I was surprised when the Salvation Army declined to take my otherwise functional desk and chairs because of minor stains. This was another stark reminder that charities, while non-profit, are still motivated by revenue. While I understand that they use proceeds from these sales to fund other programs, this doesn't sit right with me. If they don't think they can sell it, they should help give it away for free.
Their discerning taste would make sense, if they were picky about everything, but they didn't even look at the kitchenware I was donating. And given the way they were throwing my boxes around, I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of it broke. As a charity, they should work to prevent functional furniture from going to landfills, especially given many people lack the means to buy the furniture they need.