How to Donate Electrical Supplies
Donating electrical supplies helps individuals and charitable organizations in need, and donating used supplies also benefits the environment by promoting reuse rather than waste. It's not common knowledge that many charities accept building or electrical supplies, which often results in a greater need for such supplies. Electrical supplies are used to help low-income families, individuals with disabilities or those struck by natural disaster. Additionally, donating electrical supplies may even make a terminally ill child's wish come true.
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Instructions
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How to Donate Electrical Supplies
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Contact your local Habitat for Humanity or the American Red Cross to find out electrical supply donation guidelines. Both organizations accept building supplies to help individuals in need of housing or, in the case of the Red Cross, with disaster relief. Habitat for Humanity may use the supplies to build a family a new home or they may sell them in their nonprofit outlets, called "ReStores," where the funds go toward helping people find housing.
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Donate electrical supplies to the Make a Wish Foundation. The Make a Wish Foundation helps grant the wishes of terminally ill children. The wishes range from wanting to be a rock star to hoping for a home makeover. Though electrical supplies won't help children become rock stars, donations of building and electrical supplies have helped grant wishes for many children.
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Check with energy assistance programs in your area. The federally funded Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) offers heating and cooling help to low-income and needy families. Many families receive new or refurbished appliances in addition to free or low-cost home weatherization and repairs.
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Consider Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommended recycling and reuse organizations. Many of the organizations take everything from wiring to television sets and reuse or recycle the items to make new products.
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Call local schools and universities. Many schools willingly take donations of building or electrical supplies to help with projects and classes. If you're a building professional or electrician, you may even consider offering your expertise or a little time to help with projects.
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Find out if a local auctioneer service provides nonprofit auctions at certain times of the year. If they don't, ask about annual or biannual building supply auctions. These auctions not only provide low-cost building and electrical supplies to people in need, but the proceeds can also be donated to the charity of your choice.
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Tips & Warnings
Ask the organization you're donating to if they offer pick-up or shipping services for big items or large amounts.
Call a local solid-waste recycling center and ask about groups that accept building or electronic supplies in your area.
Consider recycling unusable electrical supplies and donating the money to charity.
You may not be able to claim a donation as a tax deduction unless it's to a federally recognized organization.
