Donating Your Old Car to Fund a Charitable Organization

A quick search online will reveal organizations and charities with car donation programs. Whether one is interested in education, employment, animal rights, or medical research, there is an organization that will gladly accept your old car.

But how can you make sure the donation is going to the right cause?

Select a Cause

There are dozens of charities in every community, and all of them need help. Some charities benefit the immediate community, while others are large and serve an entire state or region. If a donor’s goal is donating a car to help a charity, it is important to select which cause he or she wants the donation to help.

Before giving to the first car donation program advertised on TV, donors should consider who the charity is helping and how much of the donation proceeds actually go toward people or animals in need.

Find a Donating Car Program

Search for “car donation charities” in your area, ask others whether they know of a car donation center, or call Vehicles for Change. We will help you in your search.

Navigate Through all the Options

If you want to donate your vehicle to help a specific cause, there may still be hundreds of charities with the same end goal. Unfortunately, not all charities are created equal, and you will want to choose a charity that will get the most out of your vehicle.

The first thing to look for is a charity that supports your designated cause. After finding potential charities, you can then narrow the field down to those that accept direct vehicle donations. This eliminates the use of a middle-man, who takes a large chunk out of the vehicle’s value and leaves less for the charity to work with.

Next, be careful to choose a charity with a good reputation. If your goal is to find a charity that will give the vehicle to a family in need, then your search can quickly be fulfilled by calling Vehicles for Change. We are proud of our results.

Finally, some car donation programs are designed to help the charity raise money through car sales or auctions. Not all donating car programs are non-profit, and not all permit tax deductions. They must be specified as a 501 (c) (3) in order for the donor to claim a tax deduction. Moreover, the amount of the available deduction will be directly related to the method used to dispose of the vehicle.

If you are interested in learning more about car donation or need some advice on choosing the right charity, contact Vehicles for Change for more information.