1. Why are you wanting to donate your car? Is it not running, does it sit in the driveway and never move, is it an extra car that you don’t need, will a tax benefit help you more than what the car is doing for you?
For most people, when a car has been giving them troubles or it’s been broken down more than it’s been running, that is sometimes the first red flag that might make you think it’s time to move onto something else instead of sinking more and more money into it. You have to take into consideration that if you do get the car running, was it really worth it?
2. Next is to get your paperwork in order. If the car belongs to you then it’ll be the easiest way to get started. You’ll need the registration papers to show that you own the vehicle. If you can’t find them, don’t worry. A trip to your DMV (department of motor vehicles) will help you file for a lost title.
They’ll help you get the correct applications and get that title replaced. This is important, if you can’t show proof that you own the vehicle outright and that there are no liens on it, nobody will touch your donation. They legally can’t take ownership if it belongs to somebody else.
3. Once you’ve got your paperwork in order, now it’s time to find the charity that works for you. This is where you make the choice of who you want to donate your vehicle too. If there is a charity that has helped a family member or friend out then maybe that’s one for you to consider. It’s always best to help out the ones that helped you out before because there are many others out there that will be needing help in the future.
4. Contact the charity that you’ve chosen and ask them a few questions:
Do they offer free pickup? This means will they send a tow truck out free of charge to you in order to pick up the vehicle you’re wanting to donate.
Will they give you a receipt for the vehicle? You must have proof that they took ownership and that you will be getting a future tax break when they sell the car.
After all this is done, now it’s time to wait. From here the charity takes your car back and begins the process. If it wasn’t running or in need of some repairs, the charity will more than likely have a contract with a local repair shop to work in it and get it back into running condition. This of course will cut into the net profit of the car being sold but in reality it’s more than they had to begin with. If they spend $500 dollars on getting the car fixed and it only sells for $2,000.00 then they’re net profit will be $1,500.00 but that’s better than them getting nothing at all.
Be sure and follow this list when you’re wanting to donate your car and it’ll help you make it a smooth process.
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