Where to Donate in Toronto: Give Your Clutter a Second Life

Cathy Borg
12 hours ago
4 min read

Caterpillar and butterfly on a branch with text "Where to Donate in Toronto." Background has soft colors. Words emphasize reuse and donation.

Is Your Clutter Ready for a New Home?

Most of us aren’t drowning in junk; we’re holding onto memories. That blazer from your first big interview, the baby clothes too precious to part with. Or the chocolate fountain I bought for my daughter’s birthday and used exactly once — at my daughter’s birthday. Great idea at the time, but a bit too rich for my blood… and the cleanup was no treat either.

Things don’t come into our homes as clutter.

They only become clutter once we stop using or loving them.

And let’s face it — they’re not going to improve with age.

Keeping them packed away doesn’t help anyone. What if those things could be put back to work instead?

What if that chair becomes part of someone else’s apartment.

Or a comfy sweater you've stopped wearing helps a newcomer through their first Toronto winter?

Wouldn't that be nice? (We are Canadians after all.)

If you’re ready to give your belongings a second life, here’s how to donate with purpose in Toronto so your stuff will keep doing good long after it leaves your home.

Person in a brown sweater holds a relaxed black-and-white kitten, petting it gently. Warm, cozy mood.

Clothing: Donate in Toronto and Give Your Wardrobe a Second Act

General Clothing Donations

Oasis Clothing Bank supports addiction recovery programs.
Salvation Army Thrift Stores funds community services across Toronto.
Diabetes Canada Donation Bins: Proceeds support diabetes research and programs.

Clothing for Specific Needs

Dress for Success Toronto provides professional attire for women entering the workforce.
Suits Me Fine (CAMH): Helps individuals in mental health recovery access work-appropriate clothing.
Jessie’s Centre supports young mothers and families with baby clothes and maternity wear.

Think About This: When was the last time you wore half of what’s in your closet? If your clothes could talk, they'd probably be begging to go out more.

Furniture & Household Goods: A Fresh Start for Your Extras

Furniture Bank furnishes homes for people transitioning out of homelessness.
Habitat for Humanity ReStores accepts gently used furniture and building materials to support affordable housing.
Matthew House Toronto provides furniture for refugees and newcomers settling into the city.

Look at It This Way: That extra chair in the corner? Someone else could be reading bedtime stories in it. (And if the thought of getting it out the door is what’s stopping you, remember that’s exactly what our team is for!)

These are just a few of my go-to donation spots in Toronto.

If you’d like a more complete list — including books, consignment, and specialty items — you can find it on my website here: Places to Donate or Consign

📚 Books & More: Stories Worth Sharing

Even organizers have trouble parting with books — they hold memories and meaning. But donating them the right way keeps them in circulation and out of landfill.

Donate Differently – A Toronto-based pickup service that resells gently used books and donates a portion of the proceeds to CAMH’s mental-health programs. It’s a social-enterprise model, so you’re helping both readers and a good cause.

Second Life Book – A family-run business that rescues unwanted books from landfills. They donate and resell titles, supporting community literacy programs and schools. Over the past five years, they’ve donated more than 300,000 books.

Letting go of books can be tough, but at least this way your stories — and theirs — keep circulating instead of collecting dust.

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Consignment & Resale: Declutter and Earn

Not everything needs to be donated—some pieces deserve a second life and a paycheck.

Common Sort buys trendy, high-quality clothing.
Fashionably Yours resells luxury fashion items.
Gadabout Vintage specializes in unique, vintage finds.

Beyond Clearing Space: This isn’t just about decluttering—it’s about making sure your items land in the right hands.

How to Donate Without the Headache

A few simple habits make donating easier — and more meaningful:

1. Check what’s accepted. Every organization has its own list. A quick look online saves you a wasted trip.

2. Sort by category. Clothing, linens, housewares — one type at a time keeps you from getting overwhelmed.

3. Be realistic about condition. If it’s broken, torn, or stained, it’s recycling or disposal, not donation.

4. Schedule the drop-off (or pickup). Mark it in your calendar so it actually happens.

5. Celebrate the space you’ve freed up. Every bag out the door is one less thing to trip over — and one more reason to feel proud of what you’ve shared.

Flowchart titled "Decluttering and Donating Items" with five steps: Check, Sort, Assess, Schedule, Celebrate. Colorful and organized.

🧩 About In and Out Organizing and the Writer

Cathy Borg is a partner at In and Out Organizing in Toronto, Ontario. She helps adults 55+ clear space, downsize, and live comfortably in the homes they have now — or prepare confidently for what’s next. Together with Brad and Greg, she provides hands-on help and compassionate guidance through every stage of decluttering, organizing, and estate clearing.