Friday, September 30, 2016

Car Donation: Protect Yourself


If you are thinking about making a car donation to a charity that serves needy individuals in your community, you have a good heart and great intentions.  Sadly, there are people out there who will take advantage of your kindness.  This has become particularly true in the last few years as car donation charities Madison have become more numerous and popular.  Being a fully informed donor will help you make sure your donation is supporting the cause you want to support.  It will also let you avoid potential problems and legal issues that could be time consuming and expensive to correct.

Car Donation Madison:  Things to Know
  • Not all vehicle donation agencies you will find on the Internet are actually charities.  With the growing popularity of in-kind donations, a number of for-profit intermediary business have sprung up.  These businesses may take more than half of the value of your donated vehicle just to pick it up, sell it, and forward a small percentage of your donation to an actual charity.  These agencies are also more likely to leave you with legal problems around the title of your donated vehicle.

  • When donating a vehicle, make sure you have the title ready to transfer at or before the time of delivery or pick-up.  Know the exact name of the individual or agency to whom you will transfer the title.  Then, check with the title bureau a few days later to make sure the transfer has actually happened.  As long as the title remains in your name, you may be responsible for any parking tickets the vehicle receives.  You could even be held liable if the car is involved in an accident.

  • Maintain insurance on your vehicle until you are certain that the title has been transferred to the designated individual or agency.  The best course of action is to ask to have the title transfer take place before you physically release the car from your control.  If it is involved in a serious accident and still titled in your name, the amount of damages for which you might be held liable could reach into the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Vehicle Donations


According to JD Power, the average price that an auto dealer will pay you for a trade-in of your old vehicle is likely about 20% lower than if you were to sell the car privately, such as via posting an advertisement. Although this discrepancy is no secret to most, consumers often reluctantly accept the trade-in offer primarily because it is a more convenient option. One potential consideration in these instances is to contact a location that will allow you to donate a vehicle to charityVehicle donations can often make good economic sense, depending on the various factors associated with your individual income tax situation for a given tax year.

Those who may be in the market for a new vehicle will certainly notice the continued increase in the many vehicle safety features that auto manufacturers are adding as standard operating equipment. The latest safety features go well beyond the features that have been in the market for years already such as anti-lock brakes, airbags and low tire inflation alerts. Some of these exciting new developments are as follows:
  • Backup cameras: There are two primary components involved with these. A hidden camera that is located in the rear of the vehicle turns on when the car’s transmission is shifted into reverse. The view from the camera is then shown on the dashboard screen inside the car so the driver can clearly see the area that they are “backing into”.
  • Blind spot warnings: Even the newest rear-view and side-view mirror combinations may not allow you to see the “blind-spots” toward either side of the rear of the vehicle. When another object (such as a car) is occupying the area in this region, the system will provide either a visual or audible signal to prevent any problems associated with changing lanes.
  • Lane shift warning sensors: This type of sensor is able to detect and alert the driver if they sway slightly out of the current lane while traveling. These may be particularly helpful when a driver is moderately distracted.
  • Forward collision prevention alerts: This “cutting edge” technology can be based on a camera or radar-type system for detecting objects that suddenly are determined to be present within (or near) your car’s estimated breaking distance.
  • Adaptive response headlights: This feature will automatically adjust the brightness of your car’s headlights based on the lighting amid the area you are traveling. The technology is particularly helpful if traveling through a rural roadway after-dark where there are no streetlights available to illuminate your path. Additionally, this may limit the need for manual engagement of your high-beam lights.
  • Electronic wheel stability features: This is used to assist a vehicle when it is turning by slowing the speed of certain wheels automatically to more safely complete the turn.

Vehicle Donation and Child Safety Seats

Vehicle Donation and Child Safety Seats
Those who are actively shopping for a new car often do not put too much thought into alternative options to simply trading their car in to an auto dealership as a matter of simplicity. It is possible that donating your car to a charity may actually deliver you a more financially beneficial solution by allowing for a significant tax deduction for the fair market value of the vehicle; all while knowing that your old car is contributing to the betterment of the community. One great option for vehicle donation is discussed in detail at donate a vehicle Green Bay by Rawhide, a local charitable organization that assists troubled youth in Wisconsin.

Child safety seats are either not being used, or are being installed and used in an improper manner in far too many instances in the US. Recently, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released some statistical data supporting their recent findings including:
  • In 1999, over 50% of passengers between 4 and 8 years of age that were killed in auto crashes were determined to not be properly fastened into a child safety seat unit. This is in addition to the many that were injured in such crashes that did not involve a fatality.
  • The NHTSA says that education on child car travel safety needs to extend beyond just parents to include and reach numerous caregivers, law enforcement officers, medical providers, and teachers. Additionally, the education must be communicated in a host of languages for non-native speakers.
  • Children should not rely on an adult seat belt as the sole restraint until large enough to firmly place their back against the back of the seat with their knees able to be bent over the seat cushion beneath.
What are the challenges in child safety seat usage and enforcement?
  • There is often a strong desire of young children to acclimate to “being a grown up” through resistance toward usage of the restraint unit, seat and/or belt. When some parents or caregivers do not adequately enforce child safety seat safety, it leads to heightened levels of child resistance, who are quite observant.
  • There seems to be an educational “disconnect” as it relates to the laws regarding protecting older children, particularly in the age ranges from 8 to 12 years, with proper usage of booster seats and safety belts.
  • Emphasizing to law enforcement the importance of actively monitoring and recognizing violations. When an officer observes a child restraint violation, they should take appropriate action according to the law. Additionally, officers should emphasize the importance of having children positioned in the back seat of the vehicle, which has proven in numerous studies to significantly reduce injuries and fatalities resulting from vehicle collisions.

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Vehicle Donations

Vehicle donations are a great way for charities to raise money.  Through auction or direct use in the mission, vehicle donations Wisconsin help many charities continue to provide their programs and services to the public. If you're looking for vehicle donations to nonprofits Milwaukee, consider donating your unwanted car to Rawhide.  In addition to accepting donations year-round, Rawhide has a wealth of experience with the donation process and the citizens of Wisconsin.  Not only can they walk you through the entire process, they can also provide you with a tax receipt that can be used as vehicle donations tax deduction Milwaukee.

Rawhide is a faith-based charity that offers therapy and counseling programs to at-risk youths and their families.  Together with their caring staff, they help families redirect their lives for the better and make responsible choices.  With over 40 years of service to the state of Wisconsin, their charity has helped redirect the lives of thousands of families.

How to Complete Vehicle Donations with Rawhide

To complete vehicle donations Milwaukee with Rawhide, simply visit this contact page and fill out the form.  This form should take less than a minute to complete and will ask you basic questions about you, the vehicle you are trying to donate, and the location of the vehicle.  After your form has been processed, a representative will call you to arrange a free pick-up of your unwanted car.

To prepare for pick-up, you will need to go through the car and remove any personal items you may have left in the vehicle.  The charity cannot be responsible for lost or stolen items after they have retrieved your unwanted vehicle.  You may also want to ensure that you do not have any insurance services connected to the vehicle, as this may result in complications for the donation process. During pick-up, you'll be asked to the sign the title over to Rawhide and this will solidify the donation process.  After Rawhide has put your vehicle to use within the charity or sold it in a fundraising auction, you will be provided with a tax receipt you can use as a deduction on your annual taxes.

To learn more about Rawhide and the charity as a whole, visit: http://www.rawhide.org/.

Tuesday, September 20, 2016

Car Donations Can Benefit Young People in Need

Car Donations Can Benefit Young People in Need
Many people want to participate in philanthropy to make their communities better.  One of the best ways to improve your community is to support the development of the young people who could become its future leaders.  While some young people have many advantages, like supportive families and financial resources, to engage in activities and education that will help them succeed in life, there are many others who are in need of both financial and emotional support.  This is especially true of children who live in poverty, or who are part of the foster care system.

Car Donations Charities Madison

In Madison and other places, there are a lot of different charities that help children and youth.  The services they offer vary, depending on their location and the amount of funding they have to carry out their individual missions.  You can help by volunteering your time or making a cash donation.  Some of these charities even accept car donations.  It is usually a pretty easy to donate your used vehicle to a charity that benefits children and youth. 

An Internet search will turn up specific charities that accept car donations Madison.
Some of the valuable services offered by child and youth charities include the following:
  • Alternative education programs:  Some kids just simply have trouble in the public school system.  There are not enough staff to give them the support they need to be successful learners.  If they do not have family supports to provide them with extra tutoring or home schooling, their futures can be negatively impacted.  Charitably funded alternative education programs often provide higher staff ratios and additional supports, such as counseling and one on one test preparation, that can really make a difference for some of these kids.
  • Arts and culture:  Many children who live in poverty never have the opportunity to visit a museum or see a concert during their developmental years.  Child and youth charities often provide field trips that expose kids to the arts, subsequently shaping their career and leisure aspirations as they go into adulthood.

Monday, September 19, 2016

Looking for a way to save on docking fees for that old boat?  Donate it!  Boat donation is a great way to get that old or unwanted boat off your dock and into the hands of someone who can truly use it.  Much like car donations, charities use old sailboat donations to raise funds for their mission.  Whether through auction or direct use within the mission, charities benefit greatly from these sizable donations.  In many cases, charities that are recognized by the Internal Revenue Service can provide a receipt that allows donors to deduct the fair market or auction value from the Federal Income Taxes.

Instead of trying to sell that old sailboat,  find a charity that accepts boat donation Wisconsin.  Not only will you save yourself the headache of the barter process and a few creepy Craigslist buyers, you'll be giving back to your community without having to put a dent in your checkbook.  Plus, you can feel good knowing you did something to give back to the less fortunate in your community.  Nothing is more rewarding than that. So instead of losing your hair and your mind, call up a local charity and ask if they accept boat donations Wisconsin.


Charities that Accept Boat Donation Wisconsin

For those in the state of Wisconsin, Rawhide is a great choice for getting rid of that old boat.  In addition to the children and families of Wisconsin for nearly 40 years, Rawhide has a lot of experience with boat donations Wisconsin.  They've processed over 200,000 donations since opening their doors and can provide first-time donors with a walk-through of the entire process.

Rawhide is a faith-based charity that provides counseling and therapy services to at-risk youths and their families.  With a growing continuum of programs and summer camps that help kids redirect their lives for the better, Rawhide aims to have a profound effect on the future of our children.  Their caring staff has worked with children, families, and volunteers alike to create an environment that supports change and love amongst families. When you complete boat donation Wisconsin with Rawhide, your old sailboat helps Rawhide provide therapy services to these families.