Posted on 04/24/2018 9:36:44 AM PDT by pfflier
I am considering donating my car to a charity. The internet is full of charities that want the car but there is very little on the money management "internals" that say how the money is distributed. The BBB says some give as little as 4% up to 44% but usually they don't name names at either end of the spectrum.
Any Freepers out there with recommendations and positive experiences? My preference would be to donate to Disabled Veterans, Veterans or animal welfare organizations in that order.
SALVATION ARMY..........................
Sherrif’s ,Boys Ranch.
1-877-KARS4KIDS donate your car today!
1-800 CARS 4 KIDS
ADMIN - Please remove my post..I gave out the wrong phone number, Thank you!
Donating mine to the local community college
The Salvation Army has always been one of my favorite charities from my military days. Thanks for reminding me.
I am sure there are some Freepers that will post a good charity. That being said, years ago.. my husband and I donated a used boat to a charity. They even came to the house and picked it up... all the paperwork was in order. We took it off our taxes as was allowed. A few years after that, we received a call from a man in D.C. who “found” the boat and wanted us to sell it to him. We explained the boat had been donated and no longer ours. DNR contacted us and asked us to sell the boat to this “nice man” and again, we explained we can’t sell something we don’t own. (they found us via the boat number like a VIN on a car). Some years after that, we were called by a person who retrieved the boat (a tow service) from the Bay... advising us he would send his bill (a completely different person). Once again... we explained it had not been our boat for 10 years. Long story short, we personally would no longer donate a boat/car etc... the type of people who pick up the items are not the most trust worthy. FWIW, the charity was one of the top organizations that handled donated cars, trucks, boats etc... TBH, it wasn’t worth all of the threats of civil actions etc... to us.
IMO, the best charitable use of a $400, still running car is to just give it to someone who really needs it. Ask around at church or wherever. Someone’s cousin, niece, etc. is probably in desperate need to get to work without the hassle of the bus.
DO TO GIVE IT TO GOODWILL OR HABITAT FOR HUMANITY......................
I have donated four vehicles in recent years.
1. First to a local church in a poor area of town. I met with the pastor and asked him if there was someone in his congregation who needed a vehicle. He said yes. So I donated the car to the church, trusting they would get it to the needy person. They gave me a letter saying I donated it for no services, so I could claim it on my taxes.
2. I tried to donate it to a different church. They had a person in need, but didn’t want the car because the business manager was nervous about shifting assets. So I “sold” the vehicle for a dollar to the congregant.
3,4. The last two vehicles have been donated to a vocational training program in our area that teaches at risk teenagers how to repair vehicles. The kids learn how to fix cars and get to keep the ones they repair. Got letters of donation for these contributions.
I donated an old Toyota Celica to the DAV. I contacted them online. The alternator wasn’t working, and the battery was dead. They came out, picked it up, gave me a receipt informing me that I could deduct $400 as a charitable donation. A few weeks later, they sent me a letter saying that they had auctioned it for $2,500, and saying that I could request a new “charitable donation” receipt. Real slick operation, no problems.
Not to disparage charities, have you considered going to a local diner or low wage company and scouting some hardworking person and giving them the car? There are many that walk to work, have mouths to feed, etc.
Those that need help but rely on themselves to overcome will someday be able to give to others as well. Some that utilize charities are not necessarily the neediest. Veterans are the exception of course and victims of the ineffective government.
Thanks for the idea. Something else to consider.
Adding to my previous post......while your car may be worth $500 to a charity, it is worth much more if it provides reliable transportation for someone without a vehicle. A charity may only see the dollar value. A working person without a car will make the most of having a free car.
You’re welcome and good luck!
Whenever that ad comes on, I change to another station or turn the TV off.
I am. Life Member, DAV so there’s my vote although I have no idea what they do with the cars. I know they give rides to Veterans to clinic appointments with vans.
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