There is a process to making car donations that is simple and will provide you with a basis for making the donation. By knowing all the information on this car donation checklist you will be able to make what I call an informed donation rather then just dumpinig the car.
The list below outlines 6 steps you need to consider before sending you car donation off to a donation sevice of a charity.
Here is the car donation checklist
Title
The first thing you have to consider is the title of the car. The title must be in your name or the name of someone who is with you and is agreeing to donate the car as well. Making a car donation is just like selling a car, the title needs to be signed over to the new owne. In this case the charity or donation service. It must be free and clear as well before you can donate the car to charity and that is what leads us to the next point.
Lean Free
The car must not have any money owing on it in order to be donated. This is called lean free. That means there are no groups, businesses or individuals who have a right to the value of the car donation you are planning to make. This will include the bank. The loan on the car must be completely paid off and you (or the person donating the car) must not owe anything on the car. You simply cannot make a car donation if the car you plan on donating is still being paid for. Make sense?
Location
Location comes into play a lot when making a car doantion. You might want to make a donation to a specific charity but if you are not in their area this can become rather difficult. Many national or international charities will have offices in different regions or at least work with donation sevices in your area where you can donate to.
If you want to donate to a specific cause then you will have to go through a lot more work if that charity is not close by. An option is to sell your car privately and then donate the money to that cause.
Vehicle Condition
The condition of the car donation is cirtical to the charity you plan to donate to and the value of the donation. Obviously a car that is in good running order will be worth more as a donation then a junker that is only good for scrap. You have to tell the charity about the condition of the car because it may not be able to process a car for scrap. Be sure to determine if the charity is able to take your particular donation.
Proceeds to Charity
With any donation we should be concerned with where the money goes. We all want to make the biggest difference when making our donation so it is a step in due diligence that we look into the charity we plan to donate to too find out how they use the dontion and what percentage goes into the administrative costs. You can find out more by looking into the records supplied by you states Attorney Generals office.
Ethics
The ethic of the practices of any charity are important because we want to give to a cause that supports the same views and ideals we do. Be sure to look into the donation practices of any charity you donate to, especially with car donations.
The car donation checklist can save you from making a mistake or to cause the charity more then the value of the donation. Be sure to have an open line of communication with the charity or group that you plan to make a car donation too.
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