If you have any questions that are not answered in the FAQs below or are unable to find an answer to a question about becoming a corporate donor feel free to send us an email anytime. We are happy to help.
If a local charity needs your product, please consider the local charity. However, please consider what USIS has to offer: We specialize in large shipments of donations that many smaller charities cannot store or distribute. Through USIS you can easily consolidate your giving and still make a wide impact among many different non-profits.
The donation process is 100% free meaning USIS does not charge anything to accept or process donations. If you are qualified to make a donation on your company’s behalf please email zach@usinventorysolutions.org for more information. After receiving your donation request we will contact you ASAP to verify your information. From there we will let you know if your donation request can be accepted.
Typically we require as much information as possible. The more we have the better. This helps us determine the best way to distribute your donation to non-profits in need. For more specific info please feel free to reach out, and we’ll let you know everything we need to know!
We are committed to a strict no cherry-picking policy, but because there are certain types of inventory that we may not accept like hazardous items requiring special disposal, we will tell you after receiving your donation request whether or not we can accept your donation.
The short answer is no. If you have perishable items to donate, please reach out to us. We’d be happy to suggest any number of great charities whose sole purpose focuses on food distribution.
Upon receiving donated items, items are immediately inventoried, organized and stored at our USIS warehouse and then later added to our website. Items are available for pick up for local St. Louis area charities and shipment to national charities.
For your convenience, there are links provided below to third parties, including the IRS with additional information. As tax laws change, which they do, and as your situation may be change and or be unique, we suggest consulting a tax attorney before making your donation request.
Charitable Contributions
How to determine the Value of Donated Property
26 U.S. Code § 170 — Charitable Contributions and Gifts
In order to maximize our impact on other non-profits, which means keeping costs down, we ask the donor to assume responsibility for the tax-deductible cost of delivering the donation to our USIS warehouse in St. Louis, MO. Please email us with any questions about this process if you are interested in donating.
To start, your company may qualify to receive a double-tax write-off when you donate to USIS instead of disposal. If you decide to scrap excess inventory, you are only able to deduct the cost for tax purposes. Should you choose to donate to USIS, you may be entitled to a tax deduction of the cost plus half the difference between the cost and the fair market value (FMV). This deduction may equal up to twice the cost of the donated inventory. Donation can be more profitable than liquidation as well. Liquidation sales are taxable. Additionally, the cost of storage should also be considered.
The IRS defines Fair Market Value as the price that would have been received had the taxpayer sold the contributed property in its traditional market. Determining FMV can be difficult as the price may have changed due to factors such as obsolescence or decrease in demand. We recommend that you contract with an appraiser experienced in asset donation to handle this aspect of the donation process.
