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3 Tips For Choosing A Charity For Vehicle Donation

There is no doubt that there are many deserving charities, like Newgate School, that would be very grateful to accept your used car. As a result, choosing an appropriate charity is not always easy. Fortunately, the following tips will help you to determine which charity you want to gift with your vehicle.

#1-Determine Which Charitable Acts Appeal To You The Most and Why

When you have one vehicle to donate and dozens of worthy charities, narrowing the decision down to just one is very challenging. Therefore, it may help to simply decide which charitable acts or policies are the most important to you and how you would like the car to benefit someone. For instance, some charities work to give low-income single parents access to reliable transportation in order to help them obtain or maintain employment. Others may sell or auction vehicles off in order to make more money available to the charity, so you should know in advance what your preferences are.

#2-Ask How You Can Get The Vehicle To The Charity

If you have ever had to tow a vehicle, you are aware of how expensive it can be. If your car is still legal and safe to drive, it is a good idea to see if you can avoid the extra wrecker or towing fees by driving it to the charity directly. Obviously, this option makes sense if your vehicle is still adequately insured, registered and inspected in accordance with the laws in your area. Otherwise, you could wind up with an expensive ticket as the result of your good deed.

#3-Protect Yourself By Choosing A Tax Exempt Charity

It will also be a good idea to remember that most legitimate charities, especially if they have been in existence for some time, will have a tax exempt status. As part of your research, verify that information for each charity that you are considering doing business with. An easy way to do so is asking to see a copy of the IRS letter of determination. You will need to obtain an appropriate receipt with the charity's information, as you will probably be able to deduct the value of the car from your taxes when tax season comes again.

In conclusion, donating your car to a worthy charity is a wonderful choice that can impact needy individuals in a number of ways. By following the above advice, you can be more sure that you are choosing a legitimate charity that will use their donations responsibly.