Car Donation Programs

By now, the majority of major charities have some sort of car donation program. They either have people on staff who handle such donations or they contract the work out to a transportation and processing company that handles it for them. Most charities have caught on to the fact that donated cars represent a significant stream of income that they will miss out on if they cannot accept them.

To find out if your favorite charities have car donation programs, all you have to do is call them. They can probably get everything started within the same call. It usually begins with some paperwork that is sent to you through the mail. You fill out the forms, sign them, send them back, and they will set up a time when the car can be picked up. You will sign the title over to them and you will receive a letter confirming the donation.

The letter of confirmation also usually serves as a receipt for your taxes. You are allowed to deduct the fair-market value of your donated car at the time it was donated. This does not mean that you can deduct the amount for a car in excellent condition if it was only in fair condition. Your receipt may or may not say as much but it is better to be safe than to have to try and prove it to the IRS.

Ensure the Validity of a Car Donation Program

Charity scams have been around seemingly forever. They make up an extremely small minority of organizations seeking charitable donations but they do exist. Before you sign over your car, do some research into the charity and into any company that may work with them processing vehicles. Most scams are extremely shallow and can be discovered with only minor effort. The proof is usually a lack of information rather than verifiable proof of wrongdoing.