The Cars 4 Causes Blog.

On February 17^th The Make-A-Wish Foundation Tri-Counties, an organization that grants the wishes of children with life threatening medical conditions, held a silent auction at The Canyon Club in Agoura Hills, CA.  The local event garnered over 100 participants and included dinner and live music.  Cars 4 Causes donated $10,000 worth of items to auction off at the benefit, and our very own President Patti Palmer and Executive Director Pat Jessup attended and Cars 4 Causes was acknowledged for donating $368,000 to the Make A Wish Foundation to date.

All in all the night was a great success, and we’re thrilled to report that Make-A-Wish Tri-Counties raised over $70,000 from the auction!

Here are some of the items that Cars 4 Causes donated for the auction:

• Joe Namath autographed lithograph 25^th anniversary super bowl III
• Ken Norton autographed boxing glove
• Harmon Killebrew autographed Twins Baseball Jersey
• 20 Skating Plus skate rental tickets
• 3 couple massages at Stress Busters Massage
• 10 Channel Islands Sports Fishing certificates for 2 people
• 15 Channel Islands Ice Skate Canter certificates
• 2 secret garden Inn and Cottages 2 night Bed & Breakfast stays
• 2 cases of Mick Fleetwood 2002 cuvée Premium Red Wine

If you would like to support Cars 4 Causes, you can do so by donating your car, boat, motorcycle or RV today.  Just fill out our online donation form or call us today at 1-888-488-9949.  ” It feels good helping others.” and your donation will make a difference!

MAKING YOUR CAR DONATION EASY!

Nicole Anaya – March 1, 2011

Are you thinking about donating your vehicle to charity?  If the answer is yes, let me share some tips with you to make the process smooth and easy. As a Donation Specialist for Cars 4 Causes® for many years, I processed more than 4,300 vehicle donations, so I’ve highlighted below the most important steps you need to know!

1.         ARE YOU DONATING TO A REAL CHARITY?

Before you make that call or click on the online donation form, please make sure the charity you are planning to donate to is a 501(C)3 registered non-profit organization qualified to accept vehicle donations. This is the most important thing you can do to protect yourself. By donating to a qualified 501(c)3 non-profit organization, you will ensure that when it comes time to claim your  tax deduction you will be able to use it.  Cars 4 Causes was the 1st 501(c)3 non-profit organization in America to be approved by the IRS to accept vehicle donations, so you can rest easy when you donate to us.

2.         INFORMATION YOU’LL NEED WHEN YOU DONATE.

During the process, whether by phone or an online form it may seem like we need a lot of information. As a donation specialist, it’s our job to get you the highest tax deduction possible and the most money for charity. Therefore, the more information we get from you, the better we can do our job.  And while we are grateful that you have chosen to donate your car to us, you will be grateful for all of the intrusive and annoying questions we ask when April 15^th rolls around and you have a generous tax deduction as a result.

Here’s the basic information we need:

Here’s more information we’d like to have (it will help us evaluate your car donation faster):

*A.      Title questions are one of the most important things we will ask.  They help us verify ownership and vehicle information. In most cases, a lost title may not be a problem.  Each situation varies which is why we urge you to call and speak to one of our donation specialist who can help you through this step.

**B.     Registration questions are frequently asked to determine if there are fees due by the licensing agency in your state.  If the vehicle you want to donate has a registration that is due, it’s best that you register it as non-operational to avoid any back fees you might be charged prior to donating your vehicle.

3.         SCHEDULING A PICK-UP

Once we get all your information and accept your donation, one of our tow companies will call you to schedule a pick-up time within 2 business days. If it is an emergency, we can expedite your request and have your vehicle picked up within 24 hours. On the date of tow you will need to give the title (pink slip) and the keys to the tow driver. If you can’t be there at time of tow, you can leave the pink slip and keys under the dashboard.  In return, you will receive a pick-up receipt from the tow driver. Once your vehicle is delivered to us, we’ll send you a pick-up confirmation letter with our charity information, your name, date of donation, year, make, and model of your donated vehicle. After your vehicle has been towed away you should call your insurance company and let them know you no longer own the vehicle.

4.         RECEIVING YOUR TAX RECEIPT.

The last step in the process is waiting to receive your written acknowledgment letter commonly known as a tax receipt. This tax receipt is to be used for your tax purposes and will be mailed to you after the vehicle has been sold. It normally takes us between 60-90 days to process, evaluate, repair (if necessary) and sell your vehicle.  If you plan on claiming a tax deduction and your vehicle sells for more than $500 we will send you your tax receipt along with a form 1098C (to do this however, we will need your social security number). If you don’t plan on claiming your donation as a tax deduction and/or the vehicle sells for less than $500 we will only send you a tax receipt (no social security number will be required).

Donating your vehicle can be a great way to save money on your taxes and help others at the same time. There are many choices out there, but only Cars 4 Causes has the experience and expertise to get you the most our of your vehicle donation.  Afterall, we are America’s 1^st vehicle donation charity. So take advantage of our 13 years of experience and get the most from your car donation.  “It feels good helping others.”

I hope this gives you a better idea of what to expect when donating your vehicle. Please keep in mind that Cars 4 Causes also accept boats, motorcycles and RVs. You may fill out an online donation form or feel free to give us a call at 1-800-488-9949 and a friendly donation specialist will be more than happy to assist you.