Charitable Giving. All donations, monetary or otherwise, must be made by the end of the year (and only individuals who itemize their deductions are eligible for a deduction). Donations of household goods or clothes must be in "good used condition," and require a receipt from an organization detailing the items, unless you left the property in a drop box (if that's the case, keep your own records). All donations worth more than $250 require a written receipt from the organization. Gifts.