Where to Donate Furniture, Clothes & Books? — A Second-Hand Donation Guide

Have furniture, clothes or books you no longer need? Donating to the right organization can help families in need and reduce waste. This guide covers the main options in Israel — based on facts from official organization websites.

Where You Can Donate

WIZO — Bigodiyot chain: Israel's largest second-hand shop network, with about 45 branches from Kiryat Shmona to Eilat and around 100 collection bins nationwide. Accepts clothing, shoes, books, household items, rugs, curtains and some furniture. No home pickup — bring items to a branch or collection bin. (wizo.org.il) Pitchon Lev — "Bazar Yad 2": A social NGO accepting quality second-hand clothing, shoes, toys, children's books, bedding and household goods; furniture and appliances at six "Bazar Yad 2" centers only (Tel Aviv, Ramat Gan, Rishon LeZion, Migdal HaEmek, Carmiel and Kiryat Motzkin, per the organization's site). Collection bins at Sonol gas stations. No home pickup — per the official site. Proceeds fund food baskets for families in need. (pitchonlev.org.il) Yad Sarah: 127 branches across Israel, lending medical and rehabilitation equipment free of charge — wheelchairs, electric beds, breathing devices and more. Accepts donations of working medical equipment coordinated in advance (02-595-8355 / *6444 / equipment@yad-sarah.org.il). All donated equipment is inspected and sterilized before re-lending. (yad-sarah.net) Miad LeYaad: An NGO transferring furniture, appliances and household goods in excellent condition directly to families in need. Offers home pickup mainly in central Israel and the Sharon — confirm your area when coordinating — arranged in advance with photos. (layaad.org.il) Latet — Israel's leading food bank: An umbrella organization of 210 NGOs serving about 95,000 families a year. Latet rescues food and consumer goods from manufacturers and retail chains — it does not accept second-hand goods donations from the general public. If you want to support Latet, donate money through their website.

Home Pickup for Furniture

Not every organization will come to you — here is who does what: • Miad LeYaad — yes, mainly in central Israel and the Sharon. Home or office pickup for furniture and appliances in excellent condition — confirm your area is covered. Advance coordination with photos is required. • Karmey Chesed — case-by-case, coordinated via WhatsApp (058-446-2181). Accepts scratched or faded items as long as they are functional. • WIZO — no. Use their collection bins across the country. • Pitchon Lev — no. The official site states "no home pickup" — bring items to a support center. • Yad Sarah — no general home pickup for donations; drop off at one of the 127 branches. In every case: advance coordination is required, and no organization accepts old mattresses.

Donating to Lone Soldiers & Evacuees

A few organizations specialize in routing furniture and household goods specifically to lone soldiers and evacuated families — groups with urgent, focused needs: The Lone Soldier Center in Memory of Michael Levin: distributes clothing, personal items and furniture to lone soldiers based on each soldier's specific need. To donate furniture — fill out the "Contact Us" form on the organization's site, select that you want to donate furniture/items, upload a photo of the item (e.g. to Imgbb) and paste the link plus the item's location. (lonesoldiercenter.com) Meir Panim: runs a furniture-donation initiative for both lone soldiers and evacuated families during wartime — beds, tables, chairs and closets. To coordinate a donation, call the donation hotline *3656. (meir-panim.org.il) Kehila Yotzeret Bayit ("Community Creates Home"): a civilian initiative that locates empty apartments and furnishes them for evacuee families. Accepts equipment and furniture donations via an online form, coordinated with the organizer (054-7778865). (home4evacuees.org) Hazit HaBait ("Home Front"): a large donation hangar (furniture, household goods, textiles, children's furniture) for evacuee families who lost their homes. The project depends on ongoing funding and its activity may change — confirm the hangar is still operating before you go. Accepts physical donations Mondays and Thursdays, 10:00–15:00, coordinated in advance by email or social media. (hazit-habait.co.il) In every case: call or fill out the form in advance to confirm the organization's current need matches your item, and that its condition meets requirements (see "Condition Requirements" below). Organizations already listed in this guide — like Miad LeYaad and Karmey Chesed — serve families in need generally; if you're unsure whether they specifically serve lone soldiers or evacuees, contact them directly to confirm.

Condition Requirements

The simple rule: "Would you give this to a close friend?" — if not, do not donate it. • Clothing: clean and laundered, no stains, tears or heavy wear. WIZO explicitly rejects stained or heavily worn items. • Furniture: fully functional and ready to use without repairs. Miad LeYaad requires "excellent condition"; Karmey Chesed is more lenient — scratched or faded is fine as long as it works. • Appliances / electronics: must actually work. • General: pack and fold items before handing over — organizations do not pack for you.

What Not to Donate

• Broken or non-working electronics/appliances → municipal e-waste (WEEE) recycling instead. • Torn, stained or heavily worn clothing → textile-recycling bins (not donation bins, not the trash). • Old mattresses — universally rejected by all organizations found. • Heavy built-in wardrobes requiring complex disassembly. • Mixed loads with trash among the donated items. • Heavy unsalvageable furniture → coordinate a municipal גזם/גרוטאות bulk-waste pickup.

Tax Benefit for Donating Goods?

The honest answer: generally no. Section 46 of the Income Tax Ordinance grants individuals a 35% tax credit on donations to approved institutions — but in practice this mainly applies to cash donations (minimum ₪207/year) and to assets that have received a licensed appraiser's valuation. Donating used household items, clothing or furniture does not yield a practical tax benefit — the cost of a certified appraisal would typically exceed the possible credit. If you donate money to a Section 46-approved organization, request a receipt marked "תרומה מוכרת לפי סעיף 46" and you can claim the 35% credit in your annual tax return. For the full guide to finding approved organizations — see Kol-Zchut (link in sources). Looking for second-hand shops near you by city? See our second-hand city directory (/second-hand).

FAQ

Who collects furniture from home?

Miad LeYaad collects furniture and appliances in excellent condition from homes, mainly in central Israel and the Sharon (confirm your area when coordinating), with advance coordination and photos. Karmey Chesed collects case-by-case via WhatsApp. Pitchon Lev does not collect from home — bring items to their support centers.

Where do I donate medical equipment?

Yad Sarah — 127 branches across the country, with advance coordination (02-595-8355 / *6444). Equipment is inspected, sterilized and re-lent free of charge.

Do goods donations qualify for a tax benefit?

Generally no. Section 46 gives a 35% credit for cash donations (minimum ₪207) to approved institutions. Donating used household goods does not yield a practical tax benefit — a certified appraisal would typically cost more than the possible credit.

Who accepts furniture donations for lone soldiers and evacuated families?

The Lone Soldier Center in Memory of Michael Levin accepts furniture donations for lone soldiers via its "Contact Us" form (with a photo and link). Meir Panim runs a furniture-donation initiative for both lone soldiers and evacuated families (donation hotline *3656). Kehila Yotzeret Bayit and Hazit HaBait furnish apartments for evacuee families — Kehila Yotzeret Bayit via an equipment-donation form (054-7778865), and Hazit HaBait accepts physical donations at its hangar Mondays and Thursdays, 10:00–15:00. Contact the organization first to confirm current need before bringing an item.

What's the difference between donating to an organization and giving an item away for free (מסירה)?

Donating to an organization means the item is routed through a coordinating NGO to a family in need, a lone soldier, or an evacuee family the organization chooses. If instead you want to give a specific item directly to someone nearby who needs it — a neighbor, a student, a local family — you can list it as a free giveaway (מסירה) on Shukshuk, and anyone interested contacts you directly.