Car Donations In California

A California vehicle donation here in the "Golden State" may help someone in need in your own community. An entire family could possibly end up getting helped by your generosity. And you may even get a tax deduction along the way. But these are not necessarily the best benefits.
Are there special rules for donating my vehicle in California?

Just a few special rules for the CA DMV (Division of Motor Vehicles:  You must leave the license plates on the vehicle (most states you are required to remove them), and you must fill out a Release of Liability form.  This form can be downloaded from the CA DMV website or filled out in person.
A tax break is just the start: Depending on your situation, you could immediately free your premises of a possible eyesore. You might get additional parking space and/or regain space in your garage (or perhaps your yard). You'll be able to circumvent the hassles as well as cost of having to refurbish an old motor vehicle in order to get it ready to sell - not to mention having to advertise it and find a buyer for it. These jobs are hassles and require your time to be able to complete them - your valuable time.

Free towing from your place: You may be thinking that repairing and selling your older car may get you a little more money as compared to donating it. Although this may be true, your car donation in CA can instantly take care of these time-consuming inconveniences. Remember your time isn't free, yet most non profit organizations will tow your car or truck for you - and for free. So this really is like money in the bank for you.

Non-running vehicles often accepted: And if your car or truck is non-running - and maybe even up on blocks, it is still more than worth it for the charity: The salvage yard will pay the charity enough money to cover towing plus some leftover for the needy. And in case your donated vehicle is valued above $500 (figured through Kelly Blue Book or NADA), you can claim more than the standard five hundred bucks tax deduction!

Beware of bogus "charities:" California has many bogus car donation "charities."  Most of them are eventually busted and deactivated, but for every one that gets shut down, a new one appears. So how do you recognize which of them are legitimate?

One way is to check that any California charity you may be considering is registered with the state.  Here's a link to the CA Charitable Organization Financial Database search: 

Another link from the Attorney General of California is the Registry of Charitable Trusts (RCT), which can be found on this page: 

Charity 'watchdog' websites: It turns out the answer is really simple - An easy search online using at least one of the online companies which qualifies charities based on a variety of factors. Simply type the name of the charitable organization in the search box on the 'charity watchdog' site. Or you could query the California Attorney General Office's website, or the Secretary of State website. Most states, like California, require nonprofits to register with them, and have searchable databases on their websites.

But another caution here: Nearly all of the Attorney Generals (including California) are quick to emphasize that although a charity is registered with them does not imply that the charity is necessarily a good one. Registration means exactly that - that the charitable organization registered as required.

It's interesting to note that part of the registration with the states (in the ones that require charities to register) is the requirement to submit financial reports every year. However, it is easy for the bogus charitable groups to fudge these reports, submitting figures that make them appear legit and 'above board.'

So check the charity out at two sites: Because we now understand that fraudulent car donation charities may be registered with the state of California, it's a wise idea to check out any charity you may be considering at a minimum of two websites:

Not only confirm that the organization is registered with California, but it is also listed 'in good standing' with one or more of the web based 'charity watchdog' agencies.

You having nothing to lose and everything to gain! So now you know how to choose a high quality vehicle donation charity here in California. Not only will you be doing something truly good for somebody or some family in your community, you may even get the tax deduction. And don't forget all those time-saving and hassle-saving fringe benefits of donating your old vehicle!


Photography donations are a long-running staple in many charity auctions. Like other business services, they are best offered in the silent auction (not live auction). Usually the auction donation is a free sitting with one print for a family, a couple, or an individual.

Most of these donated photography services display well. Photographers often provide great images of their work to serve as a prop. But despite the visual appeal, these items rarely sell for top dollar, if at all. In many cases, the item receives no bids.

Rather than offering this package year after year, consider making a thoughtful change to it. Sometimes these packages can sell, but they usually need to be tweaked.
Here's a suggestion to alter the donation for more bids.

Instead of offering a sitting for a single family, ask the photographer if there's room for variation. A more popular item is a family photo party.

The gist of this donation is to have several families enjoy the day together. Typically one family with a large home and yard agrees to host the event. It might be a summer BBQ or play date -- it's simply an excuse to get people together.

Up to ten families might attend (visit with the photographer about what is reasonable), socializing at someone's home. The photographer takes candid shots and more casual family portraits for everybody in attendance.

In one day, all families are photographed, but they aren't posed shots in a studio.
Here's the $64,000 question: If a sitting is usually a 3-hour to 4-hour process in the studio, is a photographer willing to visit a home for perhaps a longer day, but have the opportunity to shoot several families in a more candid way?

The advantage of shooting in a studio is that the photographer can control lighting and the weather becomes irrelevant. He might have access to more photography equipment in his studio, too. Shooting outside or in someone's (large) home is more challenging. But on the flip side, if the photographer is willing to shoot on location, the upside for him is the sale of more lifestyle prints to more families.

Imagine a cute photograph of your daughters swinging on the swingset, or your children playing kickball. Those lifestyle shots are often harder for a parent to capture so they'd be willing to pay for a cute photograph from the photographer.
This results in a win-win-win prospect.
* The photographer wins because they are put in touch with more families to whom they can sell prints.  One to three prints might be included in the donation with all others purchased.
* The guests are more likely to bid on the item at the auction because it's "different," appealing to their needs and wants.  Lifestyle photos taken as party of a family photo party have a better chance of selling than a traditional portraiture item.
* You (the nonprofit) raise more money as bidders compete to buy this donation at your charity auction.

Another thought - you could add a family photo package to an existing auction donation. For example, "You are bidding on the traditional Hawaiian BBQ for 8 families, to be held July 8 at the Smith's home. Included in this item is a photographer package whereby all families will have the chance to sit for a casual family portrait and have the chance to buy additional candid shots of their children playing throughout the day."

Talk to your photographer about options.

If you've been selling your existing photo packages for good money, don't change the donation.
But if your photography packages haven't sold, see what you can do to change it to a family photo party.

How To Turn Your Old Worn-Out Car Into A Nice Car Donation Tax Deduction!

If you're thinking about a charity car donation I'm going to outline some of the facts you should know. You can receive a nice IRS tax deduction for your old car or used car and help someone in need in the process.

It's called car donation or charity car donation when you give a charity organization your vehicle - automobile, car, truck, ATV, RV, airplane or any other vehicle which might or might not be in useable condition. In the U.S. charitable vehicle donations provide a great tax benefit for the donor and it's rapidly gaining in popularity.

First you want to learn the mission of any charity you're considering. If you have a specific charity in mind for the car donation do some research on it, especially if you're not sure how reputable the charity is. There are many national and local charitable organizations that advertise in newspapers or on television and openly announce they are looking for car donations. You have probably seen some of these, but are they your best choice?

Sometimes charities will use the car donations themselves in their daily charitable activities - sometimes to transport people. Perhaps they may use it to transport people in need to doctor's appointments, social worker appointments, hospital tests, etc. More often though the vehicles will be sold at auction or off their car lots to raise money for the charity's programs or their general fund. Yes it is not common knowledge that many charities have their own car lots. Many Goodwill Industry stores have their own.

Many people do choose to donate their used and unwanted cars in order to help others. If you buy a new car or own a car that isn't running, you can consider donating the car, truck, or other vehicle. You can also donate boats, RVs, ATVs, airplanes and other vehicles or even real estate depending on what your charity accepts. Your donation is tax deductible which helps you and the organization that you donated the vehicle to.

Day in and out, charities provide services and needed support to people in communities all over the nation. While some may receive government grants or private donations, this is never enough to take care of the many causes they pursue. Charity car donations are a planned part of the non-profit organization's budget. These vehicle donations can make the difference in the kind of services they can offer. So if you donate vehicles you will help these organizations continue to function
In a nutshell, car donation means acquiring old cars from donors and donating them to charity organizations. There are car donation companies that are intermediaries or links between the donors and the people who benefited from these donations. They are a big help in funding for charities. Some companies even help organizations that do not have their own charity programs. The car donation companies can auction the donated car or other vehicle in the marketplace and the money is given to the charities or the car can be used by the charity organization or be sold on their used car lot.

When you give your car to charity you are given a charitable gift IRS Tax Receipt. The vehicle donations when made to a reputable and bona fide charitable organization are tax-deductible. The IRS allows the donor-taxpayer to claim a tax deduction on the estimated value of the vehicle up to $500. The donor of the car or vehicle must have title, so make sure you have it handy when you start the process.

Make sure to ask if the charity handles the car donations - have their own charity car donation program or pays an outside company to do it. If the for-profit company handles the car or vehicle donations, find out just how much money the charity receives from the sale and how much will go to
the for-profit company.

You will see car donation program in just about every major city in every state in the U.S., including California, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York and Michigan. There are no laws preventing charities from accepting these types of donations.

Some of the car donation charities you might see are: Target, Purple Heart, Kidney Foundation, Salvation Army, Goodwill Industries and various cancer organizations.


In any case you will greatly benefit for your charity car donation both in claiming a nice car donation tax deduction or benefit and in helping charities continue to operate so they can help people in need.