To donate old equipment, first check that a local charity or electronics program accepts your item in its current condition, then erase personal data and confirm how to deliver it. Acceptance, pickup, and what happens to equipment afterward vary by organization, so verify the details before you transport anything.
Choose donation, reuse, or recycling
Donation is a handoff to an organization; it does not guarantee that your equipment will go directly to another person. Depending on its condition and the recipient’s process, it may be reused, refurbished, dismantled for parts, or recycled. Ask the organization what it does with working and nonworking items.
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For usable household goods, start with a local charity or reuse organization. For electronics that a general charity will not accept, look for an electronics-specific donation or recycling program. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends donating or recycling electronics safely and suggests checking state or community facilities: EPA electronics donation and recycling guidance.
Check what the recipient accepts
Make a short inventory before contacting organizations: item type, make and model if known, working condition, quantity, accessories, and whether the device stores data. Ask about the exact item rather than relying on a general list. Goodwill Industries International notes that accepted items depend on the local Goodwill organization: Goodwill donation guidance.
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Check whether the recipient accepts broken equipment, large quantities, loose batteries, and accessories. A local organization may decline items because of condition, size, or limited ability to reuse them. For example, Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries in Massachusetts publishes local acceptance rules and may decline items based on those factors; its list is not a nationwide policy: Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries accepted items.
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- Back up anything you want to keep. Copy personal files to a secure location before wiping the device.
- Remove personal information. Sign out of accounts, remove the device from account-management services where appropriate, and use the manufacturer’s reset or secure-erasure procedure for computers, phones, tablets, and storage drives. The EPA advises donors to delete personal information before giving electronics away.
- Ask about batteries. Follow the recipient’s directions for removable batteries and local battery-recycling rules. The EPA warns that lithium-ion batteries and devices containing them should not go in household garbage or recycling bins.
- Check the handoff requirements. Ask whether the organization wants chargers, cables, peripherals, or other accessories, and whether it requires devices to be prepared in a particular way.
Some organizations describe their own data-handling procedures, but those procedures should be treated as an additional safeguard—not a substitute for removing your data before donation. For example, Dell Reconnect asks donors to sanitize devices before drop-off: Dell Reconnect program details. Human-I-T describes wiping, destruction, or approved downstream partner routes depending on device type and condition: Human-I-T technology donations. Ask directly whether a recipient provides a data-destruction record and under what conditions.
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Arrange drop-off, pickup, or shipping
Confirm the location and delivery method before loading equipment. Some programs accept drop-offs only at participating sites; others may offer pickup for qualifying donations or accept shipments under specific rules. Ask about appointment requirements, fees, packaging, quantity limits, and whether the recipient can handle the equipment safely.
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Examples of U.S. electronics routes
- Dell Reconnect: Dell describes free drop-off for used technology of any brand and condition at participating Goodwill sites. It is a recycling route, not a promise of direct reuse. Use the program’s location finder and confirm that a particular site participates before going.
- Human-I-T: The organization says it accepts most equipment with a plug, excluding appliances, and lists computers, mobile devices, monitors, printers, networking equipment, and servers. It describes pickup for qualifying donations, shipment at the donor’s expense for smaller donations, and warehouse drop-off in Bell, California. Verify current eligibility and logistics with the organization.
- Local charities: Rules differ by location. A national list or a nearby organization’s general donation policy does not establish that a specific site will accept your item.
Ask what happens after the handoff
Before donating, ask whether the organization reuses, refurbishes, parts out, or recycles items, and how it handles devices it cannot process itself. If a receipt or data-destruction documentation matters to you, ask whether one is available and what it covers. Human-I-T says it provides tax documentation, but that does not establish whether a particular donor qualifies for a deduction or what value may be claimed.
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Do not assume that a donation is tax-deductible or assign a value to the equipment based only on the recipient’s acceptance. Your eligibility and any claimed value depend on applicable tax rules and your circumstances; consult current IRS guidance or a qualified tax professional.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What to do if no donation site will take it
If charities and reuse organizations decline the equipment, contact a local electronics recycler or use your state or community’s electronics-recycling guidance. Keep batteries out of household garbage and curbside recycling, and follow local instructions for their separate handling. If the equipment is still usable, ask a repair or reuse organization whether it can be refurbished before choosing recycling.
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