Not sure what to do with all your extra stuff? Where to donate in Champaign-Urbana
If there’s one thing that’s certain about having a family — no matter the ages and stages — it’s that there is no shortage of “stuff” that accumulates over the years
The following lists can help you figure out what to do with your excess things when you live in or near Champaign-Urbana. Whether you’re looking to donate right now, don’t mind waiting a little bit longer, or have a very specific donation item, this information can hopefully point you in the right direction.
chambanamoms thanks Sylvie Khan LLC for presenting this resource
Sylvie Khan LLC offers professional organizing and productivity services to homes and businesses in Chambana and beyond. Projects include everything from neglected basem*nts and messy supply cupboards, to downsizing support and whole-house clearances. Don’t let your stuff get you down – this team loves to help set space up so that it works for you. And for anything you no longer want, Sylvie Khan LLC will prioritize safe, sensible options for keeping it out of landfill.
For more information:Website, Instagram or email
The following organizations accept clothes, toys, household items, and more. Clicking on the links will lead to more information about hours, drop-off locations, and individual store policies regarding what they will — and won’t — accept. Please note that some stores havewaiting lists or limited availability for large item donations, or many bags of clothes, for example.
Basic Info
- Consider the condition of your items when donating. Most places are looking for gently used items, whether clothing or otherwise.
- We are big fans of Champaign’s Salt & Light, which recycles clothing (and fabrics of all types) and makes money by doing so. When you go to Salt & Light, you aren’t required to sort items; You can also donate clothing/linen items in ANY condition, knowing that they really do want your donation even if it will just be recycled.
- If you want an item to be re-used but aren’t sure where to donate or recycle it, check out theThe I.D.E.A. Store. It accepts items that are safe to reuse in art projects, and the list of what it will accept is fairly large. It includes scraps of fabric, mismatched game pieces — even pop tabs and bottle caps. All are welcome to shop its collection of art supplies.
- Have large items such as furniture? Some Champaign-Urbana area organizations will offer to pick them up. We list those below under furniture.
Benefits of donating your belongings
There are multiple benefits to donating our gently used goods. And some organizations can benefit from your not-so-gently-used-goods.
By donating goods, a worthy non-profit organization benefits — and our list focuses on those that help people locally in the Champaign-Urbana community. Your donations allow those who can’t afford to purchase new items to find the goods they need at a price they can afford.
There are environmental benefits too; there is less waste floating around when donated items are purchased vs. discarded.
Making donations can result in a tax deduction, although newer tax rules may make this more difficult so ask your tax professional. Be sure to get a receipt; not all places will give them.
Please note that we do our best to keep up with each organization but policies often change and we don’t always know about it. Call ahead or visit websites if you have questions. Click on sites below for specific donation information.
We also have an article that details where to recycle as well as where to sell your stuff. Happy purging!
Jump to what you’re looking for:
Toys | Stuffed Animals | Books | Baby Gear | Clothing | Small Household Items | Furniture | Miscellaneous
Toys
Restoration Urban Ministries
1213 Parkland Ct., Champaign. Donations of toys and infant and child equipment are always needed.
Seek and Find Thrift Store
223 Gerard Ave., Rantoul. Accepts games, toys and sports equipment. Benefits Seek and Find Ministries.
Stuffed Animals
Stuffed animals seem to be in a special class of toy that make them more tricky to donate. Keep in mind, even if they’re used, they still need to be clean and in good condition. Empty Tomb, Goodwill and Salt and Light will take them (even if they will just recycle them). Champaign Fire and Police Departments will accept NEW stuffed animals only. Other ideas include local churches, daycares and schools; check with them individually.
Books
Books 2 Prisoners
It has various drop-off locations around town.
Orphans Treasure Box
826 Pioneer St., Champaign. Books, CDs, DVDs, educational games and learning tools. Check here to see what it accepts and guidelines. Benefits orphans and their caregivers.
Other ideas
Our readers recommend where to donate children’s books here. Consider benefiting local libraries including Champaign, Urbana, Mahomet, andTolono. Each has its own rules on how, what, and when to donate. Depending on the library, your donation might end up in the general collection but more likely it will end up in a book sale. Some libraries also accept media including DVDs, CDs, and video games.
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Baby Gear
Crisis Nursery
1309 W. Hill St., Urbana. Baby/child clothing, baby/childcare items, office supplies, kids’ snacks, miscellaneous items. Be sure to check the link if you’d like to donate, as its needs are very specific. It prefers new items or items in excellent condition.
Restoration Urban Ministries
1213 Parkland Ct., Champaign. Donations of toys and infant and child equipment are always needed.
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Clothing
Carle Auxiliary Resale Boutique
Corner of Lincoln and University avenues in Urbana. Accepts clothing and shoes in good, clean condition. Funds the Carle Auxiliary Guest House, student scholarships, baby shirts for newborns, Professional Excellence Awards to Carle nurses and other philanthropic projects.
Empty Tomb
301 N. Fourth St., Champaign. Empty Tomb is currently taking up to three bags of men’s, women’s, children’s and youth in-season clothing. If you have career clothing to donate to people who may be interviewing for a new position or starting a new career, Empty Tomb will accept those items and get them to interested individuals.
Goodwill
1201 Savoy Plaza Lane, Savoy and 912 W. Anthony Dr., Champaign. Clothing and accessories.
It Takes a Village
601 E Main St., Suite 107, Mahomet. Accepts gently used children’s clothing and miscellaneous items for children; some adult clothing.
Restoration Urban Ministries
1213 Parkland Ct., Champaign. In-season clothing. Clothing items may be donated during the Clothing Pantry’s open hours Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Salt & Light
1512 W. Anthony Dr., Champaign; 1819 S. Philo Road, Urbana. All conditions of clothes and shoes (anything that is unwearable is recycled, learn more about that here). It operates thrift stores, a full-service grocery, and a free technology center, all open to the public. Those who work at Salt & Light can earn credits to spend there. Benefits Salt & Light Ministries.
Seek and Find Thrift Store
223 Gerard Ave., Rantoul. Accepts gently used men’s, women’s and children’s clothing. Benefits Seek and Find Ministries.
Twice is Nice
607 W. Elm, Urbana. This is a program of the First Presbyterian Church in Urbana; the website has more information about who benefits when you donate or shop there.
Willow Tree Missions
351 W. Monroe St., and 100 E. Washington, Monticello. Accepts gently used clothes. Funds the Willow Tree Mission Domestic Violence program.
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Small Household Items
Carle Auxiliary Resale Boutique
Corner of Lincoln and University avenues in Urbana. Accepts household items, home décor, books, DVDs and CDs, small working electrical items, jewelry, linens, holiday items, antiques, games and puzzles. Funds the Carle Auxiliary Guest House, student scholarships, baby shirts for newborns, Professional Excellence Awards to Carle nurses and other philanthropic projects.
Empty Tomb
301 N. Fourth St., Champaign. Empty Tomb takes household goods such as pots, pans, dishes, bedding, linens, up to room-size rugs and decorative items.
Goodwill
1201 Savoy Plaza Lane, Savoy and 912 W. Anthony Dr., Champaign. Household items, books, CDs.
It Takes a Village
601 E Main St., Suite 107, Mahomet. Accepts small household items and linens.
ReStore
1914 Glenn Park Dr., Champaign. Furniture, appliances, building materials, household items, books, some accessories. It accepts a wide variety including doors, windows, furniture, toilets — even the kitchen sink. It offers pick-up services. Call (217) 355-6460. Benefits Habitat for Humanity.
Restoration Urban Ministries
1213 Parkland Ct., Champaign. Appliances and household goods. Small household items may be donated during the Clothing Pantry’s open hours Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Electric appliances, such as crockpots, are always needed.
Salt & Light
1512 W. Anthony Dr., Champaign; 1819 S. Philo Road, Urbana. It operates thrift stores, a full-service grocery, and a free technology center, all open to the public. Those who work at Salt & Light can earn credits to spend there. Benefits Salt & Light Ministries.
Seek and Find Thrift Store
223 Gerard Ave., Rantoul. Accepts small household goods and furnishings, along with some furniture. Benefits Seek and Find Ministries.
Twice is Nice
607 W. Elm, Urbana. Household items, small appliances, books, CDs, toys, accessories. This is a program of the First Presbyterian Church in Urbana; the website has more information about who benefits when you donate or shop there.
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Furniture
Empty Tomb
301 N. Fourth St., Champaign. If you live in Champaign, Urbana or Savoy, arrangements can be made to pick select items that are in good condition.Email info@emptytomb.org to arrange the pickup of items for which waiting lists are maintained.
Goodwill
1201 Savoy Plaza Lane, Savoy and 912 W. Anthony Dr., Champaign. Some furniture, condition-dependent.
ReStore
1914 Glenn Park Dr., Champaign. Furniture, appliances, building materials, household items, books, some accessories. It accepts a wide variety including doors, windows, furniture, toilets — even the kitchen sink. It offers pick-up services. Call (217) 355-6460. Benefits Habitat for Humanity.
Restoration Urban Ministries
1213 Parkland Ct., Champaign. Furniture and larger household items are accepted on a case-by-case basis as storage space is extremely limited.
Salt & Light
1512 W. Anthony Dr., Champaign; 1819 S. Philo Road, Urbana.Offers contact-less furniture pick-up. Call the store at (217) 355-5654. It operates thrift stores, a full-service grocery, and a free technology center, all open to the public. Those who work at Salt & Light can earn credits to spend there. Benefits Salt & Light Ministries.
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Miscellaneous
If you have scraps of fabric, wine corks, mismatched game pieces and so much more, the The I.D.E.A. Store, in Lincoln Square, Urbana may be the right spot for you. A list of what it will accept is fairly large, and it includes household items, arts and crafts supplies, office supplies and more. The I.D.E.A Store says “you support sustainability, social change, and the joy of creating” when you donate your items.
If you have an old bike, even if it needs some repair, consider donating it to The Bike Project of Champaign-Urbana. It sells restored bikes at reasonable prices and advocates for a bike-friendly community.
Got a car or other vehicle that needs to go? Donate it to WILL Illinois Public Media; it will even tow it away for you. Find the details here.
If you need to unload some old eyeglasses, take them to one of the drop box locations provided by the Champaign Lions Club. The club recycles used specs and donates them — along with a free exam — to people in need.
Have a prom dress to donate? We wrote about specific places to donate prom dresses here. There are sometimes seasonal sales that pop up around Champaign-Urbana in the late winter but most thrift stores take them regardless. You can also check with area theater programs, such as the Champaign Park District Youth Theatre, which may have a production in the works that will require formalwear.
Want to donate Halloween costumes for kids? Typically, the Champaign Park District holds a costume donation drive each October.
Do you have extra seeds you’ve saved, plants you’ve started, or produce you’ve grown? Contact Solidarity Gardens CU to find out how it can help distribute these materials to those who need them.
Haveelectronics, books, jewelry, sporting goods, DVD’s, CD’s, VHS, records, 8-tracks, computer accessories and more? Take them over to Willow Tree Resale Shop in Monticello. And if you’re looking for where to takeelectronics BIG and small, specifically, mark your calendars for electronics recycling in Champaign County.
And finally, if your timing is just right …
Drop-off of items occurs at the end of U of I’s spring semester, early May; sale is in August. The main concept behind this fundraiser is to collect items students would otherwise dispose of (read: abandon) during the spring move-out and sell it to the incoming crop of young academics in the fall. Genius. It even accepts toys and stuffed animals! The sales does not collect televisions, paint, child/infant car seats, stoves, washers, dryers, non-working electronics and computer parts, sleeper sofas, mattresses, televisions, or large exercise equipment.
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