We Need Your Stuff!

The Houston Furniture Bank is in dire need of donated home furnishings for local families in need. Please call us to set up an appointment for FREE pick up of your gently used items at (713) 842-9771. We are desperate for the following items:

• Beds
• Mattresses/Box Springs
• Dinning/Kitchen Table
• Dressers/Chest of Drawers

Welcome to The Furniture Bank of Houston, Texas.

Please take a look around the site and see who we are and what we have to offer. The tabs above are the main navigation, starting with the about tab which explains our services and includes our history, our board members, our press & video and our mission statement. Plus, you will also see our FAQ's (Frequently Asked Questions) that might clear up any questions you might have regarding our organization and how to donate or volunteer your time.

The need help tab explains how to receive donated furniture. And the partners tab is the list of local organizations that will assist you with this process.

From time to time we will host events that you can participate in or help volunteer. If you are interested, please go to the contact us link at the very top of the page and send us an email with your information.

And last but not least, our donate tab is the most critical for our success. Without your furniture donations, your financial donations and your volunteer efforts, we could not be here to help.

Thanks again for stopping by! Please visit often and if you know anyone who is buying new furniture and would like to donate their previously used furniture, please tell them about The Furniture Bank.

Donate Your Vehicle and Help A Family!!

In a cooperative effort between Donation Line and The Houston Furniture Bank your vehicle can be donated to our organization, running or NOT. And the giver receives a tax deduction from The Houston Furniture Bank. In addition to cars you can donate trucks, vans, boats, motorcycles, jet skis, snowmobiles, RVs, and even airplanes. You must have clean title. Free towing. No hassle. Pickup ASAP. Call 24/7 1-877-CARS-4-US (227-7487) Ext. 2680.

Or you can set up your donation online by clicking the folowing link: www.donationline.com.

UEP Recommendations for Furniture Bank

Executive Summary

 December 2011

Purpose

This report summarizes the Urban Entrepreneurship Partnership’s (UEP) findings and recommendations resulting from its assessment of the Furniture Bank (FB). FB is a nonprofit organization that serves the greater Houston area by distributing furniture and home furnishings to families in need through a network of social service agencies and non-profit organizations. The Furniture Bank has helped approximately 80,000 individuals. Each year it serves more than 1,000 families with furniture and household items. Furniture Bank’s mission is to complement existing organized effort to assist those that have a living condition, which lacks basic furnishings. The UEP was commissioned to assess the operations of FB and nine other high performing nonprofit organizations in the Houston region and make recommendations that would enhance their sustainability, programs and services, and leverage their existing organizational capacities more efficiently.

Focus of UEP’s Assessment

The UEP assessment and recommendations focused on identifying ways of increasing the level of revenues, improving internal operations, enhancing external service delivery, achieving greater income diversification, and increasing donor contributions. The assessment examined each organization’s core departments, services, finances, and business development activities. All data and information relevant to understanding how the organization operates and delivers services were examined including those related to its organizational policies, practices and procedures; programs and services; and statements of financial position and financial activities. UEP investigators also conducted on-site visits to observe the operational environment and interview key staff.

A SWOT analysis was prepared to identify the organization’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.  The SWOT analysis allowed UEP to better understand the areas of opportunity and challenges confronting each organization, design ways of improving the efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery, and recommend ways of achieving greater long-term sustainability.

Major Recommendations

1. 1.      Conduct organizational analysis: The Furniture Bank is a lean organization that accomplishes much with very little. However, the organization needs to enhance its operational and fundraising capabilities in order to reach a level where its services can become more self-sustaining.  FB currently serves 1,000 to 1,300 families, but with proper investment and restructuring, it has the capacity to serve two to three times that amount. Furniture Bank should conduct a complete organizational analysis in an effort to identify its barriers to expansion. The analysis should start with a strategic plan that outlines where the organization wants to be in five years and assess the requirements for meeting those goals. Some important topics that should be addressed in the assessment include a review of the organizational structure and staffing, procedures and controls, and the long term self-sustainability and funding strategy.

1. 2.      Expand Bargain Bazaar to other Locations in the Metro Area: Bargain Bazaar sells furniture at discounted prices to individuals who do not qualify for the free furniture available at Furniture Bank.  Prices at Bargain Bazaar are frequently less than half of those found in a retail furniture store. Bargain Bazaar is already very successful and profitable; as a result, it could be expanded in new locations to produce even more income for the organization. A feasibility study should be conducted to determine which metropolitan areas could be host to Bargain Bazaar, and how Furniture Bank can most effectively expand to those new sites.

1. 3.      Establish a Mattress Recycling Business: The Furniture Bank is considering mattress-recycling services. Besides generating income for the organization, this venture could save landfill space, extend landfill life, remove old mattresses off the side of the road, provide bedding for the poor, and generate recycled steel, cotton, foam and felt. Potential sources of funding for this type of project could be grants from foundations seeking to support innovative environmental programs, or government funding for start-ups. However, FB does not currently have the infrastructure to administer a government grant, but if this issue were resolved, it is likely that FB could secure government funding to support this type of project.

Click Here To Read The Full Report