Thrift Store Donation Guidelines: 7 Examples

Many people believe that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure — no matter the condition. Unfortunately, that just isn’t true. 

Donors give to thrift stores out of the kindness of their hearts or hang onto things out of fear of creating waste. They likely aren’t aware that, in some cases, up to 84% of textiles are unusable — or that an old HP printer isn’t exactly a vintage Polaroid.

Even when donors have pure intentions, you don’t want to be stuck with mountains of unusable products. It just means you’re using your already limited resources to sort, discard trash, or ship unusable textiles to other countries. That’s just kicking the can down the road in terms of waste. You can’t stop poor donations altogether, but you can dramatically reduce them with clear donation guidelines.

This blog covers seven essential donation guidelines every thrift store should establish. You’ll learn how to communicate what you need, filter out problem donations before they reach your door, and build donor relationships that generate quality inventory year-round.

Let’s dive in.

The Hidden Cost of Vague Donation Guidelines

Most thrift store owners know they need donation guidelines, but many underestimate how much poorly managed donations actually cost them.

Without clear, specific guidelines, you’re relying on donors to guess what you need. Most default to bringing whatever they want to get rid of, which can quickly turn your store into a dumping ground. 

Here’s what that looks like in practice:

• Wasted labor: Your staff sorts, evaluates, and disposes of unusable items instead of pricing sellable inventory or helping customers.
• Rising disposal costs: Landfill fees, recycling charges, and textile salvage pickups add up fast. Goodwill of Southern California spent over $2 million per year for five years just to dispose of unsellable items.
• Frustrated donors: People who bring mixed-quality donations get annoyed when you can’t accept half of what they brought. They feel they’ve wasted their time or start to question your motives as a thrift store. 
• Stagnant inventory: Your sales floor fills with items that sit for months because nobody wants them.
• Damaged reputation: When donors see broken or dirty items on your floor, they wonder whether their nice donations will be valued — and might take their best items to a competitor.

Clear guidelines flip this dynamic. They set expectations before donors load up their car, give your staff permission to say no without feeling guilty, and signal to your community that you’re serious about quality.

The key is making your guidelines specific enough to be useful, but flexible enough to account for exceptional items. Generic rules like “gently used items only” leave too much room for interpretation. What one person considers “gently used,” another considers trash.

Related Read: Thrift Store Inventory Management: 7 Tips and Tricks

7 Essential Donation Guidelines for Thrift Stores

These guidelines address the most common donation challenges thrift stores face. Adapt them to match your store’s needs, local market, and available storage space.

1. Technology Cutoff Dates

Obsolete electronics are donation kryptonite. They take up space, rarely sell, and often contain materials that require special disposal.

Set a clear technology age limit and stick to it. For example:

“We accept computers, laptops, and tablets manufactured within the last five years. We cannot accept CRT monitors, tube TVs, or VCRs.”

This guideline needs regular updates as technology evolves. What counted as “recent” five years ago is now outdated. Review your tech policy every January and adjust your cutoff dates accordingly.

Be specific about formats too. DVD players might still sell in your market, but VHS players probably don’t. Flat-screen TVs work, but projection TVs are nearly impossible to move. Smartphones from the last few years have resale value, but flip phones from 2010 belong in an e-waste bin.

Post your current tech acceptance list prominently on your website and at your dropoff location. Include photos of acceptable items so donors can quickly verify whether their old laptop makes the cut.

Tech tip: Some stores create a “tech we love” and “tech we can’t use” visual guide with pictures of specific items. This eliminates confusion and saves everyone time at dropoff.

2. Condition Standards by Category

Different item categories need different condition standards. A shirt that’s acceptable for everyday wear can’t be held to the same standard as furniture that’s acceptable for resale.

Clothing guidelines:

• Clothing must be clean, with no stains, holes, missing buttons, or broken zippers.
• Shoes must have intact soles and functional closures.
• Underwear and socks must be new, with tags attached.

Furniture standards:

• All original parts, working drawers and doors, and intact upholstery
• No water damage, pet damage, or signs of bed bugs
• No strong odors or structural instability

Kitchen items:

• Free of baked-on food residue, rust, and grease buildup
• No melted plastic containers or items with missing lids

The word “clean” means different things to different people, so get specific. Create a simple condition checklist for common donations. Before loading up their car, donors can ask themselves: Would I feel comfortable giving this to a friend? If the answer is no, you probably can’t sell it either.

Train your intake staff to reference these specific standards when they need to decline items. Instead of a vague “we can’t take this,” they can say, “Our policy is that we don’t accept upholstered furniture with pet damage because we can’t ensure it’s thoroughly cleaned.”

This removes the personal rejection from the conversation and makes it about your store’s documented standards.

Related Read: Sorting Donations: 6 Tips for Thrift Stores

3. Seasonal Acceptance Windows

Your customers shop seasonally, so your donation guidelines should reflect that reality. Nobody’s buying wool coats in July, and you don’t have space to store them until November.

Set specific windows for seasonal items:

• Winter items: September through February (coats, boots, heavy clothing)
• Summer items: March through August (light clothing, swimwear, outdoor gear)

Holiday decorations present a similar challenge. Halloween items that arrive in November sit in your backroom until next October. Christmas decorations dropped off in January miss the selling season entirely.

Consider a rolling acceptance calendar: “We accept holiday decorations beginning three months before each holiday and stop accepting them two weeks after it passes.”

This approach keeps your floor stocked with what customers actually want to buy right now. It also prevents your storage areas from becoming warehouses for off-season inventory that ties up valuable space.

Seasonal tip: Some stores go further, actively requesting specific seasonal items through social media posts and email newsletters. In August, you might post: “Fall is coming! We’re currently seeking donations of back-to-school supplies, fall decor, and light jackets.” This targeted approach generates exactly the inventory you need, when you need it, while gently discouraging off-season donations that won’t sell for months.

4. Size and Space Limitations

Not every store can handle every size of donation. Your physical space determines what makes sense to accept.

If you operate out of a small storefront without a loading dock, large furniture donations can create logistical nightmares. Be upfront about your limitations:

“Due to limited space, we can accept furniture up to standard sofa size. We cannot accept pianos, pool tables, large entertainment centers, or items that require more than two people to move safely.”

This guideline protects your staff from injury and prevents donors from showing up with items you physically cannot accommodate. It’s disappointing to turn away a beautiful dining set, but it’s worse to accept something you can’t process or sell.

Set maximums for bulk quantities too. A donor might think they’re being generous by bringing 50 bags of clothing at once, but your team can’t process that volume in a single day.

Bulk donation guideline: “For everyone’s safety and efficiency, we can accept up to 10 bags or boxes per visit. For larger donations, please contact us to schedule a pickup or multiple dropoffs.”

Specialty items also need consideration. Musical instruments, exercise equipment, and large appliances all require dedicated floor space that smaller stores might not have. Know your limitations and communicate them clearly.

5. Safety and Liability Exclusions

Some items create legal liability or safety risks that no amount of good intentions can justify accepting. Here’s a sample list of items you can include in your guidelines.

We cannot accept:

• Recalled items
• Car seats (due to expiration dates and safety standards)
• Cribs manufactured before current safety regulations (pre-2011)
• Damaged electrical items
• Firearms, ammunition, or weapons
• Flammable materials, chemicals, or paint
• Medications

Baby equipment deserves special attention. Car seats expire, and older models may not meet current safety standards. Cribs manufactured before 2011 often violate federal safety regulations. Even if these items look perfect, accepting them exposes your store to liability if something goes wrong.

Electrical items need clear guidelines too. That vintage lamp might be charming, but if the wiring is frayed, it’s a fire hazard. Establish a policy like: “We accept electrical items only if they have intact cords, working plugs, and pass our basic safety check.”

Safety tip: Some stores work with electricians or handymen who volunteer to inspect and repair electrical donations. This lets you accept more items safely while ensuring nothing dangerous reaches your sales floor.

Frame your safety exclusions as protection for donors and customers, not arbitrary rules. When someone questions why you won’t take their old crib, you can explain that safety regulations have changed and that you want to ensure every family who shops with you stays safe.

6. Cleanliness Requirements

Clean items sell. Dirty items sit. This is one of the simplest ways to improve your inventory quality.

Set a baseline: “Please wash or wipe down all donations before dropping them off. We cannot accept items with mold, mildew, strong odors, or visible dirt buildup.”

Clothing donations should arrive freshly laundered. Kitchen items should be free of food residue. Furniture should be dusted and wiped down. These aren’t unreasonable requests — they’re the same standards donors would apply if selling the items themselves.

The smell test is crucial. Items stored in basements, garages, or smoker households often carry odors that never fully disappear. Even after washing, some fabrics retain smells that drive customers away. Train your staff to politely decline items that fail this test.

Pet hair is another common issue. A few stray hairs are normal, but clothing covered in fur requires extensive cleaning that your staff doesn’t have time for. Consider a guideline like: “Please remove pet hair from donations using a lint roller before dropping off. Items heavily soiled with pet hair cannot be accepted.”

Donors sometimes resist these requirements, arguing that your staff should clean donations as part of processing. But your team’s time is better spent pricing and merchandising sellable inventory — not scrubbing pots or treating stained clothing.

Compassion note: If a donor truly has valuable items but can’t clean them due to age or disability, offer to discuss options. Maybe you can arrange a special pickup where your staff evaluates items before accepting them. This maintains your standards while showing compassion for special circumstances.

7. Category-Specific Needs

Your donation guidelines need to reflect what actually sells in your store, not what thrift stores are “supposed” to accept.

Here are some examples of targeted requests you can make:

High-end kitchenware focus: “We’re always seeking quality cookware, small appliances, and kitchen gadgets. We have limited space for drinking glasses and coffee mugs at this time.”

College town priorities: “We’re actively seeking desk lamps, organizers, notebooks, backpacks, and twin XL bedding.”

Vintage and antique specialty: “We especially appreciate mid-century furniture, vintage clothing and accessories, antique home decor, and retro electronics in working condition.”

These targeted requests accomplish two things. They generate more of what you actually need, and they give donors permission to hold back items you won’t use anyway.

Review your point of sale (POS) reports quarterly to see what’s selling and what’s not. If bookshelves consistently sit on your floor for more than 90 days while kitchen chairs sell within a week, adjust your guidelines to reflect that reality.

Wish list strategy: Some stores take this a step further with a rotating monthly wish list based on current needs. In June, you might post: “This month we especially need: summer clothing in sizes XL–3X, picnic supplies, camping gear, and board games.”

This approach keeps donors engaged and thinking about what you actually need, not just what they’re trying to get rid of.

How To Share Your Donation Guidelines

Perfect guidelines don’t matter if donors never see them. Make your policies visible at every touchpoint where someone might consider donating:

• On your website: Feature guidelines prominently on a dedicated donations page with scannable sections, bullet points, and photos of acceptable items. Include a printable checklist donors can reference while packing.
• At your dropoff location: Post abbreviated guidelines using large, weatherproof signs with clear text and images. Highlight your top five “can’t accept” items to catch donors before they start unloading.
• For your staff: Train your team to reference specific guidelines when declining items. Provide printed cards they can hand to donors that explain policies in detail. This removes the emotional burden from your team and gives donors something concrete to reference.
• On social media: Create graphics that highlight specific guidelines. For example, “Reminder: We love winter coats, but please donate them between September and February, when our customers are actively shopping for them!”
• In email newsletters: Share success stories about donors who followed your guidelines and brought items that sold quickly, generating revenue for your mission.

The goal is repetition without annoyance. Donors can’t memorize your entire policy, but repeated exposure to key points helps them internalize what you need most.

How ThriftCart Improves Donation Quality Before Items Arrive

Technology can’t replace good guidelines, but it can help enforce them more effectively.

ThriftCart’s donation scheduling system lets donors book dropoff times through your website. During booking, they see your acceptance guidelines and confirm they’ve read them before reserving a slot. This small friction point ensures everyone who arrives has at least glanced at your policies.

The photo intake feature takes this further. For large donations or estate pickups, donors can submit photos of items they’re planning to donate. Your team reviews the photos and approves or declines items before anyone loads a truck. This saves donors wasted trips and prevents your team from having awkward conversations at dropoff.

On-site logging with custom barcodes helps track problem patterns over time. If certain donors repeatedly bring unacceptable items despite seeing your guidelines, you can address the issue directly rather than discovering it after the fact.

The system also generates detailed donation receipts automatically, which incentivizes donors to follow your guidelines. They know they’ll receive proper documentation for tax purposes, so they’re more likely to respect your policies to maintain a good relationship with your store.

Combined with clear, specific guidelines, these features create a donation pipeline that brings in quality inventory while filtering out items that waste your team’s time and hurt your bottom line.

Schedule a demo with ThriftCart today to see it in action.