Tips for Choosing the Best Car Donation Program
There are hundreds of car donation programs on the internet making heartfelt appeals for vehicles, but only a small number of these programs actually make a difference to the charity. Car Donation Wizard wants you to know that we know that you have choices and we are happy to offer complete clarity on where your car donation is going, who it’s helping, and how it’s going to get there. Call us anytime at (877) 957-2277 for more information or to donate a car to one of our amazing nonprofit partners today.
Tips Before You Donate a Car to Charity
Car Donation Wizard wants donors to know that donating a car to charity not only helps the organization fund worthwhile research and activities, but you also may be eligible to claim a tax deduction for your charitable contribution. Here are some car donation tax tips:
- Make sure the charity is an organization that you know and trust. There are thousands of organizations that accept car donations. Before you choose to donate, remember that all charities are not created equal. Look for an organization whose work you recognize as benefiting the community or the world. Be concerned about “charities” that have cute-sounding names or might sound similar to a charity you know (for example, Habitat for Humans instead of Habitat for Humanity).
- Ask how much the charity will receive. The charity has a responsibility to best manage your vehicle donation. Ask how much of the gross proceeds will go back to the charity after you donate a car to them. If the organization will only list the percentage of net proceeds, then your car donation could be largely wasted. Several published reports have clearly established that most car donation programs return between 15 and 35% of the gross back to the charity, but they report it as 50 to 70% of the net. This could be the difference between the charity of your choice receiving $1,000 or $150 for your car donation.
Car Donation Wizard returns between 75% and 80% of the GROSS from each auto donation back to the charity. - Ask how your car donation will be handled. You’ll want to know that the vehicle will be picked up and transported by properly licensed and insured towing companies and that the legal transfer of the donated vehicle will be handled by a licensed dealer contracted by the charity.
- Ask how and where the money will be spent. This question should be easily answered. You should search for the charity or agency that makes the best use of the funds from your auto donation. BEWARE of charity car donation programs that promise to send proceeds to any organization without having a direct relationship. All charities are not created equal, and all car donation programs are not run with the same attention to donor wishes.
- Once you’ve decided to donate a car to charity, sign the title directly over to the charity or their agent. All states have very clear regulations about the transfer of ownership for vehicles. DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, LEAVE THE ‘BUYER’ SECTION OF THE TITLE BLANK. By leaving the title blank, you allow anyone to transfer the title directly from you to the next buyer. There are two consequences of this oversight:
- The donor can remain liable for the vehicle. This means liable to the buyer and possibly liable for the actions of the buyer if the vehicle is never correctly transferred.
- The charity might not receive any credit for the vehicle donation. By signing directly to the charity or their legal contractual agent, you make it much more likely that the vehicle will actually be used for the charitable purpose that you designate.
Have questions about donating your car to charity?
View our FAQ page to find answers to all your car donation questions, including title help and what to do after your car is picked up. You can also call us at 877-957-2277 and a customer service representative can help you.
Visit our blog to check out:
Everything you ever wanted to know about car donations
The virtues of vehicle donation programs
6 tax tips for donating a car to charity
Finding a legitimate car donation program
Get the latest car donation information here
Charity Watchdog Organizations
If you want to find out more about the charity that you are considering for your auto donation, you can access several charity watchdog organizations.
One of the best for gathering information is:
https://www.charitynavigator.org
If you have questions about Donation Wizard or our relationships with our charity car donation partners, please contact Joe Hearn, president of Advanced Remarketing Services, at 877-709-2277 or jhearn@arscars.com
