You’ve got a box of usable items and you’re ready to donate them to charity. Is it the right time or should you keep them for later? There are a few different answers to this question.
If the choice is down to donating them right now or throwing them out, go ahead and donate them! Most large thrift stores and charities have storage room for seasonal items. If you have something like Christmas decorations, donate them well before Christmas so they have time to sort, clean, and display them.
Another option is to contact the charity to see what they want and need for different seasons. A group who is collecting jackets for children may have a fall deadline, while one who is collecting jackets for homeless men might want them any time during the winter. A college recently spearheaded a donation drive for a well-known program providing holiday gifts for children. The deadline for delivery was ten days before the holiday so they had time to sort and deliver the toys.
A third option is simply to do a seasonal sort of your own and donate items at that time. Go through your clothes twice a year, culling out any items you no longer wear. As you get your summer boxes out, sort out a pile for a thrift store. Get rid of anything you do not feel like wearing, so the store gets summer clothes right at the beginning of summer. At the same time, sort out the items you did not wear from your winter wardrobe and donate them. The charity will have to store the ones they keep until fall, but they are not getting musty in a box in your garage.
Household items and money can be donated year-round, of course. If you routinely weed things out, donate year round. Otherwise, wait until you learn of a special need or a charity garage sale and round up some items to give away. It will clear a space in your house and your soul to give something away.