Selling a car on your own is never easy. There is the hassle of placing classified ads, and showing the vehicle. You never know who will show up, or if they will go through with the transaction. If you have ever traded in a car towards the purchase of a new vehicle, then you know that dealers rarely give you what the car is worth.

Car donation to charity is a great alternative. It avoids all of the hassles of a trade in, or private sale. You receive the full “book value” of your car as a Tax Deduction, and more often than not – you end up helping a family in need.

There are many charitable organizations that accept vehicles as donations. Some resell the cars and any proceeds go to benefit the given charity, others will use the donated cars within the charity, and still others actually fix up the car and provide it at no charge to a needy family. In any case, and no matter whom you choose to donate your vehicle to, the process couldn’t be simpler – your car does not even need to be running for it to be accepted for donation. Usually you can fill out all of the paper work online, you receive a receipt for your tax deduction, and the charity arranges for towing service to pick up the vehicle. Some charities offer other incentives or “bonuses” to thank you for your donation, such as vouchers for trips, hotel stays, or restaurants.

The program does not only apply to cars. Charities that accept vehicles for donation will usually accept RVs, Motorcycles, or boats as well.

Car Donation Tips
To be sure, car donation to charity is a much more meaningful alternative to a junkyard. However, before you decide to donate your vehicle, there are a few tips that the experts suggest to make sure the charity is legitimate, and your car donations are actually serving the purpose intended. Of course, if a charity you are already a regular contributor to accepts cars for donation – that is a good place to start, as is your house of worship..

Avoid middlemen. If possible, try not to use a service that advertises aggressively and claims they accept cars for donations for charities. These “middlemen” typically keep the majority of the proceeds from the donated car for themselves, and only funnel a small amount to the charity.

Also, keep in mind that in order to receive the full tax benefit of a car donation, you must be sure that the charity you are donating to is an IRS-approved 501(c)(3) organization. You can find details of reputable charities at http://www.charitynavigator.org/

You have all heard the horror stories of homeless families forced to live in their cars. But did you know your own old car could help a family realize the dream of owning a home of their own, through Habitat for Humanity’s Car Donation Program?

Donating a car, running or not, to Habitat for Humanity, helps them with their great work of fighting poverty and building communities. Habitat’s Cars for Homes Program, helps deserving families build or rebuild homes, and if you itemize your taxes, you may be entitled to a Tax deduction.

Your donated vehicle goes right to helping folks in your own community. Cars for Homes distributes the proceeds earned from the sale of your car, truck, RV or other vehicle directly to your local Habitat Affiliate. Since Habitat for Humanity is a trusted and certified 501(c)(3) organization, in general, if you itemize your taxes and your vehicle sells for more than $500, you may deduct the full selling price. If it sells for less, you may deduct the fair market value up to $500.00 You will receive the appropriate receipt from Habitat for Humanity after the sale of your donated car. There are never any costs to you to donate a vehicle; pick-arrangements and the entire donation process can be accomplished online.

If you are considering donating your vehicle to a charity, why not choose a well-respected one such as Habitat for Humanity? You know there are good, hard-working families in every community living in sub-standard housing. Habitat for Humanity helps poverty stricken families build decent, affordable homes, by giving them a “hand-up not a hand-out.” Donating through the Cars for Homes program supports this well-known and worthy mission.

While Cars for Homes accepts any vehicles for donation all year long, in April of 2009 in honor of Earth Day, they sponsored a special car-recycling event. In a company Press Release issued at the time of the event Marcia Rundle, director Habitat’s Cars for Homes said, “In celebration of Earth Day, we are inviting supporters to help eliminate substandard housing and homelessness by recycling their old vehicles. The proceeds from car donations help purchase building materials and result in homes built in partnership with families in need of decent shelter.”

While Cars for Homes benefits greatly form the sale of late model, running vehicles at auction, the Earth Day event was designed to remind potential donors that even “junk cars” have value. Approximately 75 percent of a car’s content can be recycled. Every year, roughly 14 million cars, trucks, motorcycles, boats, snowmobiles, trailers and recreational vehicles find new life as recycled material.

You can donate a vehicle or find out more about Habitat for Humanities Cars for Homes program by logging on to www.carsforhomes.org, or calling (877) 277-4344.

“1-877-Kars for Kids, 1-877-Kars 4 Kids…” it’s a little ditty you may have heard on your radio – and those cute little voices know what they are talking about, because in today’s economy donating your car to a worthwhile charity is a great idea.

With things as tough as they are today, charities have had to think creatively to make up for a down turn in monetary donations. Accepting cars for donation has been one way to do so, and Kars 4 Kids is one of the most successful employers of the concept. Basically you donate your car, even if it is not in running condition, to Kars 4 Kids, and receive a Tax Deduction for the value of the car. This is great for people who have old cars they need to get rid of, but want to avoid the hassles of selling.

While the name is Kars 4 Kids, all manner of vehicles are accepted for donation including motorcycles, boats and RVs. Kars 4 Kids will pick up your vehicle, even if it is not running, you will receive a receipt for your tax deduction, and Kars 4 Kids offers donators a voucher for a 2-night, 3-day hotel stay at one of 38 resort areas across North America.

Vehicles donated to Kars 4 Kids benefit Joy for Our Youth. J.O.Y is a registered national, 501(c)(3), non-profit organization, which was established in 2000 to provide help and support for Jewish children and their families facing poverty, or are in crisis for other reasons. J.O.Y’s mission is to provide intervention and a wide range of services to help these children and families reach and maintain stability, while enforcing Jewish traditions and moral values. According to their website, car donations helped 500 kids attend summer camp last year, and also provided for mentoring programs, after school enrichment, and skill building workshops for hundreds more at risk kids.

There had been some controversy about Kars 4 Kids in some states, largely complaining that the radio commercials with the catchy jingle and ubiquitous billboards nationwide did not mention that they are a Jewish based charity. Yet to donate, one needs to go to their website, where the Mission of J.O.Y is clearly stated, so the flack levied against them seems to have been largely unjustified, and many who have donated to Kars 4 Kids report a very easy and rewarding experience.

In response to some of the charges made against them, Yehuda Meth, Kars 4 Kids Director of Communications said that like many charities that advertise nationwide, there might have been some areas where their ads may not have been in accordance with all State laws, notably Oregon and Pennsylvania. But Meth stresses that current ads are “fully compliant in every state we operate in.” And according to Meth, Kars 4 Kids “is very proud of our work, and we have never attempted to hide that our programs have Jewish Family Values at their core.”

You can find out more about Kars 4 Kids, or donate your vehicle online by logging onto www.kars4kids.org