الأربعاء، 28 يناير 2015

Why You Should Donate Your Car to Charity






If you are considering donating your car to a charity or cause like Habitat for Humanity or the Salvation Army that is right in your own community you are probably wondering what the real benefits will be for your community. If you are like most people that want to donate your old car to a charity or organization that will directly benefit the community that you live in at the moment you need look no further than the internet or local telephone book for that kind of information. Did you know that organizations like Volunteers of America and CarsHelpingPeople.org are among those that will take your old car?

What a lot of people simply do not realize is that that old car that is simply sitting there taking up space in their driveway and costing them money to maintain can actually be given to a local charity. That charity can then repair anything that needs repairing and sell the car for a profit and use the proceeds from the sale of the car to fund local homeless and batter woman's shelters and local food banks. If you would like to know who, what and how your vehicle donation will benefit your local community all you need to do is ask.

If your community has a local homeless and/or batter women's shelter the money that the charity makes from selling donated vehicles might go into the maintenance and upkeep of those shelters. You never know when you are going to need those types of services yourself in the future. The most common charitable cause that people know all about is local food banks. These are partially funded by monetary donations and proceeds for sales of donated items to the charities that run the food banks.

Still not sure that you really want to donate your old car to a charity; if so, that is alright. There are many people that have to think and re-think that decision several times before they actually do donate their car to a local or nationally known charity. Once you really decide that you are going to donate your old car you are going to feel better knowing that you have done something that will help those in your own community that really need the help, those that are in worse circumstances than you yourself are presently. Hey folks, you never really know when it will be you that needs to ask for help from a charity!

How To Donate Your Car To Charity




The car donation process is one that many go through each and every year in order to get rid of vehicles that are no longer wanted or needed. Not only is it beneficial from a tax standpoint, but it also helps you avoid the painstaking task of having to sell your vehicle privately.

Deciding If Donating Your Car Is The Right Thing To Do

One of the first things that comes to mind when contemplating a car donation is whether or not it is the right thing to do. You may be torn between the ideas of donating your vehicle, selling it on your own, or keeping it for good measure. There are some things that you can consider when deciding if a donation is right for you.

One thing that you can take into account is whether or not you want to make money on the sale of your vehicle. If you think you can sell your car or truck on your own and really could use the money, then a donation probably isn't the best route. You won't be receiving payment for your vehicle at the time of donation, and the only payment you will receive will be in the form of a car donation tax deduction.

You might also consider whether or not your vehicle is even worth selling. Donating it may be more beneficial from the standpoint that the time and effort spent trying to sell the vehicle is more valuable than the money received as a result of the sale.

Donating your vehicle might provide other types of rewards that hold a higher value than any amount of money received from a sale. There are car donation charities that take vehicles on donation for things like sickness and disease research funding, public education on health matters, and more. If you are passionate about these things, then donating your car would hold more significance than simply selling it outright.

Does Your Vehicle Meet The Requirements (If There Are Any)

Once you have decided that donating a car is the right thing to do, then you'll want to determine if your vehicle qualifies for the donation program that you wish to submit it to. Some charities set standards for the vehicles that they take, and there are some that do not have any requirements in place for the vehicles they accept into their donation programs. Inspect the condition of your vehicle to ensure that all program requirements are met.

Preparing For The Donation

Depending on which car donation program you choose, there may be some preparation tasks that need to be taken care of. In some instances you are required to gather information about your vehicle such as the make, model, year, VIN, mileage, and title. In order to prevent delays in the donation process, make sure that you have all necessary paperwork required as outlined in the program details.

Making The Call

Once you have located your donation program of choice, have completed any donation requirements, and have gathered all necessary paperwork and information about your vehicle, all that there is left to do is make the call to arrange your donation. You will find that almost all donation agencies or charities are very accommodating during this process. Once you make the call a shipment for your vehicle will be arranged and your vehicle will be picked up at no cost to you. When the donation process is complete you will be given all relevant paperwork that is needed in order to claim your tax deduction at the end of the year.

ake Your Charity Car Donation Count




Car donations are a growing sector of charity donations from private donors. According to the IRS, nearly 750,000 people took a car donation deduction on their taxes in the year 2000. In the ten years since, that number has grown despite the tightening of regulations and tougher reporting guidelines for car donations to charity. There are, however, some unscrupulous contractors who profit from the cars donated to charity. You can protect yourself and make sure that the maximum amount of your donation goes to help children, fights disease or reduces hunger by following a few important tips.

Donate Your Car to a Charity That Accepts Car Donations Directly

When you donate your car directly to an organization, 100% of the value goes directly to the organization rather than to the overhead costs of an intermediary agency. Many of your favorite charities are set up to accept car donations directly.

Drive Your Car to the Charity or to Their Designated Drop Off Spot

Unless the agency employs its own tow truck and driver, the organization to which you're donating your car will have to pay to have your car towed to their location. If you drive the car to them, you'll save them the cost of the tow.

If You Use an Intermediary Agency, Find Out the Percentage That Goes to the Charity

If the charity you want to donate to uses an intermediary agency or if you can't find a charity that directly accepts car donations, do some research to find out how much they hand over to the charities they work with. Ask directly-a reputable agency will have no problem giving you the number-and then call one or more of the charities with which they work and ask them to confirm what the agency told you.

Check the Tax Status of the Charity You're Donating Your Car To

In most cases, you can only claim a tax deduction if you donate to a 501 (c) (3) organization. Ask to see the charity's determination letter from the IRS to be sure that its papers are in order.

Complete the Transfer Papers Correctly

For your own protection, do all the paperwork to complete the transfer to the charity properly. If a charity wants you to leave the title transfer blank so that they can sell the car without actually holding the title, you could be liable for parking tickets or if the car is used in the commission of a crime before the transfer is completed. If the organization you're dealing with won't complete the transfer process properly, back out and find a charity that will process your car donation in accordance with the law.

A car donation can offer big benefits for both you and the charity that accepts it. The charity gets the donation and you get the tax deduction, as long as you follow all the rules and restrictions about keeping records and filing forms. If you're planning to donate a car to charity, following these tips will help you maximize your deduction and make sure that the charity gets the most benefit from your donation.
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