How to Donate a Car to Shriners

Donating a car to a charity, such as the Shriners, is a great way to turn an asset into needed financial support. The Shriners, however, like a number of other large charities, do not conduct a car-donation program directly. Instead, they rely on companies that specialize in car-donation and forward proceeds to them. This slightly more complex procedure still results in your being able to make a contribution to the good work of the Shriners. Follow these steps to arrange your charitable gift.

Things You'll Need

• Car Shriners' address Info on donation companies IRS and state tax information

Instructions

Making Your Donation

1. Get a little advice on how to locate a car-donation company. If friends or neighbors in your community have donated, they may have the answer to that right away. If you are without good information, the Institute for Philanthropy has online tips about donating cars (see link in Resources section). You can also check with your Better Business Bureau to find out whether the companies you are looking at have had any customer complaints.

2. Ask the car-donation company questions. You need to know the mechanics of the deal: when will they come to pick up your car, do they charge for towing your car, and is there a drop-off office. You also want to know how your car will be valued and how much of that value will be donated to the Shriners. Companies use different systems. Some work one donation at a time, and others collect lots of cars, sell them in bulk and divide proceeds among all charities they serve. Find out what will happen to your car, your donation and the Shriners.

3. Find out what tax forms you will need to complete to document your contribution. Obtain and complete the necessary forms from both the Internal Revenue Service and your state tax agency. You should also contact your department of motor vehicles to comply with their requirements. (Don't forget your insurance company, while you're at it.)

4. Complete your paperwork and wave goodbye to your car. Your hard work has supported the good work of the Shriners.

Tips & Warnings

• While there's a fair amount of paperwork, it's fairly simple if you understand what is needed. Give yourself 24 hours to make certain all your questions have been answered before making the tow-away appointment. Reputable car-donation companies offer a service and keep their expenses to a minimum, so as to help the charities they work for. If you are asked to spend a large share of your car's value on towing, storage, or "administrative expenses," you may want to locate a different company.