Goodwill operates roughly 3,400 stores across North America right now — and is within 10 miles of about 85% of the U.S. population. But hours, donation rules, and what they’ll actually accept vary significantly by location. This guide covers everything you actually need to know: what they take, what they refuse, how to get a tax receipt, and how to find the store closest to you with real contact information.
📍 Find the Closest Goodwill Near You
Tap any button to load your map. Always call your specific store before making a trip with furniture or large items — acceptance rules for oversized donations are set at the store level, not nationally, and donation hours close 1–2 hours before store closing time.
📌 Verify hours directly before driving — hours vary by location.
Official locator: goodwill.org/locator ·
ShopGoodwill.com (online auctions) ·
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These are the questions people search before loading up their car or walking into a store for the first time. Answered plainly, without the hedging that fills most corporate help pages.
The only reliably accurate way to find your nearest open Goodwill with its direct phone number is the official store locator at goodwill.org/locator — search by ZIP code, city, or state. Each result shows the store address, direct phone number, and current hours. Third-party maps often show outdated hours or the wrong phone number because Goodwill is a network of more than 150 independent regional organizations, each setting its own hours. The locator pulls live data from each regional group. If you need immediate help and can’t get to a computer, call the national Goodwill helpline at 1-800-GOODWILL (1-800-466-3945), which can direct you to the nearest location.
Most Goodwill stores are open seven days a week. Monday through Saturday: typically 9 AM–9 PM. Sunday: typically 9 AM–7 PM or 10 AM–6 PM — Sunday hours are shorter at most locations. Goodwill stays open on most federal holidays including Memorial Day, July 4th, and Labor Day. Individual stores may close on Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and Easter Sunday, but there is no universal national policy — each regional Goodwill organization sets its own holiday schedule. Always check your specific store’s current hours at goodwill.org/locator before a trip on a holiday weekend, because hours can shift without advance online notice. Many stores post temporary hour changes only on their front door and on local social media, not on national websites.
No appointment needed at most locations. The majority of Goodwill stores have a drive-up donation center — you pull into the donation lane, a Goodwill attendant comes out to help you unload, and you’re done in minutes. No forms, no waiting room. The most important thing to know is that donation centers close 1–2 hours before the store itself closes — if a store closes at 9 PM, the donation center may stop accepting items at 7 PM or 8 PM. Showing up at 8:45 PM expecting to donate will likely result in a turned-away trip. Call ahead if you’re coming in the last two hours of the business day. Also: do not leave donations outside after hours — unsupervised donations left overnight are frequently stolen, damaged by weather, or have to be thrown away because Goodwill can’t verify their condition.
Goodwill accepts furniture at many but not all locations. The national policy allows it, but individual stores can decline based on floor space, staffing, and the item’s condition. The rules that apply everywhere: furniture must be clean, structurally sound, free of stains, rips, pet hair, mold, disassembled pieces, or broken parts. Mattresses, box springs, bed rails, sleeper sofas, and bean bag chairs are refused at almost all locations — hygiene and legal reasons that vary by state. Goodwill generally does not offer free home pickup for standard household donations. A small number of regional Goodwill organizations partner with third-party pickup services, but these are not available everywhere. Call your nearest store and ask: “Do you offer furniture pickup, and if not, can you suggest an alternative?” If Goodwill won’t take your furniture, Habitat for Humanity ReStore is the next call — their pickup availability for larger items is often better.
Yes. Goodwill is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and donations of goods are tax deductible if you itemize deductions on your federal tax return. Always ask for a receipt when you drop off — it will be a blank form, because the IRS prohibits Goodwill (and any nonprofit) from assigning dollar values to donated items. You assign the fair market value yourself. Keep a written list or photos of what you donated; the IRS uses “fair market value at the time of donation” — generally what the item would sell for at a thrift store, not what you originally paid for it. For donated items totaling over $500, file IRS Form 8283 with your return. Many regional Goodwills now offer digital receipt accounts — ask the attendant when you drop off, or check your local Goodwill’s website to register. This lets you track all donations in one annual summary at tax time instead of managing a pile of paper slips.
Some — not all — regional Goodwill organizations offer senior shopping discounts, typically 10–20% off on a designated “senior day” once per week (often Tuesday or Wednesday). There is no universal national senior discount policy because Goodwill is a network of independently operated regional nonprofits. Call your local Goodwill and ask specifically: “Do you offer a senior discount, and what day does it apply?” Many stores also run color-coded tag sales (all items with a specific tag color discounted 50%) that rotate weekly and apply to everyone. Some locations have a discount card program for frequent shoppers — ask at the register. The Goodwill app (available on iOS and Android) shows current local deals and sometimes has digital coupons that apply in-store before purchase.
Yes — Goodwill runs two official online shopping platforms. ShopGoodwill.com is an auction-style marketplace where items from Goodwill stores across the country are listed with photos and bid online. Prices can be surprisingly low, though shipping adds cost for heavier items. In 2025, ShopGoodwill reached $450 million in gross merchandise value, making it a major platform in the online thrift market. GoodwillBooks.com focuses specifically on books, DVDs, music, and games — more than 1.5 million products at fixed prices. Both sites require creating a free account. Neither site requires a Goodwill membership — anyone can browse and buy. Items ship directly from individual Goodwill locations, so shipping times and costs vary depending on where the selling store is located relative to you.
Items that don’t sell in the retail store within a few weeks go through a multi-stage process rather than straight to a landfill. First, they’re transferred to Goodwill Outlet stores (sometimes called “the bins”) where merchandise is sold by the pound at very low prices. What doesn’t sell at the outlet is sorted and sent to textile recyclers and wholesale liquidators. Goodwill collects approximately 6 billion pounds of donated goods annually — and processes virtually all of it through some channel. The important practical implication for donors: items in very poor condition — heavily stained, missing parts, broken, or wet — cost Goodwill money to process and dispose of, and accepting them in bad faith actually works against the mission rather than supporting it. Items the IRS would classify as “not in good used condition” should go to textile recyclers (many grocery stores have bins), not the donation lane.
Goodwill is independently operated by more than 150 regional organizations, which means hours vary — sometimes significantly — between two stores in the same city. The patterns below reflect national norms; your store may differ. Always verify at goodwill.org/locator.
| Day / Time | Typical Store Hours | Donation Hours | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday – Friday | 9 AM – 9 PM | Closes 1–2 hrs early | Standard weekday hours at most locations |
| Saturday | 9 AM – 9 PM | Closes 1–2 hrs early | One of the busiest shopping days |
| Sunday | 9 AM – 7 PM | Closes 1 hr early | Shorter hours — verify locally |
| Thanksgiving | Varies by region | Often closed | Some regional Goodwills close; call ahead |
| Christmas Day | Usually closed | Closed | Most regional Goodwills close fully |
| Memorial Day | Regular or reduced | Varies | Most stores open; verify your location |
| July 4th | Regular or reduced | Varies | Most stores open; reduced hours possible |
| Labor Day | Regular hours | Varies | Generally open with regular hours |
| Outlet Stores | Often 7 AM – 5 PM | N/A | Shorter hours than retail; verify locally |
This is the most common source of wasted trips to Goodwill. If a store closes at 9 PM, the donation center typically stops accepting items at 7 PM or 7:30 PM. Arriving at 8:45 PM with a car full of items will get you turned away. Call before you load the car if you’re going within two hours of the store’s listed closing time. The direct phone number for your store is at goodwill.org/locator — it rings the store floor, not a call center.
These categories are accepted at the vast majority of Goodwill locations nationwide. The universal standard: items must be clean, in good working condition, and free of damage, mold, or strong odors. When in doubt about a specific item, call your store before driving over.
Clothing is the single most donated and most sold category at every Goodwill location. Men’s, women’s, children’s, and infant clothing in any condition is generally accepted — including items with minor wear — because even clothing that can’t be resold goes to textile recyclers rather than a landfill. Shoes in wearable condition, handbags, belts, scarves, and jewelry are also accepted. Bring clothing in bags or boxes — loose piles can get separated. Hangers are accepted separately and are often resold. The attendant will scan the load and process it; you don’t need to sort items by category. One practical tip for seniors clearing a closet: pack each bag with one clothing type (shirts, pants, shoes) to make the attendant’s work easier and ensure nothing gets missed or accidentally separated.
Goodwill accepts a wide range of working electronics: cell phones, smartphones, laptops, desktop computers and monitors, gaming systems and controllers, cameras, DVD and Blu-ray players, small stereos, tablets, and flat-screen (LCD/LED) televisions. Keep all cords, remotes, and accessories together — items donated without accessories are harder to sell and sometimes have to be discarded. Attendants at many locations will power on electronics to confirm they work before accepting them. Goodwill partners with Dell through the Dell Reconnect program, which accepts non-working computers and electronics for responsible recycling — so a broken laptop is still a worthwhile donation. Do not bring older CRT televisions (the bulky, heavy box TVs with a glass picture tube) — these are refused universally due to the cost of recycling the hazardous materials inside.
Dishes, glasses, mugs, pots and pans, bakeware, utensils, and kitchen gadgets are among Goodwill’s most frequently donated and sold items. Small countertop appliances — coffee makers, toasters, irons, blenders, vacuum cleaners — are accepted when clean and in working order. Décor items (picture frames, vases, lamps, mirrors, artwork) move well in most markets. Books, DVDs, Blu-rays, CDs, vinyl records, and video games are almost always accepted. Large appliances are a different story: refrigerators, stoves, washers, dryers, dishwashers, and air conditioners are refused at virtually all Goodwill locations — the logistics and safety requirements make them impractical to accept. If your small appliance has a non-working heating element or motor, don’t donate it — the attendant will test it and turn it away, wasting your trip.
Goodwill accepts furniture at most — but not all — locations. What they take: sofas, chairs, tables (kitchen, dining, end, coffee), dressers, bookshelves, desks, and bed frames — when clean, fully assembled, structurally sound, and free of stains, animal hair, rips, or mold. What they will not take in any form: mattresses, box springs, bed rails, sleeper sofas, air mattresses, mattress toppers, bed pillows, and bean bag chairs. These are rejected everywhere due to hygiene regulations and state health laws governing the resale of sleep surfaces. Some locations also have weight limits — items over 50 pounds may be declined if staff cannot safely assist. Before loading up a truck, call your nearest location and ask: “Do you have space for furniture right now, and are there any size or weight restrictions?”
These items are refused at virtually all Goodwill locations, regardless of how clean or new they are. The reasons are consistent: safety regulations, hygiene laws, hazardous material handling costs, liability exposure, or the item costs more to process than it can ever sell for.
Mattresses, box springs, bed rails, sleeper sofas, air mattresses, mattress toppers, memory foam toppers, bed pillows, and bean bag chairs are refused everywhere with no exceptions. State health and sanitation laws in most states prohibit the resale of used mattresses and sleep surfaces — even if they appear new or were barely used. Goodwill has no way to sanitize a sleep surface to resale standards, and the liability exposure from attempting to do so isn’t worth it. For unwanted mattresses in good condition, check whether your area has a mattress recycling program (mattressrecyclingcouncil.org operates programs in California, Connecticut, and Rhode Island). Local junk removal services, municipal bulk pickup days, or listing the item free on Nextdoor or Facebook Marketplace are the most practical alternatives.
Car seats, infant cribs, strollers, highchairs, baby walkers, playpens, bassinets, and changing tables are refused across all Goodwill locations. The reason is legal, not logistical: the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) updates safety standards for infant and child equipment regularly. A car seat or crib that was fully legal and safe when purchased may now be recalled or non-compliant with current standards. Goodwill staff have no way to quickly verify compliance or check for open recalls, and reselling non-compliant child safety equipment creates serious liability. To safely dispose of a recalled or expired car seat, check the CPSC recall database at cpsc.gov, or look for “car seat recycling” events at major retailers like Target, which periodically accepts old car seats in exchange for trade-in coupons.
Goodwill will not accept anything classified as hazardous: paint and stain (open or sealed), cleaning chemicals and solvents, pesticides, automotive fluids (oil, antifreeze, wiper fluid), car batteries, tires, propane tanks, and gas-powered tools. Firearms and ammunition are refused for legal reasons — licensed dealers and firearms-specific programs handle those. These items require regulated disposal methods that Goodwill is neither licensed nor equipped to manage. For paint disposal, PaintCare (paintcare.org) operates drop-off locations at hardware stores in 40+ states — free and no appointment needed. For hazardous household waste in general, search “[your county] household hazardous waste drop-off” — most counties run free events or permanent drop-off sites.
Refrigerators, freezers, stoves, washers, dryers, dishwashers, hot water heaters, and air conditioners are refused — they cost more to move, test, store, and sell than they ever generate in revenue. Medical equipment including walkers, wheelchairs, crutches, and portable toilets is turned away at most locations because Goodwill cannot inspect or certify medical devices for safe resale. Items that are wet, mildewed, moldy, or have a persistent odor are refused because moisture spreads damage to everything around them in storage. For medical equipment in good condition, contact your local medical equipment exchange (search “[your city] medical equipment loan closet”), Lions Club, or local church — these networks specifically accept and redistribute gently used mobility equipment to seniors and people with disabilities at no cost.
Goodwill is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Every donation of goods qualifies as a potential tax deduction if you itemize — but how you handle the receipt paperwork determines whether that deduction holds up at audit.
Goodwill attendants will hand you a blank receipt form — it acknowledges the donation but leaves the dollar value blank. The IRS prohibits Goodwill (and all nonprofits) from assigning values to donated items. You determine fair market value yourself. Fair market value for tax purposes is what the item would realistically sell for at a thrift store — not what you paid for it originally. A shirt you bought for $45 three years ago that now sells for $4 at a thrift store has a fair market value of $4. Keep a detailed written list or photos of everything you donated — if you’re ever audited, the documentation you keep (not just the receipt itself) is what protects you.
Many regional Goodwill organizations offer digital receipt accounts — a free online system where your donation is logged each time you drop off, and you can print an annual summary at tax time instead of managing a folder of paper slips. Ask the donation attendant when you drop off: “Do you offer electronic receipts, and how do I register?” If the answer is yes, register within the same visit using your email address. Some regional Goodwills recommend registering within 45 days of each donation to ensure it’s captured in your account. If your local Goodwill doesn’t offer digital receipts, keep the paper receipt in a dedicated folder or envelope at home, and take a photo of it with your phone as a backup immediately after receiving it.
To claim a deduction, you must itemize deductions on your federal return (Schedule A). For total donated goods worth under $500, you self-assign fair market values on your return. For total non-cash donations over $500, file IRS Form 8283. For a single item worth over $5,000, you’ll also need a written appraisal from a qualified appraiser — a valuable vintage item or antique furniture piece can fall into this category. The IRS only allows deductions for items in “good used condition or better” — donating items that are visibly worn out, non-functional, or wouldn’t actually sell doesn’t create a deductible contribution even if Goodwill accepts it. Use IRS Publication 561 to understand fair market valuation, or use Goodwill Industries International’s online donation valuation guide at goodwill.org/donors/donate-stuff/valuation-guide for common item ranges.
Goodwill’s stores exist to fund a mission — and that mission is job training and employment services for people facing barriers to work. Most of these services are free and open to the public, funded by the sale of donated goods. Very few of the people who shop or donate at Goodwill know these programs exist.
Most Goodwill regional organizations operate free career centers — either inside retail stores or in separate community-facing offices — that are open to the general public. Services include one-on-one career coaching, resume building and review, interview preparation, digital skills training (email, internet, Microsoft Office basics), GED and high school diploma programs at some locations, and direct job placement assistance with local employers. These services are not just for people in crisis — anyone who needs a job or a career change can walk in. Many Goodwill career centers serve seniors specifically, including those re-entering the workforce after retirement or looking for part-time employment. Find your regional Goodwill’s career services at goodwill.org/find-jobs-and-services or call 1-800-GOODWILL (1-800-466-3945) to be connected with local programs.
ShopGoodwill.com is Goodwill’s official online auction marketplace — think of it as a thrift store you can browse from home without getting out of your chair. Items from Goodwill stores across the country are photographed and listed with bids starting as low as $1. Categories include clothing, jewelry, collectibles, electronics, art, furniture, books, and tools. In 2025, the platform processed $450 million in gross merchandise value. For seniors who find in-store shopping physically difficult, ShopGoodwill offers a comfortable way to access the same quality and variety of inventory from home, with items shipped directly to your door. Creating an account is free and takes about two minutes. Note that you pay both the final bid price and a shipping fee — calculate shipping cost before bidding on heavy items, as it can approach or exceed the item’s value for large or heavy goods.
Start by sorting into three categories: items that meet Goodwill’s condition standard (clean, working, no damage), items that don’t (mattresses, large appliances, broken things), and items that need a different destination (hazardous materials, medical equipment, child safety items). For the first category, load Goodwill-suitable items for a drop-off during donation hours — which close 1–2 hours before store closing. For the second category, schedule a bulk trash pickup through your municipality, contact a junk removal service, or list usable items free on Facebook Marketplace or Nextdoor. Do not try to bring everything to Goodwill in one trip without pre-sorting — arriving with a truckload of mixed acceptable and unacceptable items wastes time and means bringing the rejected items back home. For a large home clearout with both acceptable and unacceptable items, a single junk removal service pickup may be more efficient than multiple Goodwill trips, especially for furniture pieces.
Three steps protect your deduction. First, only donate items in “good used condition or better” — the IRS’s standard, and the only items that create a valid deduction. Second, ask for a receipt every single time you drop off, even small loads; receipts can’t be issued retroactively. Third, keep your own written inventory of what you donated with a fair market value estimate for each item — photos of the items before you donated them are excellent supporting documentation. The receipt from Goodwill proves you donated; your inventory document proves what you donated and its value. If you’re donating items worth over $500 total in a tax year, use the IRS’s Form 8283 when filing. For items valued over $5,000, get a written appraisal. Don’t round up values aggressively — the IRS specifically looks at thrift resale value, not original purchase price, and inflated values are a common audit trigger in this category.
If Goodwill turns away your furniture — whether it’s the mattress rule, a space issue, or condition — three practical paths exist. Habitat for Humanity ReStore accepts a broader range of furniture and large items at many locations and often offers free pickup for qualifying donations; find the nearest ReStore at habitat.org/restores. The Salvation Army (salvationarmyusa.org) has similar acceptance guidelines to Goodwill but may have different local capacity — call both. For furniture that no charity will take, list it free on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, or your neighborhood’s Nextdoor group — functional furniture that charities decline for condition reasons often finds a taker within hours when listed for free pickup. If the item is genuinely unusable, municipal bulk trash collection is the right path — search “[your city] bulk item pickup” for schedule and rules.
Yes — and this is one of Goodwill’s best-kept secrets. Most people who shop or donate at Goodwill have no idea it operates free career training programs. Goodwill’s Career Centers provide resume help, interview coaching, digital skills classes, and direct job placement assistance with local employers — free, no income test, no appointment required in many locations. For seniors specifically, many regional Goodwills have programs tailored to older workers re-entering the workforce, transitioning from full-time to part-time work, or navigating a career change in their 60s or 70s. Start at goodwill.org/find-jobs-and-services or call 1-800-GOODWILL to be connected with career services in your area. If you’ve been out of the workforce for years and don’t know where to start, a Goodwill career counselor can meet you exactly where you are — no prior experience with job searching required.
Items left outside Goodwill after hours are not guaranteed to be recovered. They are frequently stolen, damaged by weather, or have to be discarded because Goodwill can’t verify their condition or sanitation when they weren’t accepted by a staff member. This is why every regional Goodwill organization explicitly asks donors not to leave items overnight or after the donation center has closed. If you left an item that you later realize you still needed — a document inside a donated bag, a personal item accidentally included — call the store immediately when they open and ask for the lost and found or the donation processing supervisor. Items processed within 24 hours of drop-off may still be retrievable if they haven’t been sorted and priced yet, but there’s no guarantee. For this reason: never put documents, keys, jewelry, or anything irreplaceable in a donation bag without checking it thoroughly beforehand.
This guide is for general informational purposes only. Goodwill is a network of more than 150 independently operated regional organizations — store hours, donation acceptance policies, senior discount programs, career services availability, and contact information vary by location and can change without notice. Always verify current policies directly with your local Goodwill store before making a trip. Tax deduction information is general and educational; consult a qualified tax professional for advice specific to your situation. IRS rules and thresholds cited reflect current federal guidelines and are subject to change. This content is entirely original and has not been sponsored or endorsed by Goodwill Industries International or any regional Goodwill affiliate.