Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Donate Your Car

Planning To Sell The Car? Why Not Donate It?

Are you planning of selling your old car, vessel or the RV? If you have a mind for doing something for the society, why not donate it instead? It will certainly facilitate somebody who is basically in need. Moreover, the move will get you some cash back during the submission of your tax papers.

There are thousands of charities available in the country; some of them support local non-profit radio, TV and newspapers, some support humanitarian causes. The charities or their agents accept most of the vehicles, RVs and vessels. They arrange for a towing company to get in touch with you within three to four days after you promise to donate your vehicle.

Donating your car is an extremely easy procedure. The charities that accept car donation actually take any kinds of vehicle, including broken cars. A very little emphasize is given on the state of the vehicle. If the vehicle is worth more than the price of towing, they will take it. You have to fill out the IRS form 4303, if you want a tax deduction from the deal.

A clear title of the car, which you are donating, is needed. A clear title will confirm that all monetary requirements are already met, all obligations of the Motor Vehicle Administration are accomplished and you truly are the car's owner.

Without a title and a lien release document, the car is basically valueless to the charity as they will not be able to sell it to any third party.

If you have lost your title or other paperwork that proves ownership of the vehicle, you have to get it back before donating it. Good thing about it is, some charities take care of the process and prepare all the necessary documents.
Read more...

Sunday, November 30, 2008

Car Donation Not always a satisfying trade

Once you promise your car donation, the charity organization takes the donor information over the telephone or in person and then handles all the paper work. Then they arrange pick up before staging an auction sale for the car.

You can donate the car to release yourself from the hassle of owning an old and useless vehicle. At the same time, you are contributing something to the society. Moreover, you can ask for a tax deduction during the submission of your tax paper.

There are charities that do a good job of selling the car on a fair market value; meaning you can receive a bigger tax deduction value for the car. Apart from the charities, there are processing agents, who also deal with used and old cars. They actually work on behalf of the charities.

Sometimes, donors face a nasty incident, even after donating the car months ago. Maybe, the person who bought the car from the charity parked it at a time restricted area and left it there for too long to force authorities to tow it away.

The MVA by mistake might issue the donor a citation. If anything like this happens to you, you should contact your charity as soon as possible. They will take care of it. This type of occurrence does not happen often, so do not worry too much about it. Just keep your charity's phone number and the receipt of the donation; so that you do not face any trouble in future.
Read more...

Monday, October 20, 2008

Car Donation - How efficient is your charity?

Before selecting the charity for donating your car, you must find out the efficiency rating of the charitable organization. The efficiency rating will tell you their ability and capacity.

If the rating is high, it means, the larger portion of your donation will in fact go to the people, who need it. On the other hand, if the rating is low, it indicates that the charity uses more money on administration purposes rather than helping out the society.

For example, if a charity has an efficiency rating of 90%, it means, 90 cents of every dollar you donate will go directly to the people in need. The remainder will be used to cover all administrative expenses. In general, a ratio of 85% or higher indicates that the charity is doing a good job. Less than 85% means, it is poorly managed or the charity is not so legitimate.

Most charitable and non-governmental organizations agree to take vehicle donations so that they can fund the programs and services they offer to the society. On the other hand, the primary motivation from your side is to help the society. If your money is not spent for the betterment of the society, why donate in the first place?

There are thousands of car donation programs available in the country, some support local non-profit radio, TV and newspapers, some support humanitarian causes. Additionally, many Charities and shelters use the donated cars for transportation to work, doctor appointments, school, etc.

You should find out related information about the selected charity before taking the final decision. Remember, the higher its efficiency rating, the higher you are contributing to the society.
Read more...