Items that you’ve been discarding or recycling can become fascinating learning tools. With some imagination, your odds and ends can be incredibly useful. If it’s clean, safe, and abundant; if it’s an interesting shape, color, or texture; if you think a kid might like it, call us!
NOTE: At this time, we are not able to accept household donations from individuals.
Request a Pick-Up
We offer free pick up of donated materials from Bay Area businesses of at least one pallet-load (approximately 20-40 boxes) of materials. Smaller quantities of material donations must be dropped off at RAFT or shipped. Corporate/business donation pick-up hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Email materials@raft.net or call 408-451-1420.
Items We Accept
Materials must be new, in clean condition, and suitable for student use. Bulk quantities are preferred.
- Office: Pens, pencils, erasers, highlighters, markers, paper and binder clips, staples and staplers, tape dispensers, adhesive tape, rubber bands, file folders, office organizers, calculators, hole punches
- Arts and Crafts: Stretched canvases, colored cellophane, drawing materials, framing materials (matt board, frames), scrapbooking supplies, stickers
- Manufacturing/packaging materials: Collapsible boxes, decorative gift boxes, end cuts and punch outs from manufacturing, foam pieces, mailers, misses or overruns
- Lab equipment: Beakers, flasks, test tubes, funnels, Petri dishes, pipettes, tips and trays, vials, gloves. All items must be new and unused.
- Promotional items: Corporate branded bags, mugs, caps, t-shirts, polo shirts, trade show gifts
- Paper: Cardboard tubes, packaged cardstock and colored paper, packaged copy paper, foam core board, envelopes, poster board, cash register tape, paper or canvas bags, tissue paper
- Party supplies: Balloons, seasonal party supplies, holiday decorations
- Textiles: Carpet squares, large fabric pieces, sample books, string, yarn
- Kitchen: Coffee stirrers, food trays, drinking cups, strawberry baskets, plastic bottles, straws. All items must be new and unused.
- Specialty items: Foil printing paper, corks, rubber goods, beads, dowels, scrap wood, plastic containers, film canisters with lids
- Furniture: Small file cabinets, desks, office chairs. Please call 408-451-1420 or email materials@raft.net for more information on what furniture we accept.
NOTE: Due to space constraints, at times we may not be able to take certain items even though they appear on this list. We reserve the right to refuse donations even if they have been approved unseen via phone or email.
Items We DO NOT Accept
- Soiled, hazardous, contaminated, or broken items
- Large/bulky/heavy furniture items. Please email materials@raft.net for more information on what furniture we accept
- Containers that once held food (including vitamins/medications) or chemicals such as soap, bleach, or petroleum products
- Sharp items, such as needles or metal/glass fragments
- Teaching manuals, guidebooks, or lesson plans
- CRT monitors, old computers or software, mouse pads
- Binders (but we do accept some sizes: please email materials@raft.net for information)
- Household items, such as clothes, infant items, or appliances
- Packaging supplies (i.e. peanuts or packing foam), Styrofoam, newspapers, pinecones, bark, or animal items
- Optical discs, such as CDs, DVDs, Blu-rays, or video game discs
Material Donations Form
To submit your material donation please fill out the form below.
Schedule a Pickup
To schedule a pickup please fill out the form below.
Your Support Helps Educators
We provide recycled and low-cost STEAM learning materials, makerspace support, and professional development workshops for over 8,000 educators and their 150,000 students in the Bay Area and nationwide.