The categories worth knowing, before you call anyone
Thrift and charity resale stores generally take furniture, housewares and smaller items in resellable condition — clean, functional, no major damage — and often run their own pickup or drop-off schedule. Habitat-style restore-type organizations, where they operate locally, tend to focus on furniture, building materials and larger household items, and are usually a good fit for solid, sellable pieces even if they're a bit dated. Shelters and family-support organizations sometimes take furniture directly for people setting up a home, though their intake needs shift depending on who they're currently serving.
None of these categories accepts everything, and acceptance changes with what they've got space for that week — which is exactly why calling first beats showing up with a truckload and hoping.
What to check before you call
Condition matters most: most organizations can't take anything torn, stained, broken, or that smells of smoke or pets. Size and quantity matter too — a single dresser is a different ask than clearing an entire house. And pickup availability varies a lot; some organizations offer it for larger items, many don't, so confirm that specifically if you can't transport it yourself.
What to do with what nobody wants
Furniture that's genuinely past donating still needs somewhere to go — check with the municipality on large-item pickup or transfer station drop-off rules before assuming it has to sit at the curb or get hauled privately. It's a smaller, more mechanical problem than the donation question, but it's worth confirming before moving day arrives, not during it.