A win-win way to support an animal charity is to give it your old car. The charity can sell the car and use the proceeds to fund its programs. This fund-raising concept was pioneered by the Kidney Foundation and has become quite common. There is even an organization that acts like a middle-man between the car donor and the animal charity that will benefit from the gift.
Identification
Animal charities that accept donations of cars are usually nonprofits who have been awarded 501(c)(3) tax exempt status from the Internal Revenue Service. This means that when you give them your car, you can deduct its value from your federal tax bill. If the car is worth $500 or less, you can just claim the amount on a fill-in-the-blank receipt that the animal charity will leave when it picks up the car. If it is worth more, you will need to have documentation to prove it. This can include the car's Blue Book value, a sales receipt and a picture of the car. If, on the other hand, your car is worth more than $5,000, you must get an independent appraiser to provide proof of its value for it to count as a tax deduction.
Significance
Animal charities that accept car donations include groups that benefit all sorts of animal causes. Elsa's Ark Incorporated is a charity that cares for and shelters un-adoptable animals in the New York Hamptons. It protects unwanted animals from being euthanized and raises funds to build a no-kill sanctuary. Another animal charity that benefits dogs of all sizes, breeds and ages by finding them adoptive homes is Dog Squad Rescue Incorporated of San Diego, California. It also accepts car donations.
Benefits
A different kind of animal charity is Guide Dog Users Incorporated. This organization provides guide dogs to blind individuals. It also supports puppy homes that are raising guide dogs until they are old enough to be trained by professionals. When you give a car to this organization it not only helps animals, it provides a vital service for people as well.
Considerations
Other types of animal charities that accept car donations work with endangered animals. Tiger Touch preserves exotic cats by providing them with sanctuary. It also conducts research and offers education about these endangered felines. The International Bird Rescue Research Center is another animal charity that accepts car donations. This group helps aquatic birds and other wildlife that have been harmed by human activity by providing emergency assistance, rehabilitation, research and training.
Expert Insight
One organization, Donate Car USA, handles all of the activity related to donating a car to animal charities. It arranges car pick up from the donor at no cost. It handles the paperwork to transfer the title of the car. It finds a buyer for the car and transfers half of the price to the donor's chosen animal charity. In exchange for its services, Donate Car keeps the other half of the sale price. This is a great business model because the donor does not have to do anything other than email the organization to arrange a pick up. The animal charity does not have to hire staff to manage this kind of gift. The service contributes an efficient logistical support for the animal charities. For each car given, the animal charity receives an average of $200 because the average sale price is $400.
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