The Benefits of Donating Your Old Car to Charity

When your car kicks the bucket – or when you decide you’re ready for a new one – donating the vehicle can be a great way to give back. Donating your car may not have crossed your mind before, but you can make a positive impact on the lives of others with your generosity. It’s common to make donations of money, clothing, and food to charitable organizations, but many will take cars as well. Even if your vehicle doesn’t run, it is still an asset to the charity. Here are some of the benefits of donating your old car.

Help Improve the Lives of Others

Old vehicles, even broken-down ones, can provide valuable funds to a variety of charitable organizations. Charities rely on donations to continue having a positive impact on the community, and your car could change more than a few lives. Organizations such as Rawhide accept vehicles to fund their programs for youth who are at risk. These types of programs can turn a child’s life around, and by donating your vehicle, you have the chance to be part of something greater.

Provide Transportation for Essential Charitable Tasks

If your car is still in working order, charities can use it to provide valuable services to the community. These could include delivering food to those who are immobile, driving youth to jobs, and helping people get to health services. If there’s a specific organization you’re passionate about, reach out to see how your vehicle might benefit them and their cause.

Tax Write-Off

You can write-off the donation of your car when tax season comes around. There are some rules around the information you need to provide for this, but it’s relatively straightforward. If your car is quite valuable, and you believe it may be worth over $5000, you’ll need to get it appraised before you donate it. If you’ve donated a vehicle that the charity will be using, you’ll have to have that in writing as well. Check out online resources for more about the rules and regulations.

They’ll Pick It Up for Free

If you’ve got an old car that’s been sitting in your driveway for a while, the charity will come to collect it for free. People often hold on to vehicles with the plan to fix them up only to realize it’s more effort than it’s worth. Instead of letting it just sit there for years, give it to a charity who can benefit from it. With the free pickup service, you won’t need to lift a finger.

Avoid the Stress of Selling

Selling a car is a time-consuming process. Not only do you need to find places to list it and deal with the costs of advertising, but there’s also the constant haggling with potential buyers. People will want to test drive, and you’ll need to be available at a moment’s notice to show them the vehicle. If you’ve got an old car that you don’t use anymore, the hassle might not be worth it.

If you can have the means, donating your car is a fantastic way to give back and support a local charity.