| Goodwill | Each regional Goodwill | Varies; Goodwill Greater Milwaukee & Chicago takes none | Free with a minimum load in some regions, paid partner in others | Regional Goodwill site | Set by about 150 local organizations |
| Pickup Please | For-profit collector that pays partner charities, including VVA | No; items one person can lift | Free | pickupplease.org or 1-800-775-8387 | 15 states |
| Purple Heart (GreenDrop) | For-profit collector | No; solid wood under 50 lb only | Free | GreenDrop scheduler or 1-888-944-3767 | DC, MD, NJ, NY, PA, VA; partners in AL, MI, TX, WI, Phoenix |
| AMVETS | Varies by state | Varies; photo approval where taken | Free | amvets.org/pickup, then your state's link | 17 states |
| Furniture banks | Independent nonprofits | Yes | Varies; Chicago Furniture Bank suggests a $100 to $600 donation | Contact the local bank | Local |
For a sofa specifically, see where to donate a couch. Vietnam Veterans of America also runs its own pickup, ClothingDonations.org, which VVA says covers 30 states and takes only small furniture.
Last updated June 2026. Errors: [email protected]
The process is similar across charities. You schedule online or by phone, choosing a date and confirming what you are donating. On pickup day you place items somewhere accessible, often the curb, driveway, or just inside a door, and a crew collects them. You receive a receipt for your records. Because routes are planned in advance, schedule a few days to a couple of weeks ahead, and have an accurate list ready so the charity sends the right size truck and crew.
There are two models, and the difference matters. Thrift-based charities like the Salvation Army and Habitat ReStore sell your furniture and use the proceeds to fund programs, so your gift becomes money for the mission. Furniture banks instead give your piece directly to a person or family who needs it, so your couch becomes someone's couch. If you want the most direct human impact, a furniture bank is ideal; if you want to support a broad program and have an easy pickup, a thrift-based charity is a strong choice.
To avoid a declined pickup, know the common no-go list: anything broken or structurally unsound, deeply stained or odorous upholstery, items with pet damage or pests, heavily worn particleboard furniture that will not survive a move, recalled cribs and certain children's furniture, and very large built-in entertainment centers that are hard to resell. Mattresses are a special case; see our mattress guide for who takes them.
Moves and estate cleanouts produce furniture faster than anyone can rehome it. Book pickups early, because charity calendars fill up around the end of the month and over holidays. For a whole house, ask whether the charity can do a large or multi-item pickup, and consider splitting between a thrift-based charity for resale items and a furniture bank for pieces ideal for a family. Keep one itemized receipt for everything for your tax records.
Furniture that is broken or too worn to donate still has options beyond the landfill. Solid wood pieces can be repaired or repurposed, metal frames can go to scrap, and some municipal bulky-waste programs recover materials. Buy Nothing groups and online free listings often find takers for pieces that need work, since some people enjoy refinishing. Donation is best when the item is usable; recycling and upcycling handle the rest.