Donating any equipment you have to those in need is a wonderful act of kindness and generosity, and may greatly help someone else who is unable to help themselves. The more people who do this, the greater the impact that many charitable programs can have.
This article is a guide to the different places to which you can donate adaptive equipment, how to contact them, as well as how to give person to person using online platforms.
Where to donate adaptive equipment ? Gently used adaptive equipment 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 websites and social media platforms
Contents Overview & Quicklinks
Donating adaptive equipment to State Assistive Technology Programs
Donating adaptive equipment to refurbishing and reuse Centers
Donating adaptive equipment to Centers for Independent Living
Donating adaptive equipment to Loan Closets
National and international organizations which accept adaptive equipment donations
Online listing sites where you can donate adaptive equipment near you
Donating adaptive equipment in your neighborhood
Organizations near you which may know where to donate adaptive equipment
Donating adaptive equipment to State Assistive Technology Programs
State Assistive Technology Programs (AT Programs) – you can donate your adaptive equipment to your state AT program.
At programs were set up in each state, to increase access, for members of the community within the state, to assistive technology devices, which include adaptive equipment.
The typical state AT program will run equipment lending libraries, demonstration centers, an online exchange site reuse centers and refurbishing centers, each of which is responsible for increasing access for public to assistive technology devices.
Your adaptive equipment donation would be loaned to those individuals who use the program in your state to find their equipment.
To see how to donate equipment to your State AT Program, click on your state in the list below.
Click on your state to go to your State AT Program website
Donating adaptive equipment to Refurbishment and Reuse Centers
Medical equipment refurbishment and reuse centers represent another meaningful opportunity to donate your adaptive equipment.
Such centers will gladly take your adaptive equipment, sanitize it, do any required maintenance, and find it a new home, with someone who has a low income, no health insurance, or an elderly person in need.
Refurbishing and reuse centers are both often run by non-profit organizations, and will work to redistribute the equipment for free or at as low of a cost as possible, making them a great option for your donation.
You can always ask if your donation would be sold or gifted, once it has been processed, if this is important to you.
Donating adaptive equipment to Centers for Independent Living
Your local Center for Independent Living (CIL) helps those with disabilities to live independently within the community –
“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
One of the ways in which many centers support their members, is with a medical equipment loan closet with all types of equipment. CILs will typically be very happily accept donations of any adaptive equipment in good condition to help support their loan closet.
To find out where the nearest center to you is, go to this website.
Donating adaptive equipment to community Medical Equipment Loan Closets
A medical equipment loan closet is a community resource loaning out items from its supply of, typically, durable medical equipment, to members of the community for set periods of time.
A donation to a loan closet can make a difference in lots of people’s lives, and plays a key role in getting durable medical equipment out to community members in need, in particular seniors and individuals with disabilities.
Generally, the equipment you donate will be loaned out for free, but some loan closets do ask for a deposit when they loan out larger, and more valuable items, such as a hospital bed.
Loan closets may be large or small in scale, and more often than not are run by a team of volunteers.
How to locate a loan closet near you ? I always start with a few online searches, and contacting the following key places –
- I start searching online with the following terms “medical equipment loan closet + your location”, “medical equipment lending closet + your location”, “medical equipment lending bank + your location”, or “medical equipment bank + your location”
- if that doesn’t bring up anything, I wouldn’t waste any more time, and I’d contact your county Area Agency on Aging – this locator tool will find your local county agency here
- next, I would make inquiries with your local human resources or seniors department, and ask if they run any loan closets
- you can also do more online searches for local reuse or medical equipment refurbishing centers, and see what they know
- Lions Clubs, Rotary Clubs and American Legion Posts – I have found, while doing my research for my articles, that these three organizations very often run community medical equipment loan closets
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 – these are Jewish medical equipment loan closets, run for, members of the Jewish community. They, too, will always be very grateful for the gift of adaptive equipment.
You can ask where to find one at your local synagogue, or search on the Chesed Match website.
National and International organizations which accept donations of adaptive equipment
Goodwill
To donate your adaptive equipment, locate a store near you and give them a call – https://www.goodwill.org/locator/
Salvation Army
To donate your adaptive equipment, click on the following link – https://satruck.org/
EasterSeals
To locate your local affiliate to make your adaptive equipment donation, use this link – https://www.easterseals.com/connect-locally/
The Partnership for Quality Medical Donations
Their website page for donating adaptive equipment is here – http://www.pqmd.org/pillars/donation-guidelines/
Project Cure
Their website page for donating your adaptive equipment is here – https://projectcure.org/donate-supplies-equipment
REMEDY – Recovered Medical Equipment for the developing World
To donate your adaptive equipment 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 adaptive equipment is here – https://awhealth.org/donate-medical-equipment/
Esperenca
To donate your adaptive equipment, go here – https://www.esperanca.org/donate-supplies/
MedShare
Got to the MedShare website to donate your adaptive equipment here – https://www.medshare.org/
HERO Healthcare Equipment Recycling Organization
You can find about donating your adaptive equipment 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 adaptive equipment, 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 adaptive equipment 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 adaptive equipment near you
For me, the main reason for donating on online, is that it will allow you to donate to people as locally as you wish. You select the areas in which the advertisement/posting for your donation is seen.
Precautions you may want to take when donating online –
- you need to write in the item description of your advertisement that your donation is being given “as is”, and that you accept no liability if the new user has any sort of accident or problem with it
- if you are looking after an elderly person, you need to prioritize their safe and to respect their privacy and well-being. Having individuals come into your home for the item pick-up that you don’t know is not the best idea
- handing the item over in a public place is a better idea – a mall or a car park, and go with a friend if you feel at all vulnerable
- for larger and more valuable equipment, get the equipment delivered to the recipient’s home, on their dime – they will still be making a huge saving
- on online classified listings, such as Craigslist, don’t use your personal email, use a throwaway email address for your advertisement, to prevent your own email from receiving a tsunami of spam
Here’s a list of the online platforms where you can donate adaptive equipment –
- Craigslist.com
- UsedHME.com
- Nextdoor.com
- Facebook.com
- Freecycle.org
- OfferUp.com
If you haven’t used the above sites to donate an item, I have short illustrated guides on how to donate new, or used, devices on each one –
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 adaptive equipment in your neighborhood
If you would rather do things in person in your neighborhood, you can go and check some of the following places –
- 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 adaptive equipment
If you are still looking for advice on where to donate your adaptive equipment, here are some more organizations to talk to –
Area Agency On Aging
Again, the first place I would talk with is your Area Agency on Aging. It is going to be a mine of information, and I’d take any advice they can give you.
Use the following link to the Area Agency on Aging in your county – click here.
Social Services
Talk with your Social Services department, as they may well be aware of charitable organizations running programs for people in need, including loan closets.
Faith-based Charities
The Catholic Charities and Society of St Vincent de Paul
Both the Catholic Charities and the Society of St Vincent de Paul run programs offering multiple services to low income families, the homeless, refugees, and victims of abuse, across the US.
Both of these organizations will be very well aware of what is happening on the ground in your area, and who may best appreciate your donation.
To find the chapter, of either organization, closest to you, search “name of the charity + where you live”, in your web browser.
Local Town Hall or Chamber of Commerce
Contact your local Chamber of Commerce and find out about what records of nonprofit organizations, charities refurbishing and redistributing durable medical equipment in your area that they have.
Why isn’t your adaptive equipment donation being accepted ?
Some of the reasons for the rejection of donated items could be –
- your adaptive equipment may be too old, or too worn out
- used equipment will typically need to be sanitized, and not all organizations can do this
- used equipment no longer carries a warranty
- state laws governing the reuse of certain equipment and devices
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.
