Donate a Car to the Best Charity

If you think you might want to donate a car but are daunted by the task of choosing the best charity to donate to, there are a few important things to consider that will help you to eliminate those that do not meet your criteria and to choose the one you feel the most comfortable with.

Choosing the Best Charity to Donate to

In deciding which charity should receive your car or other vehicle donation, you should be aware of the following:

• If you want to claim a tax deduction from your donation, make sure you choose a 501 (c) (3) organization. If the charity you choose does not hold this status, you likely will not receive any financial benefits from your donation. Different charities may offer different amounts you can claim on your tax deduction, so pick one that offers you the best deal.

• Make sure the charity you choose uses all or most of its donations toward its programs, rather than administrative costs. For example, Rawhide uses at least 83% of it proceeds from donations toward programs that benefit its participants.

• Try to find a charity that handles car donations itself, rather than using a middleman to do so. Charities that rely on a middleman seller typically do not receive nearly as much of the donation as they would in accepting it themselves due to the extra costs.

• While this may not be as big of a deciding factor, you may feel more satisfaction from your donation if you choose a charity that focuses on issues important to you personally. For example, you may want to support animal rights, the environment, children in need, etc.

• For a smoother donation process, choose a charity that has been around and accepting donations for a while, as they are more likely to have mastered the donation process and will be able to help you through it much more quickly and efficiently.

• Decide if you are willing to drop off the vehicle yourself, or if you want it to be picked up. Many charities offer to pick up your donation for free, but that is not always the case, so choose one that does if that is what works best for you.