Donate Your Car for Charity in Cincinnati, Ohio

“Donate my car? Are you kidding?” Because a car is one of the most expensive assets purchased during a lifetime, donating a vehicle seems like a level of generosity only fathomable by, well, Oprah. If you’ve purchased your car and owned it for several years, how much will you get for that trade-in? A five hundred buck trade-in allowance for a well-maintained, carefully-driven car seems like a “donation” to me, especially when I’m exchanging it for a future of new car payments! Handing your keys to a charity can be just as easy and ripples a wider benefit.

Charitable organizations often accept used car donations for their own use, or to resell at auction and benefit from the proceeds. Like anything else, donating a car is much easier and less time-consuming than trying to sell it for cash on your own. So why not just donate it to charity and let them deal with it? If you’re planning on trading in your car for a new one, the long-term, life-changing value your car will have as a donation can be far greater than whatever monetary value is offered by your dealership.

Think of how a car empowers you, every day. Even when public transportation is available, access to a car can open many roads that would otherwise be blocked. A student with a day job can make it to night class on time and arrive safely at home later that night. A working mother can be more flexible with child care arrangements. A new graduate can accept a job that might be outside the hours or route available by bus. A service organization can provide delivery services and transportation for seniors or the disabled, or on-site educational activities for at-risk children. The life possibilities your “old clunker” can create are limitless.

If you loathe car payments or the fact that a car is a depreciating asset, you might decide that buying a car at auction is an opportunity to “do well by doing good” – finding a great value while benefiting the community at the same time. At the very least, it’s recycling!

Ohio Valley Goodwill and St. Vincent DePaul are two organizations that accept donations of all kinds and resell many of these items in retail stores, which in turn, help fund their community outreach programs. Goodwill resells donated vehicles directly to the general public. St. Vincent DePaul sells donated vehicles at dealer auctions.

St. Vincent DePaul (SVDP) mobilizes over 700 volunteers to “help people help themselves” and break the cycle of poverty. Its resources are used to help people in crisis meet their basic needs, including food, clothing, and shelter. St. Vincent DePaul also provides the platform to people rebuild their lives through job readiness programs, low-cost resale stores, and supplemental food pantries.

Ohio Valley Goodwill Industries’ retail thrift stores have received many awards, including a Cincinnati Magazine 2005 “Best of the City” award – which seems to be a nearly annual accolade for Goodwill. The Tri-State area’s favorite source for everything from discounted designer duds to sparkling vintage housewares is just one source of revenue supporting Goodwill’s real business – helping people with disabilities or other barriers to employment. Thousands of veterans have been served since 1993 through the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program.

Ohio Valley Goodwill was also recently named “most efficient charity organization” in the AOL 2005 Charity Guide. Expanding on their retail and operational success, Goodwill has made the process as smooth as possible for both automobile donors and sellers.

“Unlike many other charitable auto auction fundraising initiatives, we run our own auctions, so almost 100% of the proceeds go back to our organization and our work,” said Kim Masters, Ohio Valley Goodwill auto auction program manager. “I estimate about half of the Goodwill organizations participate in an auto auction program.” In 2005, the Ohio Valley Goodwill auto auctions may add $2.1 million to the anticipated $25 million sales reaped from donations sold in the 14 regional stores.

Buyers can score wheels for a steal at Goodwill’s automobile auctions, held at the newly-renovated flagship store and headquarters (10060 Woodlawn Pike, Woodlawn; south of Tri-County Mall) most Saturdays. Potential buyers may preview and ask questions about the vehicles Friday 3 – 6 p.m. and Saturday 6 – 9 a.m. The car lot is usually open for a visual exterior check during regular store hours. Bidders must pre-register and deposit $100, which can be applied toward a car purchase and is refundable to non-winning bidders, or buyers choosing to pay for the full amount separately. Payment is required at time of purchase; Goodwill accepts cash, checks, MasterCard, Discover Card and VISA.

Donors may bring their saleable car, keys and title to any Ohio Valley Goodwill or St. Vincent DePaul location. Either charity will also help you arrange for towing. “Saleable” means “buyable”: Will a dealer pick it over other cars at auction? Will someone pay hard-earned cash for it? The possible auction value should meet if not exceed the value of time and effort required for the charity to sell it; otherwise, you’re not doing them any favors. Goodwill stores are known for selling clean, attractive, working items and the autos found at auction are expected to meet that same standard. Vehicles recently on the block include a 1993 Acura Legend, a 2000 Ford Focus, and even a 1964 O’Day sailboat. Yes, they sell boats, tooâÂ?¦and trucks, motorcycles, campers, trailers, and recreational vehicles!

As generous as you are, you’re probably interested at least gaining some kind of tax write-off while you’re at it. Neither Goodwill nor SVDP will assign a value upon donation to your vehicle. Generally, the fair market value as listed in the Kelley Blue Book (www.kelleybluebook.com) or the NADA Book (National Automobile Dealer Association; http://www.nadaguides.com) may be taken as a tax-deductible donation.

Prior to releasing the car, you should obtain documentation supporting the actual value, which may be more or less than the values published in these guides. Donors with newer cars in better condition (close to or exceeding published value) should take photographs documenting the condition of the vehicle in as much detail as possible. This will help support a maximum appropriate tax deduction of the car’s actual value. If the car is an older model car with high mileage, especially if it’s “well-loved”, donors might want to obtain a written appraisal, or at least a written trade-in offer. This, or the sold price of the car at auction, can be used to help justify a write-off for the higher amount. For vehicles with a value exceeding $5,000, SVDP will connect you with an appraisal resource (513-421-CARE). Your tax advisor can help you determine the best approach.

Try Googling “Cincinnati auto donations” for additional local vehicle donation ideas. You may find an eager fleet of beneficiaries that will accept your used vehicle. Additional auto donation recipients include The Child Abuse Hotline (http://www.thechildabusehotline.com; other cities also) and CET Public Television (http://www.cetconnect.org).

If your favorite non-profit isn’t exactly positioned to resell a car but your vehicle is of particular value (new, luxury, and/or collectible), it may consider raising funds with your sweet ride via a special raffle. Many smaller groups including religious organizations and schools do this; check out vehicle-specific classified publications (found at gas stations and convenience stores) for examples. The group’s ability to do this may be limited by local gambling regulations.

Both Goodwill and St. Vincent DePaul are organized locally and affiliated with internationally-represented organizations. For yet more options in Cincinnati and beyond, Donate for Charity’s primary objective is to process vehicle and real estate donations, working with both donors and charities (http://www.donateforcharity.com) nationwide. According to their site, thousands of non-profits are listed with and have formal legal agreements on file with Donate for Charity. Beneficiaries can be searched by name or topic of interest. Local chapters of well-known, credible groups including Boys and Girls Clubs, Habitat for Humanity, and United Way are listed, but donations can be made from (and picked up!) anywhere in the U.S. Donate for Charity seems to have taken root with charities located primarily in the San Francisco area – so far. If you work with a non-profit organization, Donate for Charity will set your organization up to receive vehicle donations online.

Giving up a nominal trade-in value may seem a little painful at first, but donating your vehicle is a winning transaction for everybody. Your dealership can add another tic mark to the sales board, and the warm glow you’re feeling may just override the “ouch” of those new monthly payments.

• More information about Ohio Valley Goodwill’s Auto Auctions can be found at http://cincinnatigoodwill.org, or contact them at(513) 612-5980 or kmasters@cincigoodwill.org
• More information about St. Vincent DePaul’s auto donation program can be found at http://www.svdpcincinnati.org, or contact them at (513) 421-CARE or info@svdpcincinnati.org
• Research non-profit organizations at the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance, http://www.give.org