Junior League of Hartford

We gladly will accept your donations during store hours in order that we may provide you with a tax form reflecting your donation.

About Your Donation
Your donation to The Clothes Horse helps the Junior League of Hartford, Inc. serve the Hartford community in two ways:

1. Your clothing and household goods are resold to the public at low prices.
2. Annual income help fund projects and programs of the Junior League of Hartford.

Tax Advantages
Your contribution of clothes, giftware, books, furniture, sports equipment, and other items can be deducted on your federal income tax return. However, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requires that you be able to substantiate your non-cash contribution with a receipt from the Junior League. Please be sure to fill out a form (provided at The Clothes Horse), and have it signed by The Clothes Horse Manager or one of the store's Staff Members. Without a receipt, The Clothes Horse cannot verify your donations or quota. You should consult with your tax adviser regarding the eligibility of your donation for charitable contribution treatment and to determine an appropriate value for your donation.

Valuation of Donated Goods
The amount you are allowed to deduct for non-cash gifts is the fair market value of each item. The IRS defines "fair market value" as the price that item would sell for on the open market. The "fair market value" of used merchandise is usually much less than the original cost. In order to determine the "fair market value," you should consider the:

• condition of the item
• age of the item
• quality of the item as purchased new

Since it is your responsibility to determine the value of your donated goods, the following Internal Revenue Service Publications may assist you and your tax adviser:

• Publication 561, "Determining the Value of Your Donated Property"  
• Publication 526, "Charitable Contributions"  

Please note that this is not intended to be tax or legal advice; you should consult with your tax advisor for help determining if your contributions are deductible and the fair market value of your contributions.

Clothes Horse Donation Guidelines

Donations We Are Happy to Accept

• Current fashions and accessories for the entire family
• Jewelry: fine and costume (our best seller)
• Outerwear: coats, hats, gloves, scarves, fur and leather coats, jackets and new or slightly worn shoes & boots
• Tuxedos, special occasion and evening wear
• Vintage and retro clothing and accessories. Evening wear, hats, scarves, jewelry, household items. Early 1900s through the 70s are great! Costumes, all sizes
• Bed linens, table linens, blankets, towels, curtains, fabric, etc...Please, no stains, tears or fading.
• Artwork, pottery, paintings, prints, housewares, books
• Holiday items, decorations, unopened gifts
• Laptop computers (with or without hard drive)
• Unopened perfume, cosmetics and toiletries
• CDs, DVDs, video games, books on tape/CD
• Furniture: Small items only. End tables; smaller chairs (no larger than a wing chair); plant stands, etc. Please call first to make sure we have room

Donations We Cannot Accept

• Clothing that is soiled, stained or in otherwise worn-out condition
• Clothing that has been in mothballs or a musty basement
• Kids/baby equipment (car seats, cribs, bicycles, etc.)
• Linens with stains, fading or tears
• Opened games, puzzles, toys
• School/college books, encyclopedias
• Sheets and towels worn-out and/or stained
• Shoes that are regularly worn. They should be new or in nearly-new condition
• Small electrical items that are NOT in clean, working condition
• Tupperware, plastic containers, plastic kitchen items

In addition, we would ask that you consider the following donation guidelines:

• We cannot accept anything broken, chipped, torn, worn-out or stained, since we are dedicated to providing high quality items to our customers.
• Please do not bring excessive amounts of donations at one time (five or more large bags or boxes). While we appreciate your generosity, we have very limited storage space.
• We very much appreciate neatly folded clothing or clothing donated on hangers.

Please remember that we have to pay a fee to dispose of items we are unable to sell; it helps us maximize the products we deliver to the community and the revenue that goes directly to the Junior League of Hartford's various programs and operational costs. As a result, we very much appreciate your adherence to the guidelines set forth above.

Thanks again for all your support!

The Clothes Horse