What Types of Vehicles to Donate

Different charitable organizations have different rulers for what type of vehicles they will accept for donation. Some charities will take anything that has value, while others tend to only accept used cars and trucks in resellable condition. The reason behind this normally has to do with who is processing the vehicles. This involves a lot of work that the average indivual doesn't think about. Smaller charities normally don't have the resources to run a car donation program on their own, so they may partner with another non-profit organization or a third party company to process used vehicles that are donated. This will include arranging towing, any paper work that is involved, as well as the sale of the property after it has been donated.

motorcycle donation

Used cars, trucks, boats, RVs, motorcycles, and just about any other vehicle in running condition will be accepted by most car donation programs. If a vehicle is running and doesn't need any work, than the charity will be able to sell it or use it in day to day operations, without spending any money on it. If a vehicle looks good, but doesn't run, or runs good but looks bad, most charitable organizations will accept it, because they know someone will buy it and repair it.

While most non-profit organizations will take running and non-running used cars and trucks as donations, some will not accept a vehicle if it is in parts. Let's say for example, you were planning on repairing a vehicle and you removed parts, and then never finished repairing the car. Some charities may not want to deal with having to sell the vehicle as parts, while others will be more than happy to come to your house and pick up the vehicle even without all of the parts.

Besides used cars and trucks in decent condition, most vehicle donation programs run by charities will also accept the following items in good condition:

donate a motorhome

Motorcycles
Boats
Golf Carts
ATVs
Snowmobiles
RVs
Campers
Trailers
Motorhomes

The whole purpose of a charitable vehicle donation program is to raise money for the charity, it is not to provide a way for individuals to get rid of their worthless junk. If a charity doesn't feel it is in the best interest of the organization to accept certain vehicles, than that means the charity will not get a monetary gain from that type of vehicle. If this is the case with the property you have, than you may need to find a charity that will accept what it is you are willing to donate. There are also other organizations that may take whatever you have, sell it at auction, and then split the proceeds with your selected charity.

Some other items that can be given to a charitable organization may include heavy equipment, farm machinery, business machinery, unneeded business supplies, or just about anything that has value. Be sure to check with the charity you are interested in, or visit their website to see what they will accept.

The best way to determine if the vehicle you have will help your favorite charity is to contact the organization directly. You should be honest about the condition of the property you have when you are talking to a representative from your charity. If the charity is not interested in your vehicle, there will be other non-profit organizations interested in it. If you want to collect a tax deduction for the donation of your used car or any other vehicle, you need to make sure the charity you choose to donate to is a non-profit 501(c)3 charitable organization as classified by the IRS.

Choose your state from the table above to learn more about donating vehicles in your local area.

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What Types of Vehicles to Donate

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