Can I Donate My Boat To Charity?

When the kids were young, my husband and I decided to buy a boat. We thought it would be fun to spend weekends on the lake, swimming, sunbathing, and fishing. And we were right. We have had years of fun with the boat, but we are getting older and the kids have moved out. This led me to wonder whether or not I could donate my boat to charity, and I was very happy to find out that yes, I can.

Why I Decided to Donate My Boat to Rawhide

The boat had served its purpose for us and it's now just sitting there and costing us money. Then, I came across Rawhide's website, at rawhide.org. This is a Christian-based charity that works with at risk young people and their families. I fell in love with the work that they do! They are such a supportive group and they make a huge difference in the lives of not just their service users, but also the community as a whole. Most of the volunteers there, for instance, had been service users when they were young themselves. It was clear that, since I wanted to donate my boat to charity, this was going to be the charity that would get it.

Do You Want to Do the Same?

If you have an old boat, or any other vehicle that you no longer use, I want to urge you to donate it to charity. It makes a real, tangible difference to the work these organizations do, and it means a cause that you care about can get the help it so desperately needs. Before you do, make sure, however, that:

1. The charity is 501(c)3 registered, which means they have official charitable status. It also means that you can deduct the value of your donation from your taxable income and reduce your tax at the end of the year.
2. The charity is efficient, meaning that most of the money they raise will actually go towards helping their service users. Check Charity Navigator, for instance, for ratings and look for an efficiency rating of 80% or more.
3. That you're working with a charity and not with a for profit middleman.