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General Information FAQs
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Welcome Back! You have clicked on the Unsubscribe link in one of our system alerts. Since you have a site membership, there are 3 options for changing email notifications:
- If you do not want to receive any notifications via email when matches are attempted on the items you have posted - log in above and navigate to Manage My Account. Once logged in, all you have to do is change your profile notification settings for Notify me of matches to my items to no, I will log in manually - no emails (see example below):
- If you just want to unsubscribe and dont want to be bothered or dont remember signing up with us - you can always send an email to
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
(from the email adddress you want removed) with the Subject "Remove Me" and we will deactivate your account for you.
- If you like notifications but want to reduce the number of emails you get, but dont want to totally block notifications about your Gifts/Wishes - just log in and modifiy any listings you may have to be MORE specific...tends to filter out some of the riff raff ;)
Thank you for using our site - if you have a chance, please take a second to Tell a Friend and help us spread the word!
Sign up Help
Where is my confirmation link?
Why did I receive two sign up emails?
User Information
Profile Type
Where is my confirmation link?
You will receive an email containing an activation link you have to click on to complete registration. The activation email arrives in your email inbox almost instantaneously, if not, please check your SPAM folder. Depending on your security settings, our email may end up there. To avoid this from happening in the future, please add This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to your address book.
Why did I receive two sign up emails?
The first email you should have received was a welcome email with your username. The second email you should have received contains the activation link. Once you click on the activation link, you will be prompted to log into your account. It is for security reasons that your username is in a separate email than the activation link.
This is where you enter the information of the main contact person, not organization or business name. You will need to have access to your email account as you will need to click on the activation link to complete registration.
It's a good idea to note down your username and password from this step as you will be prompted to log in with this information at the end and every time you need to use our service.
Please enter a good, safe password. Don't worry, our web team spends countless hours making sure ExcessAccess.org is secure. We only want to take extra safety precautions for your sake.
Example of a good password: Green4Vida9
Example of an unsafe password: 456123
Regardless of your Profile Type, you will be able to give or wish and create a gift or a wish just the same.
Profile Type:
Non-Profit
For-Profit
Individual
Non-Profit
If you already have or pending 501(c)(3) Public Charity status or other types (see below). In some cases we realize schools, big and small non-profits can have multiple sectors and/or departments, if this is the case the best thing to do is to sign up for multiple accounts. This makes for better detailed wish postings and faster matching. If you are a non-profit, the Federal Tax ID # you enter on the 3rd step of sign up is important because this is the number that will appear on your tax-deductible receipts after a match has been completed. You can access these receipts for your files once logged in under Manage My Account.
Examples of Non-Profit:
501(c)(3) Public Charities
Grassroots organizations
Charitable Religious Entities
Programs with fiscal agents
Programs without fiscal sponsors & one time projects
Schools
Government Entities
501(a)
Foundations
Hospitals, Clinics & Veterinarians
International NGOs
Daycares
Recyclers & Scrap
Individuals in Shelters
Post any surplus donations and all your wishes for your offices, your programs and for those you help. Often large organizations have several people sign up for multiple accounts within one building. This makes for better detailed wish postings and matching. For donations, the closer the registrant is to the donated item , the more accurate the descriptions and the faster the matching. You will know better than an office or building manager if your monitor works or where the keys are to your filing cabinet lock, etc.
Since you have 501(c)(3) status your Federal Tax ID # is used on the tax deductible receipts for what you receive and we provide a record of them in your account under Manage My Account - Tax Receipts.
Our favorites - get your offices furnished through donations and use your funding for your vital programs!
Post your surplus as donations and post all your wishes for your offices, your programs and for those you help. We also LOVE working with religious networks of ALL denominations during efforts for EMERGENCY RELIEF and NATURAL DISASTERS. We find you to be the best at reaching households, getting accurate wish lists and distributing donated goods as lives start to rebuild! You don't get as much press recognition as some other groups, but we here know that you are on the ground in forgotten areas and deserve the Kudos!
If you don't have nonprofit status yet, just provide the Federal ID # of your fiscal sponsor in the field provided.
Programs without fiscal sponsors & one time projects
Just sign up as a nonprofit and make wishes. Matter of Trust will umbrella the donations you receive as gifts in kind.
Often teachers sign up classroom by classroom for supplies, furniture etc. and many make wishes for their low income students who need shoes and coats...)
We'd rather you recycle your surplus than dump it and we're truly delighted when you make wishes for furniture instead of spending tax dollars on it. Also, you can email us This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for bulk registrations to create city-wide department-by-department sign-ups for donation / wishing assistance.
Political organizations... please sign up and recycle your supplies from campaign to campaign to reduce the waste.
You can sign up to post your surplus items. Also, we have a special outreach program through foundations who want to include our educational interests about the benefits of reuse and how in-kind donations can stretch the funding dollars of your grant applicants. Do you do mail outs of acceptance / rejection letters? If you wish to receive a packet of our tasteful flyers to go inside those letters, please email us This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
Also, ahem, How do you do? If we may be so bold, you might like to browse our Participants List if you're searching for new wonderful charities to help. And our own charity, Matter of Trust, has a page dedicated to you fine Foundations. You know, just in case since "Luck is when preparation meets opportunity."
Hospitals, Clinics & Veterinarians
You tell us you often have lots surplus items that go to waste. Also, you can post wishes for your offices, waiting rooms (sofas, magazines), kennels (old toys for puppies to play with) and for volunteers...
We match within countries and for cross border donations for developing countries and disaster relief special projects, please feel free to email us This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you have logistical contacts in both areas. We work with disaster relief and many international groups projects on a case by case basis. The surplus / need is never the issue, the challenge is always in the logistics.
You can sign up as a nonprofit or business to make wishes or post your surplus items depending upon how you classify your organization.
You are defining our environmental cause and donations that really are broken should only be scrap. We love how you continually browse our gifts for goods that aren't moving and clean that out!
Individuals in shelters or in difficult situations
If you're looking for donations, you might want to see if your shelters can sign up as a nonprofit and make a wish list for your needs if it is very hard for you to get online. Also, check with your community center or church, temple, mosque...
And if you can, also sign up as an individual as mentioned above. Just remember to consider the issue of pick-ups and drop offs. May we also suggest our friends at CraigsList.com and Freecycle.com - if you don't need tax receipts. They're both free, excellent resources!
Please choose the field of work your business pertains to, if you don't see your category, use 'Other' and we will add it for you.
Examples of For-Profit:
Movers
Green Businesses
CPAs and Tax Preparers
Hair Salons, Pet Groomers, Fleece Farmers
Coffee Bean Distributors
Nylons Distributors
Marinas, Harbors and Mechanics
Restaurants
Large & Medium Sized
Small Businesses
Sole Proprietorship's
Corporate Volunteers
Buildings
We are ALWAYS being asked for mover referrals in every major city. Especially when there is a larger donation with multiple recipients. The movers can make one pick-up and multiple drop-offs to charities. This way the movers get more business with less travel and if the charities can split the costs and everybody wins. Please email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you would like your contact info to show up as a by-line on matching emails going out to those in your area, for a very affordable $25 monthly sponsorship fee.
We are very connected to the ecological community and the current tidal wave of green businesses. Please give us a detailed description of what you do during sign up. We do a lot of connecting of like minded people and the inspired results from these link ups are often further reaching than we all can even imagine!
Along with regular donations of surplus furniture, supplies, etc., we also have a special outreach program for accountants who want to include our educational insert on reuse, recycling and the tax benefits of in-kind giving. Do you do mail outs for tax preparation and final tax returns? If you wish to receive a packet of our helpful, tasteful flyers to provide to your customers, please email us This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Thank you, we're very grateful!
Hair Salons, Pet Groomers, Fleece Farmers
Along with regular donations and wishes of surplus furniture, supplies, etc., we also have a special program for donating waste fiber clippings to make "booms" that soak up oil spills. You have to check this out. It is WILD!
Along with regular donations / wishes - we also love to see recycled burlap bag donation postings.
Old nylons! We love them! Along with regular donations / wishes... Gift postings of old or damaged nylons - these get stuffed with hair for our oil spill clean up booms program.
Marinas, Harbors and Mechanics
Along with regular donations / wishes... please let us know if you can use oil spill booms! We are collaborating with schools and Green Biz programs to create jobs and promote recycling.
Along with regular donations/ wishes of surplus furniture, supplies, etc., we also have a special outreach program for extra food for community kitchens and your fryer grease to bio-diesel producers.
Often we see several people sign up for multiple accounts within one building. The closer the registrant is to the item or wish, the more accurate the descriptions and the faster the matching. You will know better than an office or building manager if your monitor works or where the keys are to your filing cabinet lock, etc.
Also, please note that we match by zip codes and and if you have items in multiple locations, each address needs its own account. Our system doesn't work well if you sign up once as a home office in New York but your desks are in warehouses all over the Midwest. For HUGE shipping container size donations that you need to move quickly and all at once, may we also suggest our friends at good360.org, this is really their specialty.
We love small businesses! When we match your donations with nearby grassroots charities, it is a community building and you often have quantities that match what these little groups can handle.
We recommend signing up as a business instead of as an individual if you'd like to promote your services or need your business name on the tax deductible receipts. We reach a lot of people in a variety of fields. Often we get emailed for green business referrals and we like to promote our philanthropic members on our Participants List.
We often get requests for volunteers and there are few better team building or horizon broadening experiences than serving lunch in a homeless shelter or cleaning up a beach. You can post to be a volunteer for nearby charities on Excess Access or volunteer for our own charity Matter of Trust. May we also suggest our friends at VolunteerMatch.com. This is really their specialty.
We do reserve the right to cancel membership for any illegal or offensive behavior. To date we have not had to do this. Let's keep it that way!
As you can see, the more the merrier. The great thing about in-kind donations is it's not like issues you can have with what will happen to money after it's donated. Chances are, if a chair is being donated, it's going to be used for sitting.
Buildings - Building managers may want to post "general household goods" for all that remains. But often there is a lot that goes to waste and never gets picked up if building managers are the only ones doing the posting.
If you're a recycler / expert re-user and looking for a few things to fill your dorm room, apartment, or household this category is for you. The default option is individual, in case the other options confuse you.
Examples of Individual:
Households
Dorm Rooms
Households - All households go through times of spring cleaning, post your surplus and your trash may be someone elses treasure. Low-income families and 1%ers and everyone in between can post gifts and wishes on Excess Access. We are about keeping useful items out of landfill and helping the environment. Make a wish even if you originally signed up to clean out your garage, you never know someone may have just what you're looking for.
Dorm Rooms - College students are also welcome to sign up and post what they have to donate. We find that it works better if each student or group of roommates signs up separately and lists what they have for matching with nearby wishes.
Store Terms & Conditions
Welcome to our online store. If you continue to browse and use this online store you are agreeing to comply with and be bound by the following terms and conditions of use, which together with our privacy policy govern Excess Access' and our partner organization, Matter Of Trust’s relationship with you in relation to this website.
The term “Excess Access” or “us” or “we” refers to the owner of the website whose registered Home Office is in San Francisco, California, USA. The term “you” refers to the user, shopper or viewer of our website.
The use of this website is subject to the following terms of use:
- The content of the pages of the online stor of this website is for your general information, shopping and funding donation use only. It is subject to change without notice.
- Apart from the information provided for each product that we certify as researched, neither we nor any third parties provide any warranty or guarantee as to the accuracy, timeliness, performance, completeness or suitability of the information and materials found or offered on this online store for any particular purpose. You acknowledge that such information and materials may contain inaccuracies or errors and we expressly exclude liability for any such inaccuracies or errors to the fullest extent permitted by law.
- Your use of any information or materials on this website is entirely at your own risk, for which we shall not be liable. It shall be your own responsibility to ensure that any products, services or information available through this website meet your specific requirements.
- This online store contains products which are owned by or licensed to us. The materials include, but are not limited to, the design of goods, design layout, look, appearance and graphics. Reproduction is prohibited other than in accordance with the copyright notice for each product.
- All trademarks reproduced in this website, which are not the property of, or licensed to the operator, are acknowledged on the website.
- Unauthorised use of this website may give to a claim for damages and/or be a criminal offence.
- From time to time this website may also include links to other websites. These links are provided for your convenience to provide further information. They do not signify that we endorse the website(s). We have no responsibility for the content of the linked website(s).
- Your use of this website and any dispute arising out of such use of the website is subject to the laws of the United States.
How To Get Started
-You Sign Up (and you'll get an activation email)
-You log in (it is at top right corner)
-You can post a gift.
- Mouseover My Gifts
- Click on Add New Gift
- Mouseover My Wishes
- Click on Add New Wish
-You can browse other people's gifts to see if someone already has what you want. (Please note their location and quantity)
- Mouseover Browse (Gifts, Wishes & Participants)
- Click on ALL Available Gifts
-You can browse other people's wishes to see if someone already wants exactly what you have. (Please note recipient's location)
- Mouseover Browse (Gifts, Wishes & Participants)
- Click on ALL Available Wishes
-Go to your Dashboard to see where you are in the process for your gifts and wishes that are being matches, accepted and completed.
- The 1st item on the menu bar above
Also see our How This Works, FAQ and help icons for more assistance
Why do I have to sign up?
Because if we don't know where you are or where your stuff is, we can't match nearby gifts and wishes.
It's not to make more work for you or us, that we can promise you. And we won't spam you, share or sell your info. We wouldn't like that and we presume you don't either.
We collect just enough information to ensure members are responsible wishers and gifters. And so that our staff can follow up, if necessary, while protecting your privacy.
We've made sign up fast, free and easy. Just the way we like it.
More Articles...
- We are a nonprofit (ex. lobbying organization) that does NOT have tax-exempt 501(c)(3) status. Can we still receive donations?
- How do I donate furniture / clothes / toys...?
- We are a government (city, county, State, Federal) agency. Can we still subscribe as a nonprofit?
- Am I part of a special program that should sign up? (Ex. Hair donors, Emergency Disaster Relief...)