What's the best way to Donate a Car

[Tommy2000GT]

We have this crappy old Caravan that stalls randomly that no one has been able to fix.

It's not worth much (probably around $700) so I don't want to put it on craigslist and waste my time with Nigerian email scammers and dead beats.

I want to donate it since it still runs somewhat. Do I just call up the Goodwill or Salvation Army and have them pick it up, or is there a better way? Do I just sign over the pink slip to them and get a recipet for tax deduction and that's it?

 

[RKS]

We donated a 95 Maxima SE a few years ago and was able to estimate the value (up to a certain point) without any other proof. I think now after you donate the item, the donatee has to sell the item and that is the value you can claim. I'm not sure what happens if they don't sell the item.


edit: yea, we just called Goodwill and they just sent out a tow-truck even though the car was still running and in great shape both inside and out.

 

[Mxylplyx]

Leave it in front of my house.

Wait, Dodge Caravan. Nevermind.

 

[fstime]

I know you can donate certain cars to the goverment (obviously american cars) and get an 800 or so dollar tax cut.

 

[rml]

http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-tege/pub4303.pdf

 

[Tommy2000GT]

So salvation army or goodwill are my best choices to donate to?

 

[Q]

Originally posted by: BouZouki
I know you can donate certain cars to the goverment (obviously american cars) and get an 800 or so dollar tax cut.

If that's true, sounds good to me

 

[EagleKeeper]

Contact the auto shop at a local high school or trade school.

They will make the best use of it and it is still tax deductible.

giving it to a charity will jsut have it turned to an auto auction or junk yard depending of a used car dealers value of it.

The school can use it to train kids on auto repairs. They may also, work on customizing the body.

 

[Kelemvor]

I always see commercials for the Rawhide Ranch that takes in old cars and works on them.
http://www.rawhide.org/vehicle

 

[TUKIN18S]

My family has donated to the rawhide ranch. Seemed to go well.

 

[MisterJackson]

Some of those old Caravans had turbos in them. Yours isn't one of those by chance is it?

If so, you can sell it quite easily, for a bit more.

If not, go with Goodwill or S.A.

 

[Tommy2000GT]

Originally posted by: Kelemvor
I always see commercials for the Rawhide Ranch that takes in old cars and works on them.
http://www.rawhide.org/vehicle

the kids were scrubbing down that car with a broomstick in that rawhide.org videoclip

I know it's a beat up car, but I still cringe when I see someone scrub a car with a broomstick :disgust:

 

[Tommy2000GT]

Originally posted by: MisterJackson
Some of those old Caravans had turbos in them. Yours isn't one of those by chance is it?

If so, you can sell it quite easily, for a bit more.

If not, go with Goodwill or S.A.

If it was a 2.5L turbo van, no doubt I would hang on to it. It's a crappy 1987 3.0L v6

 

[hanoverphist]

Originally posted by: Tommy2000GT
So salvation army or goodwill are my best choices to donate to?

we donated our old toyota to the heart association. theres one for the cancer one too. look online or in the phone book, you should be able to find either one there. another choice here in az was the childrens hospital, but the wife wouldnt let it go there since they didnt help her out when she was miscarrying in their waiting room for 3.5 hours. i was ok with that decision. the car part, not the miscarry. that part sucked.

 

[Chunkee]

kidney foundation around here, takes them.

try that

 

[Rumpltzer]

http://www.cars4causes.net/

I used these guys. There's a link on their Web page that explains how it's done. You get to choose the charity that you're donating to.

I signed something, left the car unlocked and threw the key under the floor mat. They showed up with a tow truck while I was in class. It was a little sad to come home and see my old friend gone.


They left a receipt on my door for tax purposes.