Can I Make An Automobile Donation Even If The Vehicle Doesn’t Run?

Automobile Donation Process


This is always being asked. People often only donate a car that that likely would not sell that easily. So it makes sense that a large number of donations are automobiles that don’t run. This is a great way to help out but you have to be sure your donation is going to help and not cost the charity more to process then they will get out of it.

Many charities work with a wrecker. This is the company that will come out and tow your old automobile for donation. They also process the automobile and sell off the part if the vehicle isn’t able to be fixed and can send it out to be repaired if there is only a couple things wrong with it. You really need to just talk with the charity you plan to make an automobile donation too and see what system the have set up for donations of this type.

There was a recent story from Winnipeg, Canada where a wrecker was donating the proceeds from every recycled car they processed in a year to Habitat for Humanity. The whole goal was to be able to build a house for a local family. A great goal and an example of how a charity can work with the wrecker to achieve a common goal.

The main thing you have to be sure of is that the charity is able to process this type of donation. Not every charity is set up to handle automobile donations that don’t run. It is a simple process with little cost. With an automobile donation that does not run then there are added processing cost, repairs, towing , etc. This can cost far more then the actual value of the car and this of course defeats the purpose of donating.

Talk with charities and find out if they can handle this type of automobile donation. Then you can be assured that you are going to make the biggest contribution instead of costing money in the end.

There are a few considerations in donating an automobile that doesn’t run. The tires need to be inflated. The automobile will need to be towed or loaded onto a flatbed truck to be taken away and if the tires are flat then it will be more difficult to remove.

You also have to make sure the automobile is intact. It doesn’t do any good to donate a car where a bunch of the good parts have already been sold off. The idea behind donating an automobile is for them to sell off the good, usable part then have the metal recycled. If many of the good parts are gone then whats the point?

The whole point of donating is to help the charity. If you are making an automobile donation then be sure you are not costing the charity more in processing.