Albuquerque donation directory · verified July 2026
Where to donate in Albuquerque — every option, by item
Clothes, furniture, electronics, appliances, tools, bikes, books, instruments and more — every good option in the metro, with real addresses and phone numbers, including when a free home pickup beats them all.
Fair warning about who's writing this: I run Abq Reclaimed, the free pickup service — so yes, I'm in this list. But a directory that only lists myself would be useless to you and obvious to everyone. This is the complete map: every charity thrift store, shelter, nonprofit pickup, recycler, and city program I'd send my own family to — with the honest trade-offs of each. Sometimes I'm the right answer. Sometimes a tax receipt or a cash sale is, and I'll tell you exactly when.
Two things before the list: call ahead — hours and acceptance policies shift — and nothing here is an endorsement for pay. Every listing is independent, verified July 2026.
🚪 Want it gone with zero driving?
A free home pickup. Any-condition clothing plus electronics, tools, bikes, appliances, scrap and more — by approval. Request a pickup →
🧾 Want a tax receipt?
Drop off clean, resellable items at a registered charity thrift store — Goodwill, Salvation Army, St. Vincent de Paul & more ↓
💵 Want cash for it?
Good gear is worth selling — local shops pay on the spot for bikes, tools, instruments, sports gear and electronics. Where to sell in ABQ →
Pick your item
👕 Clothing, shoes & linens
The deepest category in town. Charity thrift stores want clean, resellable items and hand you a tax receipt; shelters take wearable clothing straight to people who need it; and worn-out textiles should be recycled, not trashed.
Goodwill Industries of New Mexico Nonprofit
Five metro donation centers: 1030 18th St NW (87104) · 5000 San Mateo Blvd NE (87109) · 3401 NM-528 / Alameda (87114) · 1201 South Renaissance NW (87107) · 12521 Montgomery Blvd NE, Ste 45 (87111). Full list & hours: goodwillnm.org/locations. Takes clothing, shoes, accessories, and household goods — and recycles computers free.
The Salvation Army Family Store Nonprofit
12601 Central Ave NE · (505) 761-9818 — 4501 Silver Ave SE · (505) 254-1778 — 411 Broadway Blvd SE · (505) 765-5395. Takes clothing, housewares, and furniture; home pickup for larger donations via satruck.org.
St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store Nonprofit
4120 Menaul Blvd NE · (505) 346-1500. Takes clothing, household goods, furniture, books, and electronics; proceeds help neighbors with clothing, rent, utilities, and bus passes.
Assistance League of Albuquerque — Thrift Shop Nonprofit
5211 Lomas Blvd NE · (505) 265-0443. Gently used clothing, accessories, and household items; proceeds fund Operation School Bell, which clothes local schoolchildren.
Animal Humane New Mexico — Thrift Shop Nonprofit
5341 Menaul Blvd NE · (505) 938-7915. Clothing, accessories, linens, and home decor (no mattresses or damaged items); proceeds support the pets in their care.
Shelters (direct to people) — Joy Junction, 4500 2nd St SW · (505) 877-6967, takes gently used clothing; Steelbridge (mysteelbridge.org) serves homeless men and women; Barrett House, women's & children's shelter, (505) 243-4887. Always call first and ask what they need right now — warm layers, new socks and underwear, and sturdy shoes are the perennial asks.
Two more ways without driving: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central New Mexico runs a nonprofit home pickup — (505) 881-0599 or donatenm.com (donation center: 2917 Juan Tabo Blvd NE) — taking clothing, shoes, books, toys, and small household items. And there's me: Abq Reclaimed picks up clothing in any condition free, including the worn-out share thrift stores refuse. For the address-by-address deep dive, see where to donate clothes in Albuquerque.
Rather not sort or drive? Free clothing pickup, any condition →
🛋️ Furniture
Habitat for Humanity ReStore Nonprofit · free large pickup
4900 Menaul NE (Mon–Sat 9–5). Takes furniture, tools, hardware, appliances, doors, and lighting; proceeds build local homes. Free pickup for large donations: (505) 265-0057. Rio Rancho drop-off: 1525 Stephanie Rd SE, Unit 207.
The Salvation Army takes furniture at its stores and picks up larger donations via satruck.org. St. Vincent de Paul accepts furniture at 4120 Menaul NE.
The honest limits: nobody wants broken, stained, or particle-board furniture — that's a junk hauler's job, not a donation. The one category I personally take is genuine mid-century modern: send a photo and I'll tell you straight.
Rather not deal with it? Ask about your furniture — free photo answer →
💻 Electronics & e-waste
Albuquerque Computer & Electronics Recycling Co.
3726 Hawkins St NE · (505) 990-3732. Recycles most electronics free and wipes hard drives at no cost; a fee applies to CRT monitors and TVs (they describe themselves as the only place in New Mexico that recycles TVs).
Goodwill of New Mexico — drop unwanted computers and equipment at any donation center for free recycling.
City of Albuquerque — periodic free e-waste drop-off events (check the city calendar), plus the year-round e-waste drop-off at the Eagle Rock convenience center, 6301 Eagle Rock Ave NE · (505) 768-3925 (fees apply).
Worth money instead? Working phones, consoles, games, and laptops can be sold locally — iRepairNM, Gamers Anonymous (1512-C Wyoming Blvd NE), and GameStop trade-ins are in my where-to-sell guide.
Rather not deal with it? Free electronics pickup — working or not →
🧊 Appliances
City of Albuquerque Large Item Pick-Up Free for city customers
Call 311 or (505) 768-2000. Free curbside collection for residential Solid Waste customers — including refrigerant handling for fridges and AC units. Request at least 24 hours ahead, Mon–Sat, with the appliance emptied and doors taped shut.
Habitat ReStore takes working appliances (4900 Menaul NE; free large-donation pickup (505) 265-0057).
Self-haul: the city's convenience centers take appliances for a per-load fee — Eagle Rock (6301 Eagle Rock Ave NE, (505) 768-3925) and Montessa Park (3512 Los Picaros Rd SE, (505) 768-3930). Don Reservoir (117 114th St SW, (505) 768-3920) does not accept refrigerators.
Rather not wrestle it? Free appliance removal — even from the basement →
The heavy stuff is my favorite part of the job. Washers, dryers, water heaters, machinery, a garage full of scrap — I have the forklift and the trailer. Text a photo to (505) 250-3804 and I'll tell you honestly whether I can take it free.
🔧 Tools — hand, power & yard
Habitat ReStore (4900 Menaul NE) takes tools and hardware — the best nonprofit home for a garage cleanout, with free pickup for large donations.
Worth cash: working power tools sell fast at pawn shops, Facebook Marketplace, and OfferUp — see the tools section of the sell guide.
Rather not deal with it? Free used tool pickup →
🚲 Bikes & cycling gear
Esperanza Bicycle Safety Education Center City program
Accepts donated bikes, parts, tools, and bike clothing; donation hours are typically Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, noon–7pm.
Center of Southwest Culture / Story Riders — 1024 4th St SW. Accepts donated bikes and parts to get more people riding.
Trade-in instead: Two Wheel Drive · (505) 243-8443 (used-bike trade-in program) and Sport Systems · (505) 837-9400 (bikes and ski/snowboard gear).
Rather not deal with it? Free bike pickup →
📚 Books
Full disclosure: good books are the one thing I'll happily buy — I run sellbooksabq.com, a local book-buying service (yes, also me). Quality nonfiction, textbooks, vintage and collectible books are worth a photo before you box them for donation.
For straight donation, Goodwill and St. Vincent de Paul take books at their donation centers, and Big Brothers Big Sisters includes books in its home pickups (donatenm.com). Shelters take children's and paperback books — call first.
🎸 Musical instruments
Sell or trade (usually worth it): Music Go Round buys quality used gear on the spot; Grandma's Music & Sound (9310 Coors Blvd NW · (505) 292-0341), Grumpy's Guitars, and Robertson & Sons Violin Shop round out the local options. Details in the instruments section of the sell guide.
Donate: school music programs and youth organizations sometimes take instruments — call your local school or district arts office and ask.
Rather not deal with it? Free instrument pickup →
⛳ Sporting goods & outdoor gear
Play It Again Sports — 7212 Menaul Blvd NE · (505) 881-0551. Buys, sells, and trades used sports and fitness gear — golf clubs, weights, bikes, treadmills — cash on the spot, no appointment.
Outdoor gear specifically: Outdoor ReGear (4520 Alexander Blvd NE · (505) 344-1336) consigns quality camping and outdoor gear; REI members can trade in clean, working gear through Re/Supply for store credit.
Rather not deal with it? Free sporting goods pickup → · Free camping gear pickup →
🧸 Kids' clothes, toys & gear
Barrett House (women's & children's shelter) — (505) 243-4887. Call and ask what they need right now; kids' clothing in good shape is often exactly it.
Big Brothers Big Sisters takes clothing, books, and toys — home pickup at (505) 881-0599 or donatenm.com.
Assistance League thrift shop proceeds fund Operation School Bell, which puts new clothing on local schoolchildren — a fitting place for outgrown kids' clothes.
Current, on-trend kids' clothes can also earn cash or credit at children's resale shops — they're selective, so bring a curated stack, not the whole closet.
Rather not deal with it? Free kids' clothing pickup →
🔩 Scrap metal & machinery
Here's the twist: scrap metal is the one "donation" that can pay you. Yards buy copper, aluminum, brass, steel, wire, and radiators by the pound — bring your driver's license (state law) and call for the day's price:
Acme Iron & Metal — 6142 2nd St NW · (505) 345-2457 · National Metals — 3906 4th St NW · (505) 344-1777 · Omar's Recycling — 2930 2nd St NW · (505) 304-3307 · Rudy's Downtown Recycling — 1224 2nd St NW · (505) 247-4576 (Spanish & English) · Zia Recycling — 2701 2nd St NW · (505) 507-8508.
Honest math: a clean, heavy, sorted load is worth the trip; a small mixed pile usually isn't. Full yard-by-yard rundown — including what they won't buy — in where to sell scrap metal in Albuquerque.
Rather not haul it? Free scrap metal & machinery removal → — I keep the salvage value, you clear the space.
🏠 A whole house, estate, or garage
Full clear-outs are a different sport. Estate-sale and junk-removal companies (for example Junk Brothers, ABQ Household Services, LoadUp, or White Hat Estate Sales) handle everything, including what has no resale value — for a fee.
The smart sequence: I cherry-pick the resale-worthy goods free first — electronics, tools, instruments, mid-century pieces, machinery — then a hauler clears the rest, which usually means a smaller, cheaper haul. Clearing a commercial space? I also do free industrial equipment removal with a forklift.
Start here: Estate & garage cleanouts →
All six routes, side by side
Swipe the table sideways to compare every option →
| Route | Cost | Tax receipt | They come to you | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abq Reclaimed free pickup | $0 | No — for-profit service | Yes — free, by approval | Mixed-condition piles, heavy items, "just get it out of here the right way" |
| Charity thrift drop-off | $0 | Yes | No | Clean, resellable items when you want the receipt |
| Nonprofit home pickup (BBBS, Salvation Army, ReStore) | $0 | Yes | Yes — scheduled routes | Usable items; large furniture & appliance donations (ReStore) |
| Shelter drop-off | $0 | Varies — call | No | Wearable clothing that helps someone directly this week |
| Sell it yourself | $0 to list | — | No | Bikes, tools, instruments, consoles — high value + your time |
| Junk removal | $$ per load | No | Yes | The truly unusable rest after the good stuff is out |
The honest math
If it's worth real money, sell it. A quality bike, a working DeWalt, a decent guitar, a current console — Albuquerque shops pay on the spot for those, and that money belongs in your pocket, not mine. My where-to-sell guide lists exactly who buys what.
If you itemize taxes and it's clean and resellable, donate it to a charity. Goodwill, Salvation Army, St. Vincent de Paul, Assistance League, and Animal Humane all hand you a receipt. That's the one thing I can't give you — I'm a for-profit reuse business, and I'd rather say so on my own directory page than have you find out later.
And if what you really want is your Saturday back? That's why I built Abq Reclaimed. One photo, one request, and the pile leaves your porch free — wearable things rehomed, dead things recycled, and a Reclaim Receipt a few days later telling you exactly where it all went. See how it works →
Quick answers
Common questions
Where can I donate clothes in Albuquerque?
Charity thrift stores take clean, resellable clothing: Goodwill Industries of New Mexico (five metro donation centers), The Salvation Army (three locations), St. Vincent de Paul on Menaul, Assistance League on Lomas, and Animal Humane's thrift shop on Menaul. Shelters like Joy Junction, Steelbridge, and Barrett House take wearable clothing directly — call first. For any-condition clothing with no driving, Abq Reclaimed picks up free across the metro.
Who picks up donations for free in Albuquerque?
Four options: Abq Reclaimed (any-condition clothing plus electronics, tools, bikes, appliances, and scrap — by approval; a for-profit service, so no tax receipt), Big Brothers Big Sisters ((505) 881-0599, donatenm.com) and The Salvation Army (satruck.org) for usable items, and Habitat ReStore ((505) 265-0057) for large donations like furniture and appliances.
Where can I recycle electronics for free in Albuquerque?
Albuquerque Computer & Electronics Recycling Co. (3726 Hawkins St NE, (505) 990-3732) recycles most electronics free (fee for CRTs and TVs). Goodwill takes computers at any donation center. The city runs periodic free e-waste events, and Eagle Rock convenience center takes e-waste for a fee. Or request my free electronics pickup — working or not.
Where should I donate furniture in Albuquerque?
Habitat ReStore (4900 Menaul NE) takes furniture and picks up large donations free at (505) 265-0057. The Salvation Army picks up via satruck.org, and St. Vincent de Paul accepts furniture at 4120 Menaul NE. I take genuine mid-century-modern pieces by photo approval. Broken or particle-board furniture needs a junk hauler instead.
Is donating to Abq Reclaimed tax-deductible?
No — I'm a for-profit reuse service, not a 501(c)(3), so pickups aren't tax-deductible. If you need the receipt, donate to a registered nonprofit above. What you get from me instead: free pickup of the mixed pile nobody else wants to sort, and a Reclaim Receipt telling you exactly where it all went.
What can't I donate in Albuquerque?
Most centers refuse mattresses, broken furniture, big CRT TVs, and hazardous items. TVs go to Albuquerque Computer & Electronics Recycling (fee). Paint, chemicals, batteries, and propane go to the Household Hazardous Waste Collection Center (2720 Girard Blvd NE, (505) 884-2277) — free for city and county residents. City customers can call 311 for the free Large Item Pick-Up for appliances and bulky items.
Rather not drive anywhere?
Send a photo of what you've got and I'll tell you honestly what I can take — then pick it up free, across Albuquerque.
Request a pickup