The Cars 4 Causes Blog.

By: Lori Singmaster

After fourteen years of living on the Cars 4 Causes website, the Boats 4 Causes boat donation program is finally moving out and getting a place of its own!!

Since 1997, when we launched Cars 4 Causes, we accepted our 1^st boat donation and have been quietly accepting boat donations all this time from around the United States.   Currently, we have so many boat donations each month and such a tremendous following of buyers interested in purchasing our donated boats that it only makes sense to give Boats 4 Causes  its own website, www.boats4causes.org.

Our new website addresses the specific needs of those wishing to donate their boat, offering each donor complete transparency into our process, resulting in the highest price for the sale of their boat donation.   The donation process is simple and can be accomplished by filling out an online donation form from the new site or calling one of our donation specialists at 855-800-2628(BOAT).

The process of donating a boat is a little more emotionally complicated than that of a car donation.  Boat donors tend to be a little more attached to their boats and they want to make sure that their “baby” is passed on to the right organization.   Often times, it takes a boat donor 30 to 60 days to make the decision to donate once they have first made contact with Boats 4 Causes.

With each boat donation, our team creates a unique relationship with the donor, understanding the ins and outs of their boat donation and enjoying the memories and good times that each donor has had on his boat.

Many times donors are parting ways with their vessel because of a death or illness of a spouse.  The process of getting rid of their vessel is usually very emotional and hard for the donor.  Usually there is nothing wrong with the vessel, they just are unable to use it any longer or there is a lot of emotion tied to it.

Many donors also come to us after they have tried selling their vessel themselves, only to find it difficult, frustrating and sometimes failing to receive any bids at all on their prized possession.  Boats 4 Causes can sell that same boat in 7 days and many times a bidding war ensues.  

We are a national brand and we have buyers from across the United States checking our website daily for new listings.  This is the result of fourteen years of hard work in cultivating the selling side of each boat donation. 

When a potential buyer sees a Boats 4 Causes listing, they trust that we have done our best to be as thorough and accurate as we can when evaluating the boat and its contents and know they will receive a fair and honest deal from Boats 4 Causes. 

Boat donations are tax deductible, so the higher price we obtain from the sale of a boat donation, the greater tax deduction value for the donor.   Our donors realize this and appreciate all of our hard work and brand equity that Boats 4 Causes brings to the table.

We hope you will come to us when the time is right to sell your “baby”.

By Pat Jessup, Executive Director

Ever wonder if your vehicle donation really makes a difference?   Well, take a look at this letter we recently received from Ericka Bigger of Project Understanding, and you might just be convinced that it does.  The name of the family, and family members, have been changed in the interest of privacy.

Hello Pat,

My name is Ericka Bigger from Project Understanding and your organization helped us about 8 months ago with a car for one of our homeless families who entered our Transition House Program.   I wanted to give you a follow up on how [Jennifer] has been doing since being blessed with the vehicle your organization donated to her and her children.

Before the vehicle [Jennifer] was struggling to complete any goals such as gaining employment or finishing her high school diploma since she also has 3 small children with her. Since getting the vehicle [Jennifer] has been attending school regularly at the Ventura Adult Ed and will be graduating in June!! Her teachers and I are very excited as is [Jennifer].  [Jennifer] believed that she would never be getting her high school diploma since she had so many barriers to accomplish. Yet with your great donation it allowed her to get to school everyday to make this goal come true! Also [Jennifer] is working part-time and attending school full-time. As soon as she completes her high school diploma she will be working full-time and will be deciding what her next goal is. Since also being in our program [Jennifer] has saved over $2,000 and continues to save. [Jennifer] has one year left with us and we know she will continue to make us proud.

I did want to share her success with you since your organization’s donation gave her motivation and the tool to continue in her goals.

Thank you for everything

Ericka Bigger

Transition House Program Manager

We receive letters like this every day from many wonderful organizations that are doing great things to help those in need.   If you have been considering donating a vehicle but weren’t sure if or how it would help, rest assured there are people and organizations that Cars 4 Causes works with that depend on these generous donations to improve the lives of many families and individuals in need.  So don’t hesitate, please donate today!

By Patti Palmer

Effective NOW, when you donate your car, boat, motorcycle or RV to Cars 4 Causes^®, you’ll be entitled to receive a FREE Cash Rebate Voucher that grants you access to the Cash Rebate Mall for one full year where you can earn up to $3,000 in cash rebates from over 800 of your favorite online retailers like Target, Kohl’s, Macy’s, the Gap and Walmart.  So what does this mean for you?  By purchasing products from your usual favorite stores, like a new DVD player from Best Buy or some linens from Target, you automatically get money back in the form of a prepaid Visa card!!

The Cash Rebate Mall is an easy-to-use shopping program that offers YOU as our donor the highest rebates available from hundreds of major merchants.   Cash Rebate Mall also provides special offers, coupons and other added discounts to help you save the most money.

We wanted to give our donors something they can actually use in their daily lives, especially at a time when most people are working hard to get back on, or stay on, their feet financially.  Many companies offer “Free” gimmicks that often come with unforeseen costs like hidden fees and obligations down the line.  But that is definitely not how we work here at Cars 4 Causes.  Instead, we wanted a way to reward our generous donors with something that provides significant and tangible benefit and most of all is absolutely FREE!

The whole program is very simple too!  Donate your vehicle, we’ll send you a notice to claim your Free Voucher online, redeem your claim within thirty (30) days and then go to Cash Rebate Mall.com to start shopping!  How easy is that?

What’s even better! The program has no effect on the value of your vehicle tax deduction.  So not only can you earn up to $3,000 in cash rebates, you receive a valuable IRS Tax deduction from your vehicle donation – all of this in addition to doing a wonderful deed by helping those in need.  Everyone benefits!

By Maria U Bernston, CPA

Its Unavoidable, Tax Season is Upon Us!

For those of you hopelessly procrastinating them, mire in the muck of doing them, or breathing a sigh of relief for completing them – here is some helpful tax information to keep in mind:

Here is what you need to do to get the maximum deduction for your vehicle and “why”:

1. Check out the charity to make sure that it is a “qualified” organization – otherwise your donation will not be tax deductible.
2. Determine that you qualify for a tax deduction
3. Determine the maximum amount of your deduction
4. Know the recordkeeping and filing requirements associated with your donation

1. Qualified Organization:

Cars 4 Causes is a 501(c)(3) organization which is qualified to receive tax-deductible contributions.

2. Do You Qualify for a Tax Deduction?

• As an individual, you can deduct contributions to charity only if you itemize deductions on Schedule A of Form 1040

• There are certain deduction limitations; for example, your total charitable deductions for the year cannot exceed a percentage of your adjusted gross income.  Several other limits and exceptions, such as donation deduction for a previously depreciated vehicle, may also apply.

3. How Much Can You Deduct?

• The maximum amount you can deduct on your income tax return is the sales price of the vehicle.

4. What Documentation Do You Need to Keep?

Good news – Cars 4 Causes provides all of the following documents, as applicable, in a timely manner. You need to keep them with your tax documents so that you can support your deduction or file them with your tax return, if required.

• For donations of less than $250, you will receive a receipt from Cars 4 Causes that includes the charity’s name, date and location of donation and description of the vehicle.

• For donations of $250 or more, but not more than $500, you will receive a contemporaneous written acknowledgement from Cars 4 Causes.  This acknowledgement includes the same information as above.  You must receive the acknowledgement by the due date for filing your returns (including extension) or the date you actually filed your return, if earlier.

• For donations greater than $500, you will receive a contemporaneous written acknowledgement (Form 1098-C) that includes the gross proceeds Cars 4 Causes received from the sale of the vehicle.  You should read the instructions accompanying the form carefully to make sure you report the donation correctly on your return.

If the deduction you are claiming for a donated car is greater than $500, you must also complete Section A of Form 8283.

5. The Filing deadline is approaching and still no Form 1098-C?

This probably means that your vehicle has not yet been sold. You have three choices:

• Request an automatic 6-month extension of time to file your return; you can get this extension by filing Form 4868 either electronically or as a hardcopy by the filing deadline, which is April 18^th in 2011.

• File the return without claiming the deduction for the qualified vehicle.  After receiving the Form 1098-C, file an amended return, Form 1040X, claiming the deduction. Attach Copy B of Form 1098-C (or other statement) to the amended return.

• File the return claiming a deduction for less than $500 based on the contemporaneous receipt you received from the charity. File an amended return, if the sales proceeds on Form 1098-C you receive from the charity upon sale of your vehicle differ from the amount you claimed as a deduction. Attach Form 1098-C as above

While Cars 4 Causes makes the donation process easy and provides you with all the required documentation, reporting charitable donations on your tax return is not always “easy”. In addition, every individual’s tax situation is different, so you should seek professional advice.

Maria U Berntson, CPA, is a partner at Lindsay and Company LLP, Certified Public Accountant. At Lindsay and Company, LLP,  we approach your needs as a team of professionals with diversified skills, focused on providing solutions toward achieving your financial goals as an individual, in business, or as a non-profit organization.  For assistance or just to chat about your tax situation, business or financial goals, please contact us at 805-650-5915 or visit us at  www.lindsayandcompanycpa.com.

Hi everyone!

We noticed this ABC News investigative story about the Better Business Bureau and wanted to share it to keep you informed and safe.

Unfortunately, we’ve been at the receiving end of BBB’s unfair grading practices and we were shocked and disheartened when we discovered that no matter how much proof we provided to support our case for a better rating, the only thing they wanted was money!

So, we were so pleased to see this recent investigative news story expose some of these BBB practices, such as unethical pay-to-play procedures, and while the news may come as a surprise to consumers and is certainly very disappointing to all, we’re glad that these unethical practices have been exposed and we are looking forward to new changes in procedure to ensure accurate and trustworthy grades for businesses.

News Investigators began back in November when a 20/20 report showed how a group of Los Angeles business owners paid hundreds of dollars to buy BBB memberships for a number of fictitious firms.  The result: The L.A. BBB awarded an A- rating to a non-existent sushi restaurant and an A+ to a fake firm named after Stormfront, a white supremacist group.

CLICK HERE TO SEE FULL REPORT

The most recent ABC News investigation was based on these same allegations that the BBB is running a “pay-to-play” scheme for its grading procedure, wherein A+  ratings are given exclusively to businesses that pay for a BBB membership and businesses that do not become members are given lower grades.

In the 20/20 report, the ABC investigation showed how two small Los Angeles businesses, with an ABC News producer and camera present, were told by BBB telemarketers that their C grades could be raised to an A+ if they paid to join the BBB.  After one of these owners, the manager of an antique hardware story, paid the $565 membership fee the C grade was replaced with an A+ and the one complaint was wiped off the record.  Tsk tsk!

You can read more about the issue here:  ABC News BBB Investigation Story

And feel free to let us know your thoughts on the matter!

Cars 4 Causes