Donating a “gently used” BiPAP machine to any number of organizations, or to individuals online, can have a significant impact on other peoples’ lives who otherwise maybe don’t have the sufficient finances to pay for one themselves.
Where to donate a BiPAP machine ? A gently used BiPAP machine can be donated to –
- State Assistive Technology Projects
- state online equipment exchanges
- reuse centers
- community loan closets (state and local) and bikur cholim
- non-profit charities
- thrift stores
- medical equipment refurbishment projects
- faith-based organizations
- local churches
- senior centers
- veterans centers
- private individuals on classified listing websites and social media platforms
Contents Overview & Quicklinks
Donating BiPAP machines to State Assistive Technology Programs
Donating a BiPAP machine to refurbishing and reuse Centers
Donating a BiPAP machine to Centers for Independent Living
Donating a BiPAP machine to Loan Closets
National and international organizations which accept medical equipment donations
Online listing sites where you can donate a BiPAP machine near you
Donating a BiPAP machine in your neighborhood
Organizations near you which may know where to donate a BiPAP machine
Donating a BiPAP machine to State Assistive Technology Programs
State Assistive Technology Programs (AT Programs) – if you are looking to donate a BiPAP machine, AT programs represent a great option
AT programs give state residents greater access to assistive technology devices (includes medical equipment), with a particular focus on low income families, the elderly and disabled adults.
State AT Programs work through a system of –
- equipment lending libraries
- equipment exchanges
- demonstration centers
- reuse and refurbishing centers
When you donate your BiPAP machine to the state AT program, it will be redistributed to others multiple times, benefitting the maximum number of people who have to use the AT program to gain access to the equipment that they require.
If you wish to learn more about donating to your particular state AT program, click on your state in the list below.
Click on your state to go to your State AT Program website
Donating a BiPAP machine to Refurbishment and Reuse Centers
Here are two more good options for your donation.
Medical equipment refurbishment centers will take medical equipment donations, execute repairs or maintenance, sanitize the equipment, and then find it a new owner.
A reuse center is a little different. In most cases, they will accept equipment that is in a good enough condition, and then pass it on to someone else without doing anything to it.
The majority of both types of centers are nonprofit organizations, and will redistribute your donation, to individuals at the lowest possible cost, or for free.
You can find your closest center by doing simple search on the internet.
Donating a BiPAP machine to a Center for Independent Living
Your local CIL assists individuals with disabilities in your community so that they may live independently –
“provide independent living services for people with disabilities. CILs are at the core of ACL’s independent living programs, which work to support community living and independence for people with disabilities across the nation based on the belief that all people can live with dignity, make their own choices, and participate fully in society. These programs provide tools, resources, and supports for integrating people with disabilities fully into their communities to promote equal opportunities, self-determination, and respect.”
Source : https://acl.gov/programs/aging-and-disability-networks/centers-independent-living
If you are looking for a way to support individuals with disabilities, your local Center for Independent Living is the perfect choice, as they typically have loan closets with medical and assistive equipment for the support of their members.
To find and contact the nearest center to you, go to this website.
Donating a BiPAP machine to community medical equipment loan closets
Next up on the list of options for your donations are community medical equipment loan closets
Your donations of equipment to loan closets, are out continuously, helping more and more people in the communities in question.
Loan closets serve as crucial function in providing durable medical equipment to anyone in the community, including to low-income families, seniors, and individuals with disabilities.
With the majority of loan closets, your BiPAP machine will be loaned out for free, but for larger and more valuable items like patient lifts, loan closets may sometimes request a deposit.
How to find a loan closet ? –
I like to do my loan closet searches in just a few ordered steps, starting with 4 online searches –
- I search for – “medical equipment loan closet + your location”, “medical equipment lending closet + your location”, “medical equipment lending bank + your location”, or “medical equipment bank + your location” – in my browser engine
- if the searches come up empty, the next course of action is to contact your county’s Area Agency on Aging. They are very likely to have information about any Durable Medical Equipment loan closets in your area. This locator tool will find your county agency here
- if the Area Agency on Aging wasn’t able to assist you in finding any loan closets, don’t hesitate to get in touch with your local human resources or seniors department. Quite often, these departments run loan closets for their communities.
- learn about the resources provided by your local reuse or medical equipment refurbishing centers, which you will find by either doing an online search, or using the phone book
- Lions Clubs, Rotary Clubs and American Legion Posts – I have frequently come across community loan closets run by these three organizations, so I suggest finding and contacting any clubs or posts near you, and asking lots of questions about programs that they may know of
To find Lions Clubs in your area, take a quick look at my guide here – How To Find A Lions Club Near Me ? A Very Quick Illustrated Guide
To find Rotary Clubs in your area, take a quick look at my guide here – How To Find A Rotary Club Near Me ? A Very Quick Illustrated Guide
Bikur Cholim or Medical Equipment Gemacht – (Jewish medical equipment loan closets)
These loan closets are run by, and for, the Jewish community.
You can ask at the local Jewish senior center, synagogue, or search online at the Chesed Match website.
National and International organizations which accept donations of a BiPAP machine
Goodwill
To donate your BiPAP machine, locate a store near you and give them a call – https://www.goodwill.org/locator/
Salvation Army
To donate your BiPAP machine, click on the following link – https://satruck.org/
EasterSeals
To locate your local affiliate to make your BiPAP machine donation, use this link – https://www.easterseals.com/connect-locally/
The Partnership for Quality Medical Donations
Their website page for donating a BiPAP machine is here – http://www.pqmd.org/pillars/donation-guidelines/
Project Cure
Their website page for donating your BiPAP machine is here – https://projectcure.org/donate-supplies-equipment
REMEDY – Recovered Medical Equipment for the developing World
To donate your BiPAP machine to REMEDY, use this web page here – https://www.med-eq.org/Login/form.aspx?type=donate&quick=1
Advocates for World Health
The page for donating your BiPAP machine is here – https://awhealth.org/donate-medical-equipment/
Esperenca
To donate your BiPAP machine, go here – https://www.esperanca.org/donate-supplies/
MedShare
Got to the MedShare website to donate your BiPAP machine here – https://www.medshare.org/
HERO Healthcare Equipment Recycling Organization
You can find about donating your BiPAP machine on their website here – https://www.herofargo.org/wp-content/uploads/IndividualSupplies.pdf
MedWish
The page for donations is here on their website – https://www.medwish.org/give
Global Links
To donate your BiPAP machine, go to this website page – https://www.globallinks.org/our-work/programs/medical-surplus-recovery-program/individual-and-community-surplus-recovery
Global Mobility USA
You can donate your BiPAP machine at this web address – http://www.globalmobilityusa.org/equipment-and-in-kind-donations
Medical Bridges
This is the donation page on their website – http://www.medicalbridges.org/donate/medical-supplies-and-equipment
Online listing sites and other social media platforms where you can donate a BiPAP machine near you
The great advantage of donating equipment on online listings, and social media platforms, for me, is that I get to select the neighborhoods in which my advertisement/posting is seen. And as such, I can keep this as close to home as I want, and I am not going to have to go miles away to do this.
For a safe online experience, I would consider these following points –
- include in your posting/advertisement that your BiPAP machine is being donated “as is,” and you won’t assume any liability for any issues post-handover – write this in the item description
- the safety and well-being of elderly individuals in your home should be your top priority, so don’t have strangers come to pick the BiPAP machine up at your home
- organize to hand over your BiPAP machine in a public place, and go with a friend
- protect your personal email from spam overload by not using it on online classified sites like Craigslist, make one up just for the listing
Online platforms where you can donate for free –
- Craigslist.com
- UsedHME.com
- Nextdoor.com
- Facebook.com
- Freecycle.org
- OfferUp.com
I have short illustrated guides on how to donate new, or used, devices on each one, if you haven’t done this before –
Craigslist.com – “How To Donate Used Medical Equipment Near Me On Craigslist ? An Illustrated Guide”
UsedHME.com – “How To Donate Used Medical Equipment Near Me On UsedHME ? An illustrated Guide”
Facebook.com – “How To Donate Used Medical Equipment Near Me On Facebook ? An Illustrated Guide”
Freecycle.org – “How To Donate Used Medical Equipment Near Me on Freecycle.org ? A Very Quick Illustrated Guide”
Nextdoor.com – “How To Get Free Medical Equipment Near Me On Nextdoor.com ? A Quick Illustrated Guide”
OfferUp.com – No need for an article on this, as there is a very good video showing how to use OfferUp, see below.
Donating a BiPAP machine in your neighborhood
If you are not keen about doing everything online, would rather take a look around your neighborhood going door-to-door, then the following are a few places which may well be interested in your BiPAP machine –
- Local Hospitals
- Emergency rooms
- Thrift stores
- Senior Centers or Elderly Day Care Centers
- Veterans Centers
- Local Retirement Homes
- Churches
- Your local council Seniors’ department
Organizations near you who may know where to donate a BiPAP machine
If you’re still looking for advice on where to donate your BiPAP machine, try talking to some of the following organizations –
Area Agency On Aging
If you haven’t contacted your Area Agency on Aging yet, you need to do so. As the mission of these agencies is to help the over 60s to gain access to services available to them, they are going to be a gold mine of information.
With the Area Agency on Aging locator tool, you can find your county agency – click here.
Social Services
Social Services departments will know of the different charities running programs for all sorts of different people in need, and may be able to put you in touch with the right person.
Faith-based Charities
The Catholic Charities and Society of St Vincent de Paul
The Catholic Charities and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul run programs across the US, supporting low-income families, the homeless, refugees, and victims of abuse.
Their chapters will have knowledge of local communities, and may well help you find the perfect recipients for your BiPAP machine donation.
To find your closest chapter of either charity, do an online search for “name of the charity + where you live”.
Local Town Hall or Chamber of Commerce
I also recommend that you go to your local town hall and chamber of commerce to make more inquiries about nonprofit organizations and charities in their jurisdiction that are specialized in refurbishing and redistributing durable medical equipment.
Why isn’t your BiPAP machine being accepted ?
There are instances when your BiPAP machine donation might be rejected, and some possible reasons are –
- your BiPAP machine is excessively worn out or too old.
- sanitization will be required, and not all organizations have the facilities
- Used BiPAP machines no longer come with warranties
- It may not comply with certain state laws
Tax deductions on donations
Keep your receipt for any donations that you make to any charities, if you are hoping to get a tax deduction – the IRS will require the receipt for the item.
I’m Gareth, the author and owner of Looking After Mom and Dad.com
I have been a caregiver for over 10 yrs and share all my tips here.
