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After buying herself a new Nissan Rogue last year, my friend didn't know what to do with her 1996 Honda Accord. She considered selling it on Craigslist, but decided she didn't want to deal with the hassle of fixing it up first.
Her sedan needed about $500 worth of work, but otherwise it ran just fine. Why not donate it to a worthy cause, she thought. But which one?
Q: How do I find the right charity to donate my car to? And how much of a tax deduction can I take?
A: To make sure that a charity gets the most out of your vehicle donation, do your homework first. Many for-profit companies take vehicle donations on behalf of charities, sell the cars at wholesale auctions, and return a cut of the proceeds to the charities. But some pass on only a small fraction of the profit, and watchdogs like Charity Navigator recommend that you donate directly to the charity, if possible, so it can benefit directly from the car donation.
Because it operates its own program, the American Cancer Society is able keep between 75 and 80 percent of the proceeds, said Nancy Kellison, director of the western service center for Cars for a Cure, the nationwide car donation program of the American Cancer Society. Most of the cars need some work and, therefore, are sold at auction.
If that's not possible, the watchdog groups recommend researching the portion of sales that actually go to the charity.
In Washington state, six commercial fundraisers are registered to take vehicle donations. They return between 9 percent and 71 percent to their charity clients, according to the Secretary of State's Office.
At the high end, Charitable Auto Resources gave 71 percent to charities in 2006.
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Her sedan needed about $500 worth of work, but otherwise it ran just fine. Why not donate it to a worthy cause, she thought. But which one?
Q: How do I find the right charity to donate my car to? And how much of a tax deduction can I take?
A: To make sure that a charity gets the most out of your vehicle donation, do your homework first. Many for-profit companies take vehicle donations on behalf of charities, sell the cars at wholesale auctions, and return a cut of the proceeds to the charities. But some pass on only a small fraction of the profit, and watchdogs like Charity Navigator recommend that you donate directly to the charity, if possible, so it can benefit directly from the car donation.
Because it operates its own program, the American Cancer Society is able keep between 75 and 80 percent of the proceeds, said Nancy Kellison, director of the western service center for Cars for a Cure, the nationwide car donation program of the American Cancer Society. Most of the cars need some work and, therefore, are sold at auction.
In Washington state, six commercial fundraisers are registered to take vehicle donations. They return between 9 percent and 71 percent to their charity clients, according to the Secretary of State's Office.
At the high end, Charitable Auto Resources gave 71 percent to charities in 2006.
Consumer Smarts: Steer your car donation to the right charity
![Consumer Smarts: Steer your car donation to the right charity]()
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