Car Donation Checklist - Car Donation checkup

Checklist for car and other vehicle donations

As the donor of a car you have certain responsibilities in that you must meet. There is really nothing too difficult except if you are looking for the tax write-off often associated with a car donation. Then you will have to be sure that you and the charity you are considering donating to are eligable for a tax deduction.

Other points to consider before donating your car

1. Title - A vehicle title is often needed for your vehicle before you will be able to donate it. This will provide proof to the charity that you indeed own the vehicle.
   
   
2. Lean free - Of course if you are still paying for the vehicle that you intend to donate you can't donate it. There must be nothin gowing or any leans against the vehicle.
   
   
3. Location - In the US there are charities that accept vehicle donation in most states. Outside of the US you will have to do some research either online or by calling other charities to find a potential places to donate.
   
   If you are in a mjor urban area it will be easier to find a charity and pick-up of you vehicle will often be quicker then if you live in a remote area. Charities will also be less likely to accept the donation is the vehicles value is low and it is in a very remote location. The cost of pickup will outway the potential for making money from the donation.
   
   
4. Vehicle Condition - Obviously the value of your donation is important to the charity. The charity will also process the donation in different ways depending on the value. Higher quality donations that are easier to process are going to provide a better return for the charity while a car that doesn't operate will take more time to process with a smaller return. Although most charities are happy to receive vehicle donations in any condition.
   
   
5. Percentage of proceeds that go to the charity - You obviously want all the money from your donation to go to the charity you have chosen. However this is not always possible. There are a couple factors that can determine how much of the actual proceeds from the donation go to the charity you have donated to.
   
   
   • Does the charity use a broker to process the donation? If they are for-profit then they take a percentage of the proceeds.
   • The charities that are processing their own donations will likely have a higher amount going to the actual organizations the charity supports.
   • If you donate your car to a company that processes vehicles they will often takea percentage of the proceeds and donate the rest to the charity tyou have specifid.
     
     
6. Ethics - You are donating a vehcle because you support the ideology and ethics of the charity. So it makes sense for you to look into where your donation will go. Often placing a simple phone call to the organization will be all that is needed. Also, you can check with the Better Business Bureu to see if any complaints have been registered.