A Charity Car Donation - The Benefits For You

From large or small checks, to cash, to old vehicles, to household items - there are many ways that people can make charity donations. The reasons behind these donations may vary. Some people donate solely for the tax benefit (if any). Others want to satisfy a need to help out others less fortunate than themselves. Still others (like me on many occasions) donate stuff to charity in order to get rid of 'crap' that is taking up valuable space.

But when is comes to vehicles, a car donation can help out others in a big way. And you stand to get some real while benefits that you may not have thought of...

1. You get more parking space:

That old clunker is taking up valuable parking space. Get rid of it and your life will be better. And if you are replacing the old car with a new one, great. Because...

2. The old car is an eyesore - you will be improving the neighborhood by getting rid of it:

Replacing the old car with a new one or eliminating it altogether is better than leaving the dingy-looking one parked at the curb in front of your house.

3. You can use your upcoming charity car donation to help you get your 'significant other's' permission to buy that new car you've been wanting:

Here's what you need to do to make this work: Tell her (or him) that you'd like to do something nice for a family in need, and that a charitable car donation is the best way you can do that. Let her know that you'll get a tax deduction. Don't tell her about your plans to look at a new car quite yet... wait until you've already donated your used car. Then introduce the idea to her slowly, and 99% of the time your spouse will gladly support you! (Sneaky? No, just good manners; goodness all around!)

4. You get a possible tax deduction:

Here's the way this works: A standard deduction of $500 off of your reported income is the only tax benefit you'll get if the car is really old or damaged (salvage yard material). But if the Kelley Blue Book value or N.A.D.A. (National Automobile Association) value of your vehicle is higher, you can claim more.

But remember that your charity car donation tax deduction is a reduced reported income, NOT the face value deduction from what you owe the IRS. Nevertheless, every little bit helps, right?

5. You get the good feeling of helping out a family that has truly fallen on bad times:

Not everyone that gets charity donations are lazy, welfare spongers; most are folks not much different from you or me. The difference is that they experienced extraordinary bad luck. Bad luck that - up 'til now - you and I have been fortunate enough to miss.

...Things such as fires, floods, victims of crimes, and the worst of all - losing their jobs due to no direct reason of their own. Matter of fact, many of us are carrying so much debt that we are only a couple paychecks away from similar circumstances. A drivable car is often all a family needs to get back on the right track - transportation to and from work, etc.

So go ahead and make a charity car donation to your local charity. But which one? Some are better than others and not all take vehicles.

Tax Tip - The Many Benefits of Donating

I thought I would take a few minutes to discuss the many benefits of donating, and how I firmly believe you should factor it into your life to some degree.

Let's jump right in. I think that there are three main benefits to donating, and they go in no particular order.

First, it is a tax deduction. As long as you keep track of your receipts, donate to "qualified organizations" and honestly valuate your items, you are most certainly entitled to write off these items on your taxes. There are some limitations, but I usually donate between $500 and $1000 worth of money, items and so forth on an annual basis. That makes for some decent tax savings.

Second, it is the right thing to do. If you are fortunate enough to even be in the position to where you have unwanted items around your house, to me donating is the right, Christian thing to do. I came from a very middle class upbringing. We were by no means poor, but we certainly didn't have unwanted items piling up all over the place. If you can do so, try to remember all the people out there who are less fortunate than you are.

Third, The De-Cluttering Effect. Setting up some sort of donation system in your household can prevent your house from ever filling up with too much crap. A "de-cluttered" house is a beautiful thing!

Let me tell you the process that I go through before deciding to donate something. First, I determine whether or not I can sell it. Then, I try to find out if a family member or a friend is interested in the item. And finally, if it still works or is still useable, it gets donated (trust me; this thought process takes all of about 10-20 seconds with most things).

A far as any tips and/or pointers on the donating part itself, here is what I have found to be helpful.

Donating only to a qualified organization. Basically, this means to a church or the Salvation Army or a similar organization. Giving two garbage bags full of clothes to your cousin Jimmy really doesn't count.

Valuate your items fairly. Be careful here! I read somewhere that overvaluing donated items is a huge red flag to the IRS. Most of your stuff will not be worth much, and if you use a "thrift shop" mentality, you should be fine. When in doubt, go low.

And finally, save your receipts. My donations to my church I always make with checks, so I have a paper trail, because the churches I have always been associated with were notoriously BAD when it came to keeping track of this. Also, whenever I drop stuff off at the Goodwill, they always ask if I want a receipt. I always say "yes" and immediately describe, date and value the items. The receipt then gets tucked away in my "tax" file for the end of the year.

Donating is good for your soul, good for your house, and good for your wallet. Why wouldn't you want to start doing it?

Donate A Car To Support Veterans

Indeed, a lot of people have already forgotten all about those brave soldiers who have fought for the country many years ago. These badly wounded warriors who have given everything for their fellow countrymen are now old and tired, most of them leading a miserable life with their families. This is why some institutions and organizations have decided to focus their programs on helping out these veterans.

One of these programs is a car donation service that will fund the causes for these veterans, in order to provide them and their families with financial aid, educational scholarships, legal representation in their claims, and many more. They surely deserve to be treated well, to be given due honor and respect, and to be assisted in all their needs.

If you donate a car to support veterans, this will benefit plenty of these veteran warriors in many places. Besides, aside from being able to help them and to give this contribution to your community and country, there are also other wonderful advantages to this donation. Here are some of the gains you can derive from such donation:

• Tax Deduction- Usually, when you donate a car to support veterans, you will receive a tax deduction. The amount often depends on the current value of your car.

• Additional Incentives- There are some groups and companies that offer bonuses or added incentives aside from tax deduction upon your car donation. These may include but are not limited to gift cards, free travel and accommodation packages, and discounted and free appliances.

• Extra Space- You can enjoy extra space in your garage now that your old car is gone. Instead of letting it rot and collect dust there, it is better to donate it and allow this piece of junk to become a treasure by being used to help others.

• Personal Fulfillment- When you give without expecting anything in return, it is a kind of personal fulfillment. Hence, it is not really the tax deduction and incentives that you should think about when you donate a car to support veterans. Instead, think hard about the needs of these veterans and how this simple good deed of yours will benefit them greatly.

With all of these wonderful benefits, there is no doubt that car donation is much better than selling it especially if it is already in very bad condition. When you donate a car to support veterans, you are extending goodwill towards these people who deserve a big and loud round of applause for all that they have done.

Junk My Car Service - Your Simplest Solution to Get Rid of Junk Cars

If you have a car that has steadily degenerated into being a total piece of junk, you have a few options. You can pretty much forget about any kind of trade-in value towards a new car but you can consult a service to help you haul the old clunker away - and earn some cash in the process! Have you heard of Junk My Car? It's a service that offers free towing to help you easy your mind and finally get rid of your old automobile.

Forget leaving your vehicle in a car graveyard or trying to sell all of the usable parts yourself. You can leave all of the work up to the professionals. Junk My Car actually salvages your auto parts and then passes some of the proceeds on to you in the form of a cash payment. You can get rid of a junk car through a fairly easy series of steps. First, you either call them or go to their web site, so that you can submit your car. Then, you arrange the time and place for them to send out a tow truck, so that they can actually get possession of your car. And from that point onward, it is pretty much a done deal. You are finally free of your junk car and of any dealings associated with it. Junk My Car will start the auto salvaging process themselves and you can wash your hands free of that old eyesore on your lawn.

Just think of what your car can accomplish once you are rid of it. It can become the source of endless spare parts, for people who still have functional versions of the same car. It can be used by a crane operator who really liked those Newton's cradles people used to have (where they metal balls hit each other, sending energy back and forth), as a way of relieving both boredom and stress. And it can also be used by that amazingly enterprising car buff, who will tow it home and turn it into the car of his or her dreams.

So when you get rid of your junk car, you might very well be helping out a whole lot of people. The car that you do not even want any more might one day become the car someone else rides in style inside. And you will be providing jobs for people at every step of the way - from the tow truck driver, to the crane operator, all the way to the junk yard's support staff. And to think, all of those people can be helped if you just let go of that old clunker.

Car Donations - Helping Natural Disaster Relief

Donating a used car to the non-profits that specialize in disaster relief efforts is an excellent choice when trying to decide what you should do with your old vehicle. Depending on what charity you choose - they could work across the globe, nationally or even in your local neighborhood. Charities are dependent on donations to support their efforts as they are completely run through generous contributions from the public. When Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans, charities flooded the scene, providing shelter and food to thousands of people who were left homeless. From responding to earthquakes to mudslides to tornadoes, there is a charity that specializes in any type of disaster relief you can think of.

Charity vehicle donation programs supply a significant amount of funding for non-profits that specialize in disaster relief efforts. How do the vehicles provide that significant amount of funding? Well, when you donate your car, the charity sells it and uses the cash proceeds to continue their work. It is easy to donate a used car to charity - certainly easier than selling it yourself. Older used cars usually don't have much trade in value, but if you donate your car, you are eligible for a tax deduction equal to the cash value your car sells for at auction.

With the problems in the economy, cash donations are down, but the need for services more prevalent than ever.

Natural disasters can occur at anytime, anywhere and auto donations help to insure that charities will be available when they are called upon to help those in need. Their efforts relieve suffering that for most is unimaginable - One way show your gratitude for your good fortune is to make a gift of your old car to charity.

Vehicle Donation - Charities Accept Almost Any Kind Of Vehicle

Vehicle donation has become extremely popular in recent years and for good reason. When you donate your car to a charitable organization you will be helping those less fortunate.

It's important to note that if you want to donate your vehicle to charity you won't be limited by the type of vehicle you have. Most auto donation programs accept many different types of vehicles from SUV's to farm equipment to snowmobiles and boats. The range of vehicles accepted by vehicle donation programs is endless. For example, cars, trucks, and even private airplanes are accepted by most charities.

The best thing that you can do is contact your local program and get more information about what type of vehicles are accepted. The good news is that there are a ton of great options and most of these charitable programs are very supportive and will guide you through the entire process.

One thing to keep in mind is that it's not only vehicles that are not running that make good candidates for vehicle donation. Vehicles in good running condition make great donations as many of these charities accept functional vehicles that can be donated to people who are in desperate need of them. This is an option that you should definitely consider if you have running vehicles that you no longer have a use for. Normally, there are three options for the charity when someone donates a running, good condition vehicle - the vehicle is either sent to auction to fetch a good price for the charity, the vehicle is given to one of the charity's program participants for him to use or the charity decided to use the vehicle for logistical purposes, such as driving volunteers to and from.

If you are thinking about an auto donation, you should contact your favorite charity in order to learn more about the process. This will allow you to get the info you need to get the process started and get your car in the hands of someone who is in desperate need of it.

Vehicle Donations Help Natural Disaster Victims

Many times people decide to donate to charity because they want to help someone less fortunate than themselves. Few people ever donate to charity with the thought that they may someday need help themselves. If you want to donate to a worthy cause, consider a car donation to the Red Cross because they help thousands of people each year.

Though you may be thinking that 'it' could never happen to you, natural disasters are never expected and if you ever fall victim to one, the Red Cross will be there for you too. Vehicle donation is a great way to help someone in need right now and feel a sense of security knowing that your auto donation will be there for your own family if ever needed. Even if you are feeling the pinch of tough economic times, your car donation can make a difference for charities.

While many charities and organizations do important work, the Red Cross' services are life saving and unparalleled. Their primary goal is to make life safer for people and they do that through their force of volunteers who teach preparedness and prevention. But when disaster strikes, they can be counted to be on the scene bringing relief, aid and support to victims suffering. Vehicle donation is a lifeline for them as the donated auto they accept provides funding that keeps them strong.

Since they are not a government agency, they rely on people who can donate a car to help them provide basic essentials and the shelter that people have come to associate the Red Cross with. Your auto donation can mean the difference between being out in the cold or in the safety of a shelter with a bed and food for people who have lost their home to flood or fire. Just as you plan for the safety and security of your family in case of the 'unthinkable', your car donation to the Red Cross can be another step in your plan that will also help someone in need right now.