How it works

FAQs for businesses

What can I donate?

Stuff! Anything that can be given to or shared with a charity. Literally anything can be donated. Examples might include IT equipment, furniture, new products, food, meeting rooms… even the use of work minibuses!

Is there anything I cannot donate?

The platform isn’t designed for volunteering or donating money. You can find our full list of exclusions in our donated items policy.

What if I have multiple items?

You can post multiple versions of the same item in a single listing (for example 10 boxes of envelopes), however please do consider checking the “Willing to split items across multiple charities” box at the bottom. A lot of smaller charities may be unable to take a large number of items, but would still really benefit some of the items and we don’t want to exclude them.

If, on the other hand, you have different items to give away, it’s worth listing each of these in a separate offer. For example: 10 desks in one listing, three sofas in another listing, etc. This will make it far easier for you to be matched, and also to manage the requests that come in.

For all offers, you can also check a box to say that you would be happy to post items out to the charity.

Will charities see my business details when I list an offer?

No, we don’t reveal any details about the business and this won’t happen until you have chosen the charity you wish to receive the offered items.

How long does it take to get a match?

It can depend on the type of item. Sometimes popular items can be matched within the hour. Larger items may require charities to sort transport, so can take a few days to arrange.

What happens if I don’t get a match for my items?

Sometimes it’s not possible to find a charity match. If your offer does not find a charity home after 28 days it will be delisted and you will receive an automatic notification

How many charities are there in my local area?

Your dashboard will tell you about the number of charities in your local area and how many offers have been listed in your area.

Does my furniture need to have fire safety labels?

If your furniture does not have safety labels then we ask you to make this absolutely clear in your listing. Many charities will still be happy to accept these items.

Any tips on describing an offer?

A good photo is really useful. A brief description and some sizes if you have them - as much detail as you have time to provide, really! If you have a fixed collection deadline, it’s crucial to include that too. For now there is no ‘chat’ function available within the platform, so it’s really important that all the relevant info is in your listing upfront.

Great! How do I sign up my business?

We have created a step-by-step guide to the sign-up process and how to create your first listing.

Can the charity sell my items to raise funds?

You can specify how a charity chooses to use the items.

Who is eligible to receive an offer?

We ensure that all the organisations receiving offers have charitable status, and to this end automatically check that they have HMRC Charity Tax Status or are one of the following:

• Registered with the Charity Commission (of England and Wales)

• Registered with the Scottish Charity Regulator

• A Community Interest Company

• A Community Benefit Society

What if there are no charities in my area signed up to the platform?

Let us know! We can approach charities in your local area on your behalf and encourage them to sign up to the platform.

How do I choose the charity?

If you have more than one charity requesting your items, it is up to you to choose. We would encourage you to choose an organisation that is close by (to reduce transport carbon emissions and costs). You might also consider picking a charity that is flagged up as ‘highlighted’, as these organisations have not been successful in securing offered items in the past.

FAQs for charities

Will it cost me anything?

The platform is completely free for charities to receive donations. It is also free for charities to give things away to other charities, and many do choose to do this, which is wonderful.

What sort of things get donated?

All sorts of things - from sofas to stationery. Check out our Impact section for case studies of donated items. You can also look at our ‘Live offers’ page without even being signed up, to get a sense of what’s on offer.

Who collects the items?

Usually the charity collects the items, but the business may offer to post, courier or deliver if more convenient. If collection is a challenge for you, please make that clear when you request an item. A Good Thing acts as a matchmaking service; we do not collect or deliver the items directly ourselves.

Can I ask for items in advance?

Yes! We have a new service that enables charities to create a “charity need”. You can list your charity need with us as soon as you have signed up. Have a look at our current charity needs page to see what organisations are looking for.

Is A Good Thing a charity?

A Good Thing is a not-for-profit company, formalised using the UK Government’s Community Interest Company (CIC) scheme. You can read about our commitment to providing a community benefit and re-investing all profits in our Articles of Association.

How did A Good Thing start?

A Good Thing was set up by Cathy and Richard Benwell in 2020. There is more about their story on the ‘About us’ section of the website.

What regions do you operate in?

We offer the service to all eligible charitable organisations in the United Kingdom. 

Do I have to be a charity to qualify?

To join A Good Thing you will have HMRC Charity Tax Status or you will need to be one of the following:

• Registered with the Charity Commission (of England and Wales)

• Registered with the Scottish Charity Regulator

• A Community Interest Company

• A Community Benefit Society

You will need to provide the appropriate charity or company number when signing up, and sometimes there are additional short checks we will need to make.

What if there is no-one operating in my area?

Please suggest local businesses or business organisations in your area that we can approach to sign up to the platform. The more charitable causes we have on board in a given area, the easier it is for us to engage local businesses, and vice versa.

General FAQS

How can I support or sponsor A Good Thing?

We would love to hear from you if you would like to support us or make a donation. Please drop an email to hello@agoodthing.org.uk or take a look at our ‘Support us’ page.

I’d love to get involved, do you accept volunteers?

Yes! We are always on the lookout for passionate people who would like to use their skills to help us grow A Good Thing. Drop us a line at hello@agoodthing.org.uk, click ‘Volunteer’ on the ‘Support us’ page or take a look at our current volunteer ad and get in touch that way.