Donation Assistance

Does your office have unwanted old but useable office furniture, supplies or equipment? Here are some resources for finding outlets for donating these items instead of disposing of them as waste. Contact your Great Forest representative for additional information.

General Donations

  • PENCIL (Public Education Needs Civic Improvement in Learning)
    www.thepencilbox.org
    Donate to New York City Public Schools. Acceptable items include furniture, books, computers, office equipment, science equipment, gym equipment and musical instruments. All gifts are fully tax deductible.
     
  • Wa$teMatch
    www.wastematch.org
    NYC online materials exchange service that matches donors with recipients for a variety of materials, including building materials, office equipment, plastics, textiles, rubber and wood. Businesses and individuals can search for items or put up postings for material they wish to donate.
     
  • Freecycle™ New York City
    www.freecycle.org
    A free online gifting network open to individuals, non-profits, businesses and anyone in the NYC area who wishes to find a new home for unwanted items. One person's trash can truly be another's treasure! Simply log on to post what you are giving away or list an itme that you are seeking. As the name suggest, all items are given and received at no cost.
     
  • The New York Craigslist "For Sale" Forum
    newyork.craigslist.org/sss/
    Another popular place for businesses and individuals to offer items for sale or free to avoid throwing out useful items.
     
  • Materials for the Arts
    www.mfta.org
    This organization accepts almost anything (except clothing, bedding and food), and they are always looking for office supplies. Items are stored in a warehouse and non-profit arts groups can "shop" for free. They have their own truck for pickups and provide tax-deductions. For some larger items like copiers, they do a direct donation where an organization in need of your item can arrange to pick it up directly from you. They are generally only able to pick up materials in excess of 250 pounds or over $1,000 in value.
     
  • New York City Stuff Exchange
    1-877-692-7883
    City of New York Service in conjunction with non-profits. Call their toll-free number for an automated search of donation centers as well as to look up donors for all types of materials by zip code.
     
  • Housing Works Thrift Shops
    143 West 17th Street
    New York, NY 10011
    212-366-0820
    www.housingworks.org/thrift/index_flash.html
    This organization supports individuals with AIDS/HIV by running resale/thrift shops. They accept donations of electronic equipment including working computers, office supplies and clothes at any of their four locations in Manhattan during business hours and will provide their own transportation for furniture items like couches. They generally do not accept office furniture unless it is suitable for a residence.
     
  • Gifts For Sight Donation Program
    www.giftsforsight.org
    The non-profit organization Center for Keratoconus (Gifts for Sight) supports medical research, education and public awareness of this eye disorder. List your items for donation with contact information on their website. They will contact you if interested in picking it up.
     
  • Institution Recycling Network
    www.ir-network.com
    For large quantities of reusable goods including office furniture, reusable ceiling tiles, doors, windows, etc., this Massachusetts based organization is able to arrange for a 40-yard shipping container to be stationed at the building for removal and reuse. The container will be shipped directly to an organization in need within the Gulf region or South America. The cost of disposal is $1400, which is often comparable or less than the cost of landfill disposal of the items.

Furniture

See "General" resources as well.

Working Computer Equipment

See "General" resources as well. If you wish to dispose of non-working or very old electronic equipment, please contact you Great Forest representative for information on how to do so.