The Red Cross and many other volunteer relief or aid organizations accept car donations to support their charitable endeavors. In most cases, the vehicle does not even have to run to be eligible for Red Cross car donation. In many cases, the cars can still be auctioned off or sold to an automobile recycling facility at a nice price for their parts. Just provide the car and its title papers and they’ll take care of the rest.
Car donations are tax-deductible, and many charitable organizations – including the American Red Cross, if you reside in New York, New Jersey, or Pennsylvania – will gladly pick up and tow your automobile, if necessary, free of charge. The organization should provide you with a receipt for your car that includes your name and address, the charity’s information, and the year, model, and make of the car you are donating. One important piece of information the receipt should not have on it is the assessed value of the car. Although the receipt is proof of the car’s donation, the donor – not the receiver – is required by the IRS to accurately evaluate the vehicle’s “fair market value”, or what a hypothetical buyer would willingly pay for the item. The Kelley Blue Book (kbb.com) is an excellent resource for this and other types of vehicle assessment, helping you to accurately appraise the car you wish to donate according to its year, make, model, mileage, features, and condition. It is also a good idea to consult an accountant or tax advisor to accurately report your deduction.
The Red Cross utilizes proceeds from car donations to support its international network of volunteer-based emergency services. You can fill out an online donation form at the Red Cross’ Web site (redcrossdonations.org) or call the toll free number listed there to organize a car donation. The Red Cross is unique among charitable organizations in that it transfers the title of the car you donate to the American Red Cross at the D.M.V., saving you the possibility of any future liability for your donated vehicle.
In addition to Red Cross car donation, there are several other venues of car donation to choose from. If you have a charitable cause that is particularly close to your heart, inquire as to whether or not they accept car donation. For example, Donate Car for Charity (donate-car-for-charity.com), a subsidiary branch of the Family Care Foundation charitable organization, utilizes the car donations it receives to aid various causes in Third World countries. These include food programs, education, emergency relief, computer literacy, AIDS care, and medical relief, among many others. Gifts for Sight (giftsforsight.com) accepts car, boat, cash, timeshare and real estate donations to benefit those afflicted with a type of progressive blindness called keratoconus. And Christ Cars (christcars.com), in the service of the San Antonio chapter of the non-profit organization Youth for Christ, Inc., accepts car donations in support of its evangelistic endeavors towards middle and high school-age children. Christ Cars also either arranges or pays for towing and other expenses you may incur while donating your vehicle, although their towing services may not be fully available in all fifty states. Charities such as the Red Cross car donation can help you make a difference in the lives of others.
By Rachel Campbell