University Car Donation FAQ
What can I donate?
How will my donation be
used?
Is my donation tax
deductible, and how much of a tax deduction can I claim?
What do I have to do
to donate a vehicle?
What happens to my
vehicle or property after I donate it?
What can I donate?
The vast majority of donations that the Outreach Center receives
are privately owned cars and trucks. We take donated vehicles
that are new, a few years old, well past their prime, or simply
dead in the water. Whether your vehicle runs or not, we will
accept, appreciate, and use your donation well.
A minority of our donations come in the form of boats, campers,
travel trailers, and fleet vehicles. As with car and truck
donations, we don’t care if they’re in tip top shape or badly in
need of work, we accept and appreciate all donations.
Last but not least, we’ve been grateful for donations of real
estate that we’ve been able to turn into real help for many
children’s charities. We essentially (and gratefully) accept any
donation that we can turn into needed funds for the children’s
charities that the Outreach Center supports.
How will my
donation be used?
The funds generated by your vehicle or real estate donation are
used to support a growing list of America’s best children’s
charities. Just a sample list of the charities we’ve supported
since the year 2000 includes:
The United Way
Scholarship America
The Ronald McDonald House
Helen Keller Services for the Blind
Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA)
Children’s Cancer Research Fund
Big Brothers and Sisters
Most of the charities we support are nationally recognized
organizations making a real difference in the lives of American
children. We also take care to choose charities that spend the
most on the children we’re all seeking to help.
For example, Scholarship America has received 4 out of 4 stars
for the last five years from the Charity Navigator, an
organization dedicated to rating charities. Their 69.55 out of
70 score last year was based on assessment of program expenses,
administration costs, fundraising expenses, and overall
fundraising efficiency.
We strive to find children’s charities to ensure that your
donation is well used.
Is my donation tax
deductible, and how much of a tax deduction can I claim?
The short answer is that yes, we are a 501(3)c charity. As a
result, all donations to the Outreach Center are tax deductible.
The long answer is that you should hire a reputable accountant
or CPA before you file for any tax deduction. We begrudgingly
admit that our lawyer is right to ask us to say this here.
That said, most of time those looking to donate to the Outreach
Center are trying to figure out what to claim for a car that has
sat dead in their driveway for months, or what a long dead RV
might be valued at.
According to the IRS, donors can claim a tax deduction on a
donated vehicle for $500, or the selling price at auction if the
amount should exceed $500. If your donation is among the
donations valued above $500, we will ensure that you and your
accountant receive the paperwork necessary to document larger
donations.
What do I have
to do to donate a vehicle?
The briefest answer is that you can either call us at
1-800-515-6789. We need only five or ten minutes of your time to
collect some basic information about you and your donation.
We currently have free and fast car, truck, and vehicle pick-up
service in 42 States, and we normally need several days to
arrange pick-up. However, if your in-laws are coming this
weekend and you have to quickly rid yourself of that eyesore in
the driveway, give us a call and we’ll move as fast as possible.
Practically speaking, in order for us to accept a donation, we
need you to tell us a convenient time for pick-up, at which
point our people will physically take possession of your
vehicle, and sign the title over to the Outreach Center.
We sincerely appreciate our donors’ generosity, and that they
all lead busy lives. We’re also dedicated to doing everything
possible to help the numerous children’s charities we’re
dedicated to.
As a result, we do everything possible to make the donation and
pick-up process as simple as possible. Our donors make all of
our good works possible, and we work hard to make it as easy as
possible for them to give.
What happens
to my vehicle or property after I donate it?
The only simple answer to this question is that we do everything
we can to get the most for your generous donation. We’ve been
accepting vehicle and property donations for almost a decade,
and we approach each donation with the same desire to turn it
into the most help for the children’s charities we support.
With “junk” car donations, for example, we usually shop the car
around to parts dealers, recyclers, and scrap metal companies in
your area. Where your vehicle ends up is wholly based on where
it can mean the most for the children’s charities it will
benefit.
Newer cars or vehicles in working order, on the other hand, are
generally worth more than recyclers, junk yards, and scrap metal
dealers can offer. In those cases, we will work with auto
auctions, parts suppliers, car exporters, and other buyers of
second hand cars, in order to get the most for your donation.
How Real Estate donations end up benefiting children’s charities
is becoming a little more uncertain (like the real estate market
itself). When and where real estate can be relatively easily
sold, we sell your property on the open market and use the funds
to support the growing list of charities we support. When that’s
not possible, we rent property, donate it to charities that can
make good use it, or offer it at auction.
The goal is always the same; to translate donated vehicles and
property into the most help for children in need. Whether it’s a
car that hasn’t run in years or a valuable piece of real estate,
we approach each donation with gratitude and a desire to do the
most with it.
What happens to your car, truck, camper, or real estate, is
pretty uncertain. What we can guarantee is that the Outreach
Center will do everything we can to maximize its positive
impact.
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