Catholic Charity Car Donations

Car donation is a noble gesture since it can make a difference in someone's life. Most Catholic charity houses depend solely on donations. Many people donate money or clothes to charities but donating a car is something that is rapidly picking up. Donating a car allows you to get rid of an old car-hassle free and can also provide certain savings on your tax forms.

Car donations made to some Catholic charities are tax deductible. You can claim the car's fair market value if the car is worth less than $500 or if it is in good working condition. You can claim deduction equal to the actual sale price of the car is the car is worth more than $500. The charity house should be a qualified, 501(c)3 IRS registered charity since only such programs are eligible for tax deductions. Information about such charity programs can be obtained from the IRS website or in the Publication 78 that is available at most public libraries.

Determine the value of the car meant for donation. This can be done by checking the blue book value. Take the condition of the car into consideration while determining its value. Most charity organizations take donated cars for free, but there are some which charge certain fees. Make sure you have the title for the car.
These days, Catholic charity car donation has become very easy with online donation forms, easier processing and special services from the charity house like vehicle pick-up and towing. The forms can be filled online and all correspondence can be made through phone or e-mail. Once the car is taken, you would receive a receipt, a letter about the donation and a form 8283 from the IRS for "Noncash Charitable Contributions".

Car charity organizations can be located online over the Internet or they can also be found in the yellow pages or through advertisements.

Share The Love Donating Dollhouses

Every heard the saying “it’s better to give than to receive?”

This age-old adage holds a lot of merit, especially in a world dominated by the need for material possessions. But donating doesn’t always have to be a monetary gift. In fact, many schools, churches and not-for-profit organizations are receiving donations in all shapes and sizes.

Donating can serve a multitude of purposes, ranging anywhere from building supplies to gifts for sick children. But the bottom line is a donation must come from someone who is willing to share. So if you are interested in finding ways to donate but don’t want to simply write a check, what are your possibilities?

First off, you need to figure out what organization you want your donation to go towards. Is it a church or a local school? Do you support national organizations, such as the United Way or St. Jude’s Hospital? How much do you want to spend? Once you answer these questions, you’ll have a better idea where to begin when finding the perfect donation.

Most organizations enjoy receiving monetary donations and grants. But for those individuals willing to help out in other ways, holding public or silent auctions help raises the necessary funding needed to sustain a charity. Auctions are also a great social gathering for cities, both large and small. In fact, many auctions are held as black-tie affairs.

Some of the most common donations are to children’s charities because they are in constant need of donations, especially toys and games, which can make a child smile. If you are looking for an idea to give to a children’s charity, consider the traditional dollhouse. Dollhouses are a great example of a donation because the intricate detail and designs can ring up huge sums of money for the charity. What is unique about donating a build-from-scratch item, such as a dollhouse, is you can mold it to resemble certain buildings or homes, depending on the charity.

Dollhouses are not the only ingenious way to help out an organization. Donations can also come in the form of cars, boats or even wheelchairs. By donating big-ticket items, such as these, you will receive a nice tax break for the year while helping an organization fulfill the needs of those less fortunate in this world.

Donating your personal time is another great example of giving back to the community. Perhaps volunteering at a local hospital or senior citizen center is your way of giving. Or even spending a couple of days teaching children in a day-care or special education program free of charge can help out an organization in need.

Donating to charities requires intuitive thinking by all parties involved, and finding your niche in the giving world can be easy when you know where to start or what an organization needs. Donations shouldn’t be about giving the largest gift, but should focus on what is truly needed. So when your time comes to give more than you receive, consider making your gift one that will last a lifetime.

Copied with permission from: http://plrplr.com/2390/share-the-love-donating-dollhouses/

Should You Give Your Car Away

You can give your car to charity and deduct the gross proceeds from the sale if the proceeds are for more than $500.

If the claimed value of the donated motor vehicle, boat or plane exceeds $500 and the item is sold by the charitable organization, the taxpayer’s claimed value is limited to the gross proceeds from the sale.

The charitable organization must notify the donor within 30 days of the sale of the amount of the gross proceeds. However, if the charity adds improvements to the vehicle, the charity must notify the donor within 30 days of the contribution. If the charity betters the vehicle then the donor may deduct the vehicle’s market value.

Actually, it is much better if the Taxpayer can deduct the vehicle’s market value, because there normally is quite a gap between perceived market value and actual proceeds, and this difference can literally be thousands of dollars.

One car donation center states that it has processed over 500,000 car donations since 1992, which adds up to about 30,000 cars a year.

Did you know that you can also donate boats and RV’s?

So if aunt Dora dies, and leaves her jalopy in the driveway then maybe this is an attractive way to get rid of the car especially since it does not start anyway.

But wait! It is not that easy.

Where is the Title to the car? Not in the glove compartment? You may have a problem.

You may also have a problem if the title is joint, say Aunt Dora and Uncle Nick.

If Aunt Dora died and UncleNick is still alive there will be all kinds of problems.

How about vehicle emission controls, was the car equipped with them, were they disabled?

When you make a charity car donation:

You get free vehicle pick-up whether your car to donate is running or not. In some cases the company will actually put a new battery in the car to get it running again.

You avoid confusing Department of Motor Vehicles paperwork or Smog hassles.

How it works:

Call a reliable Vehicle Donation company.

They’ll take your information over the telephone, they’ll handle all the DMV documents, they’ll pick up your vehicle , arrange an auction sale and distribute the proceeds to the charity.

If your donated vehicle/vessel sells for under $500 the receipt you receive at the time the vehicle is picked up is all you need for filing your taxes.

The actual net proceeds of a donated car seem to range around the $400 figure

In all cases, a charity car donation is sold to the highest bidder by a well-established charity vehicle auction.

You must have a certificate of title.

Some companies will also guarantee that if your donated car gets a ticket after your donation date, they’ll take care of the ticket for you and they zealously will fight it so you don’t have to worry about it.

The reason cars are sold by public auction is that people simply will pay more at an auction for your car than they will pay at a dealer.

Also, if the car is running at the time of the auction people will pay more so it is advisable to get it to running condition when reselling it.


Copied with permission from: http://plrplr.com/24802/should-you-give-your-car-away/

Car Donation Programs Look Before You

Hundreds of charities have begun to adopt car donation programs as a way to raise funds or to provide themselves with no-cost vehicles to help operate their programs. But rather than managing the car donation programs themselves, they will often turn to fundraising organizations to actually handle the donation and auctioning of the vehicles. And that policy can mean a problem for you.

If you run an Internet search on car donation programs, you will get hundreds of hits from fundraisers who claim that they will let you choose from among a group of charities to which the proceeds of your car’s sale, of not the car itself, will go. And they will give you the paperwork you need to claim your car donation as a charitable deduction on your IRS return.

Taking Advice From The IRS

But the IRS itself, in recent years, has become alarmed at the proliferation of car donation programs run by fundraisers which end up keeping the bulk of the proceeds they receive for donated cars. The IRS recommends that it you are considering any of the car donation programs, you contact the people running it and get a clear answer as to whether they are charity officials, or private group acting for the charity.

If you find that they are a private group running the car donation programs of several charities, find out exactly what they plan to do with the car you donate. Will the car be repaired and given to the charity to help in its work? Or do the fundraisers intend to auction the car off and if so, how much of the proceeds will go to the fundraisers, and how much to the charity? For more info see http://www.1cardonationservices.com/Articles/Car_Donation_Services.php on Car Donation Services.

Car donation programs which cannot, or will not, give you clear answers to these questions are not those on which you can depend to see that your ca, or the money it brings gets, to the charity of your choosing. And if the charity does not directly receive the car or its value, you do not have the right to claim the value of the car as a deduction.

Legitimate car donation programs greatly simplify the process of connecting you with a charity which will benefit from your gift. But it’s your responsibility to research the various car donation programs in you area and ensure that as much a possible of your car’s value will be channeled to the charity, and that the charity itself is one recognized by the IRS. Otherwise, your well-intended car donation may turn into a big problem at tax time, when you attempt to take an unwarranted deduction!

Tips On Car Donations In Ny

Taking advantage of car donation services in New York is beneficial not only for the charity you choose and the beneficiaries of that charity’s support but also for you. Driving and parking a vehicle in New York is a particularly hair-raising, and expensive, endeavor. Used car donation helps relieve you of the hassle of an unwanted car in an efficient manner. You also benefit from used car donation through the tax write-off that comes when you donate to charity. Finally, car donation gives you a sense of gratification, knowing that you are helping those in your local community through your gift.

Why car donation is particularly important in New York

Charity car donation is a service which is helpful to people all over the United States, but it is particularly important in New York for a number of reasons. The large population of New York City makes it a place which is, in many ways, overcrowded. This creates a two-fold problem which is eased through the car donation program. First, making use of unwanted cars alleviates the burden of waste which occurs when there are such unused large objects littering the city. Second, car donation allows charities to better serve the needs of the population.

How car donation serves you

The stereotypes that says that New Yorkers are all self-serving has never held true. However, it is human nature to want to know what you are going to get out of any given situation, because this helps you to weigh your options in decision-making. Car donation offers may benefits to the individual donating a car. Car donation relieves you of the hassle of towing an immovable vehicle or of advertising and negotiating sales of a used vehicle. In New York City, car donation is particularly useful in helping you to efficiently move a vehicle which may be accumulating parking fees and ticket fines. Car donation also makes you eligible for a tax deduction, reducing what you owe to the government and moving that money to the local community. Finally, charity car donation also allows New Yorkers to give to their community and to feel more connected to the people around them, despite the bustling, high-energy pace of New York.

Car donation isn’t just for cars

Most people who participate in car donation are trying to get rid of their cars, but you should know that car donation can help you to get rid of many different types of unwanted vehicles. Trucks, vans, RVs and trailers are just some of the automobiles you can get rid of through used car donation programs. This information is especially useful for those people who have recently moved, or are considering a move, to New York City. Many people transport their belongings to New York, only to find that they are stuck with large vehicles which are debilitating in the city. Figuring out what to do with your vehicle is the last thing you want on your mind when you first move in to the city. Car donation will take away that burden.

Car Donations - How To Donate Car To Charity

Where Did Your Car Donation Go

So you have made the decision to donate your old car to charity. Once donated, your car can have several things happen to it. The charity that you donate it to will decide how to process the donation based on the general condition of the car and operating order. Each charity will have different procedures they use to get the most value from your donated vehicle. You can check with the charity you are considering to determine what they plan to do with your donation.

Despite the condition of your donation you will have a bit of planning to do before donating your car. First, you are responsible for determining the fair market value of your donation. In 2005, in the USA, the law changed so now it is up to the vehicle owner to determine what it is worth. The owner must also have written documentation for the appraisal to justify the value when asking for a tax receipt from the charity.

If you are interested in claiming the car donation on your taxes you will need to know if the donation is valued at more than $500 or less. You will need to obtain additional information from the charity if the value of the car is more than $500. You must determine if the vehicle qualifies as a tax deductible donation. Most vehicles legal for public roads qualify to be tax exempt when donated. Also determine if the charity you are donating to has tax exempt status. Most educational and religious organizations will be tax exempt. Calling the charity and asking is often the best way to determine this.

Now that you have all the pre pick up paper work complete you are able to arrange for your donation to be picked up. Depending where you live this can be handled in a few ways. If the charity is near your home and your car operates you can drive it to the local charity and save them the cost of having it removed by a towing company.

Again, if the car you donated runs the charity may send a driver to the vehicle location and drive it away. This also saves them the cost of having it towed.

Of course if your car doesn’t operate the charity will send a tow truck to the location and remove the vehicle. Most of the time the charity will send a registered tow truck company over to the location to haul the car away. In other instances the charity itself will have their own towing service. In either case you may need to provide the driver with the car title before they haul it away. This will also limit you from any liability since you are no longer the registered owner. Discuss this with the charity when you arrange for the pick up.

After your car is hauled away a number of things can happen depending on the condition of the vehicle. If the vehicle is in good shape the charity will have a mechanic inspect the donation and give it a pass if it meets safety standards. Any vehicle that passes inspection will either be sold at auction with the proceeds being used to support their organization. It may also be donated to a family in need that the charity supports. If it fails the inspection the mechanic will provide details of what need fixing. The charity will decide if is worth fixing the vehicle.

Those vehicles that are not road worthy or cost too much to repair will be striped for any valuable parts and the remainder will be send to the scrape yard. The parts of the vehicle will be separated and recycled. The steel from the frame and body panels will be sold off as scrap iron. The charity receives the proceeds from the recycling facility less the fee for processing the donation.

If you are donating a car that has sentimental value and you don’t want it to end up as scrap you can talk with the charity in advance. The vehicle will either need to be in good working order before the charity gets the donation or be cost effective for them to fix it.

Donating a car is simple and goes a long way to helping charities in need. Knowing the steps involved to get rid of your old junker can help make the process go smoothly.


Copied with permission from: http://plrplr.com/6317/where-did-your-car-donation-go/