What to Look for Before you Donate a Car in Madison WI

There are charities in Madison, Wisconsin, vying for your attention. They hope that you will donate a car in Madison WI to them so that they can continue to provide their services. The vast majority of those charities are good, which makes it quite difficult for you to choose which one to give to. Thankfully, there are a few things that you can look into to help narrow down your choices.

When You Donate a Car in Madison WI, Make Sure to Give It to a 501(c)3 Registered Charity

The most important thing is that the charity you choose has the proper registration. Being listed as 501(c)3 organization means they are recognized as a charity. It also means that you can deduct the value of your donation from your taxable income and reduce your taxes at the end of the year. This makes choosing this route a very inviting option, even for first time donors. 

Pick an Efficient Charity

Efficiency in a charity means that most of the money they are able collect will actually go towards the benefit of their service users and not to administrative, management, or marketing costs. It is often advisable to look for an efficiency rating of at least 80%. Organizations, such as Charity Navigator, provide the efficiency rating of various charities. Some charities also report on their efficiency themselves. Rawhide is one example of this and you may notice that their self-reported efficiency is lower than that reported by Charity Navigator, although both are more than good enough. This also tells you how honest this particular charity is.

Pick a Complaint-Free Charity

Next, you need to make sure that people approve of the work that the charity does and how it is done. Check the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and other such independent review sites to find out how people feel about the charity. The BBB is particularly good, as it will also list how many complaints the charity has had and how it responded, and whether it is facing or has faced litigation.

With the above tips, you should be able to significantly narrow down your options in terms of which charity to donate to. More specifically, if you use the above checklist, you will be able to ensure that your money will be put to good use each and every time you make a donation.