StuffRescue is now a registered nonprofit in the United States

StuffRescue is now a registered nonprofit in the United States. Everything within 3 miles of your home is still free to rescue, givers still never pay, and nothing is for sale.

What changed?

StuffRescue is a free way for neighbors to give things away and rescue what others no longer need, starting in Akron, Ohio. The change is to our legal form, not to how rescues work.

What stays the same for neighbors?

At a glance

• Free nearby. Everything within 3 miles of your home is free to rescue.
• One flat $0.99 beyond that. A rescue farther out costs one flat $0.99, paid by the person picking up, from a prepaid wallet. You see the exact cost on the item before you tap Rescue, browsing never costs anything, and if the rescue is canceled the 99 cents goes back to your wallet.
• Givers never pay. Posting an item is free.
• Nothing is for sale. No selling, no haggling, no cash between neighbors.
• No proof required. No applications and no proof of hardship.
• Pickup stays simple. You arrange a self pickup in the in-app chat, and a six-digit pickup code confirms the handoff at the door.

For more on the fee and the pickup code, read how the free radius and pickup codes work.

Why does the structure matter to StuffRescue?

Our mission page puts it in one line: Our structure will follow our impact. The legal form is there to serve the work, not the other way around.

That work starts from a simple promise: nothing useful should go to waste while a neighbor goes without. Our mission adds a second line: dignity, never charity. A neighbor who needs a dresser or a winter coat should not have to explain why. They rescue it the same way anyone else does.

The mission page also names three focus areas:

• Children in economic hardship
• Women rebuilding after crisis
• Youth aging out of foster care, and families in transition

They are focus areas, not announced programs.

Are gifts to StuffRescue tax-deductible?

Don't assume so from this news alone. Keep in mind, too, that the things you give away on StuffRescue go directly to a neighbor, not to StuffRescue.

For any organization, the word nonprofit doesn't settle whether a gift is deductible. The IRS explains that you may deduct charitable contributions made to organizations qualified under section 170(c) of the tax code if you itemize your deductions, and its Tax Exempt Organization Search shows an organization's deductibility status. The IRS page on charitable contribution deductions has the details.

This news is about our legal status only. We are not announcing a tax classification, a registration date or state, a board, funding, partners or impact reports with it.

How can you help right now?

• Join and post. Join StuffRescue, then give away something you no longer need. Posting starts with a photo, and autofill can suggest the details.
• Become a Block Captain. Block Captains are neighborhood leaders who help early neighbors get started. To ask about that, or about other ways to volunteer, email support@stuffrescue.co.
• Apply for a volunteer role. The volunteer roles page lists open positions, from engineering to grant writing. Every role there is unpaid, and most are fully remote.

Just neighbors helping neighbors, starting in Akron.

Sources

1. IRS — Charitable Contribution Deductions

Published by StuffRescue, a nonprofit in Akron, Ohio. Spotted something out of date? Email info@stuffrescue.co.