Benefits of Donating to VFC

VFC is the only program in the country that repairs and provides the donated cars to worthy families, guarantees and loan for the car fee, provides a 6-month.6,000 mile warrant all while training formerly incarcerated individuals to be auto mechanics. Your car donation impacts the lives of many individuals on so many levels. Whether your car donation is awarded to a family or sold to generate operating funds for training or auto repairs it is vital to the VFC program.

While donating money or volunteering for a non-profit are both great ways to give back to the community, donating a car does so much more. It will provide a family with the means to take control of their own lives, gain employment, live healthier, and get out of the cycle of poverty. Low-income families need vehicles to be competitive in today’s job climate; your donation could be the difference between unemployment and having a job. 

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Highest Possible Tax Deduction

Note the highest possible tax deduction is the fair market value which is only available if your car is awarded to a family or if the nonprofit uses the vehicle in the purpose of its mission (VFC does not typically do this). A very small number of nonprofits, national, actually award cars to families.

VFC wants to maximize the tax deduction for every donor. That is why we review every car donation to determine the absolute best use of the vehicle. If a donated car is to be sold as opposed to being awarded to a family we will maximize the sales amount by making repairs, cleaning and selecting the most profitable means if which to sell the vehicle. In, 2005 VFC opened Freedom Wheels, our retail used car lot. This allows us to sell cars at retail which also maximizes our donors deduction.

Help Others

Since 1999, Vehicles for Change has helped over 6,900 eligible families in the Maryland, Virginia, and Washington D.C. areas. These low-income families have gained employment, received better pay, and now have healthcare access. When you donate your car, you empower families to regain independence and access the security they deserve.

The difference your vehicle could make in one family’s life is substantial. With an average of $7,400 increase in annual wages, families participating in the Vehicles for Change program vividly illustrate the wide-reaching effects affordable vehicles make in life. Donating your car obviously helps others, but what about personal gain for the donor? 

Feel Happy

Donating time, money, or goods have all proven to have a positive impact on mental health. Simply put, giving makes us happy. Several psychological studies have shown that when participants were instructed to donate money to someone else, their overall level of happiness improved. 

Specifically, a 2008 study by Dr. Michael Norton and other colleagues of the Harvard Business School found that giving money to someone else increased participant’s happiness levels more than spending the money on themselves. Dr. Norton’s study and others like it have focused on small acts of kindness and donations, but think about how much more pronounced these effects are when you donate your car!

Convenience

Convenience is another personal benefit when you choose to donate your car to Vehicles for Change. Once you contact the organization to express interest in donating a vehicle, we will schedule a free pick-up of your vehicle. Instead of the hassle of selling, disposing of, or moving your vehicle, Vehicles for Change will take care of the entire pick-up process. This convenience is just one more way a car donation with Vehicles for Change can save you time and money.

Time for a New Car

Often it can be more beneficial to donate that old car as opposed to trading it in. Your car will change a families life and you will still get a greater financial benefit, not to mention a brand new ride!