To want to give stuff away to the most 'grateful and deserving cause' ?

Local Freecycle has just banned 'wanted' posts for laptops and suchlike ... there are still some very expensive 'wanteds' going up though, people do take the piss. I was quite happy to give my baby signing video to the first person who responded, though I was rather gratified (and humbled) to have it go to a mother of twins. I didn't meet her - sort of wanted to, but also sort of glad not to have to admit I was too busy with my ONE child to have really given it a go.

Gameboy is right about charity shops. My mum worked in one a while back and she was shocked by the attitude of the manager who just chucked out perfectly good stuff. It's put me off sending things TBH.

Frrecycle I mean..

I don't think you have to be needy to use EBay. Whoever gets it is better than it going to landfill surely?
How do you know it ends up on Ebay? Are you looking for it/ Couldn't it be someone else's?

Having said that i too feel irrationally irritated when i take my 'gently used' (apt term!) stuff to a charity shop and some joyless bitch nods curtly and says 'Put it there'. I want a smile and a 'Oh lovely! Thank you so much' Actually if i don't get one the next time i leave stuff,I'm picking it up and taking it away again.

I've just freecycled a load of baby stuff and felt the same as the OP but in the end decided it was too much of a minefield working out the most deserving causes. I could in theory have car-booted or ebayed it but I cannot be bothered I just want space in the loft! Some of it did in fact go to a womens refuge.

Buying or donating secondhand is about re-use and recycling though, not just charity. So you can feel good about saving the planet !

I have also worked for a charity and had the dubious benefit of "donations" for a good cause.

I do nappies on freecycle - the last lot went to a 15 yr old pregnant girl

I'm a big fan of freecycle, having offered and taken stuff to my benefit. The basic principle is to stop stuff going to landfill not to give to "deserving" recipients as such. However, I know what you mean about resenting people who don't want what you are offering for themselves but to make money out of it. I had an instant response when I offered a couple of ride-ons which I passed on because it was from someone who was looking for car boot items. I actually kept her details because there might be stuff in the future that I can't give to a charity shop, and don't care about who gets it. However, the ride-ons went to a family who claimed to have twins who were hankering for the particular toys in question, having tried them elsewhere.
Another thought though - I got rid of washable nappies and my travel system via my health visitor to needy teenage mums.

the best way to match items to people is to be part of your local community so that you know who needs what and where, or who to give things to for passing on, i expect you do know lots of people if you think of it like that.

i work for a charity and we get lots of people offering stuff (unsolicited), which is very nice of them but not when they want it to be collected or to attach various conditions which mean it will actually cost us money to take it.

and if you don't want it and can't be bothered to sell it then i think it is a bit much to hold auditions for the deserving poor.

flamesparrow agree with you . if i dont want it then i dont really care who has it as long as they take it away

Am I in the minority then of thinking - I don't want it, I'm not going to sell it - just take it away from my house and do what you want with it!?

It's also summer fete season so just contact your local school PTA.

Pretty sure it's the policy of Freecycle that the offerer can make people jump through all sorts of hoops if s/he so wishes!
I give most of my baby stuff to either a local young parents charity or the local Basics Bank which helps referred poverty-stricken families in the area. The latter also takes adult clothes and shoes and non-perishibile food.
Your local WomensAid contact is also a worthy place to start - think of those women and kids arriving in the clothes they are wearing. Good home for old pushchairs too I'd imagine.

With my local freecycle (and I believe the principle is the same in all groups) you can choose who you give stuff to. I recently freecycled a table and chairs and when people emailed me I replied asking them why they wanted it as I wanted it to go to a deserving home. Ended up giving it to a recently seperated disabled man - how much more deserving does it get?

The local hospital, childrens ward would welcome clothes & books, etc.

I know how you feel. I often wish I knew more about the people collecting some of the things I give away on freecycle. If I receive something I try to send an email thanking the person and to say how I've put the item to use.
As I have no transport I always have to arrange for someone to collect on my behalf so feel it's even more important for me to thank the person.
Recently posted an ad to say I had some newborn and 0-3 and got an email back saying "actually I wanted 3-6mth" which I thought was downright cheeky.

I feel the same. I freecycled a breadmaker and let the first person to answer have it.
Not only did he not let me know when he was coming, but turned up in a posh car and a business suit...I could have kicked him out shouting 'buy your own!' but I didn't...

Someone else wanted a mattress I was giving away, only to not turn up at all - when I rang she was 'in the bath' and had not even arranged transport, though the time was agreed and I'd waited in for her. Cow... she even had the nerve to say she still wanted it but I told her to bog off as it was going to someone nice.

With baby stuff I gave an awful lot to the centre where I went for the post-natal mums group. They had a cupboard full of baby clothes and linen that were given out to homeless families and those in shelters. Might be worth asking your health visitor if there's a similar scheme in your area.

As for other stuff. Freecycle is one idea, but I do agree there are an awful lot of people who take the pee.

Agnes

Shit! Sussed

Gameboy, I'm not sure if this answers your question, but I do always give outgrown clothes and toys to a charity shop, on the basis that the charity can sell them and have the cash. This is because we give relatively little actual cash money to charity (always put money in the collecting tins at the supermarket and stuff, but no 'regular giving' as such ), and I can choose which charity such as barnados or NSPCC.

I think it's very difficult to give something to an individual because you think they are a deserving cause. It's a bit 'Lady Bountiful' and it could so easily cause offence.

good place to start

I know someone who knows someone (etc) who volunteers at a local one so things get passed along rather than delivered, if that makes sense.

MrsBadger, the Refuge is a great idea, but how do you find out where they are? Is there some central register/depot where the goods are distributed from?