They’re everywhere – ads asking you to donate your old car or truck to a charitable organization. When you see this much advertising on any subject, you can be certain that it is generating revenue. Organizations don’t pay for advertising if it doesn’t bring in money. In 2008 alone the IRS reports that US taxpayers donated over 443 million dollars worth of old vehicles.

Most people who donate a car are looking for a tax break or looking to get an eyesore out of their driveway. But they also donate cars to charity because they want to help others. So the question becomes: What percentage of the money earned from donating a car actually goes into programs that help people?

The answer to that question can be difficult to pin down – and the more difficult it is to pin down, the more wary you should be about the ‘charity’ you’re thinking of donating to. The first thing you need to check out – are you donating directly to the charity, or to one of the countless charity car donation middlemen out there?

It doesn’t matter whether the organization is classified as a 501(c)(3) or not – if the organization you’re thinking about donating your car to uses language like ‘Your donated car can benefit any charity, school or church that you choose’, or ‘choose from a list of charities’ – you’re dealing with a charity car donation middleman. Some middlemen are even more vague about what they do with your money.

So what’s the problem with donating your car to a middleman car donation organization? The problem is that before the middleman donates the funds from your donated car, they subtract money to pay for marketing, operating costs, and their salary. In some cases these middleman car donation programs keep more than 70% of the money they earn.

Most never disclose how much money they take off the top. Because they know their donations would dry up if people understood that less than 30% of the money raised from donated cars actually goes into programs that help people. And after the charity subtracts their own operating costs, the amount going to help people gets even smaller.

Here’s how to make certain your car donation does the most good. First, avoid the middleman. Donate your car or truck directly to the charity you want to benefit. Second, do a little homework. There are a couple of great online tools you can use to make sure the charity you’re thinking of donating a car to is on the level. Go to charitynavigator.org or the Better Business Bureau online at bbb.org and search for the organization’s name. If they have a questionable report, don’t give. If they don’t have any report at all, don’t give.

Most reputable charities will tell you what percentage of donations go to programs that help people on their website or in their annual report. If that information is hard to find, or missing altogether, that’s another red flag that your donation may be going into someone’s pocket instead of programs that feed the hungry or shelter homeless children.

Done right, donating a car to charity is a win-win situation. You get a nice tax deduction and the charity gets the money they need to help people. It pays to take a little extra time to make certain you’re doing the most good with your car donation.

Unlike middleman charity car donation organizations, when you donate a car at CarsHelpingPeople.org, 100% of your money stays with Volunteers of America, and 88% is used for locally run programs that help people. CarsHelpingPeople.org is the car donation program of Volunteers of America, one of the oldest and most respected charities in the nation. Volunteers of America helps millions of people a year coast to coast through locally run programs supported in part by donated vehicles. For well over a hundred years VOA has been a leader in helping children at risk, homeless men, women and families, veterans and senior services. Whether you’re looking to donate a car in Washington DC, are thinking I want to donate a car in Michigan, want to donate a car in New Jersey, Pennsylvania or Delaware, or are looking to donate a car in Virginia, Maryland or Nevada, just click here to donate a car, or call us toll free at 877-721-4862.

Recycling – it saves energy, money and the planet. Nearly everything is recyclable, if you just know how. That’s where this ongoing guide to recycling comes in. Of course our favorite form of recycling is donating a car to charity (especially Volunteers of America). When you donate a car at CarsHelpingPeople.org you save energy, money and the planet – plus you save big with a significant charity tax deduction and help provide programs in your area that help the homeless, veterans, children and seniors. Click on the links  to find out how Volunteers of America is helping people in your community. But on to part 3 of our ongoing alphabetical series on recycling nearly everything:

Eyeglasses:

You can’t recycle plastic frames. But metal eyeglass frames? Those can be recycled. We’re not talking about melting them down and using them for scrap, we’re talking about donating them, lenses and all to the millions of people worldwide who have bad eyes but can’t afford glasses. Donate your old glasses at neweyesfortheneedy.com. Or drop them off at LensCrafters, Target or other stores and optical departments.

Film Canisters:

Hey, if you’ve got any of these relics from before the digital age lying around your house, you can try recycling them at your local recycling center, or see if the drugstore photo lab will help you recycle them.

Fire Extinguishers:

After you put out the fire, don’t put them in the trash. If you have a dry-chemical extinguisher, just relieve the pressure by squeezing the valve or handle, remove the head and place it with other large items for metal recycling. Sometimes companies that sell fire equipment will take your old extinguisher off your hands. And if you have a carbon dioxide extinguisherjust refill it and use it again!

Food Processors:

The city or county where you live might offer small appliance pick-up for recycling – many do. Some communities even pick small appliances up curbside. But they have to be at least 50% metal (most appliances weigh in at around 75% metal, so chances are you’re safe).

Formal Gowns:

Got a purple frilly prom dress or a bridesmaid dress with puffy sleeves taking up space in your closet? Recycle them by donating them to a girl who can’t afford a new one at operationfairydust.com and catherinescloset.org.

Gadgets:

The ‘gotta have them’ gadgets of the past like PDAs, MP3 players and other electronic gizmos are outdated abefore you take them out of the box. Recycle them and help fund breast cancer research at recycleforbreastcancer.org. They’ll even send you prepaid mailing labels for your gadgets.

Glue:

Does old-fashioned white glue every get too old? It must, because there is a recycling program for this grade school staple. Rinse out old bottles of Elmer’s Glue, you can even rinse out old Elmer’s Glue Stick. Then send them to Wal-Mart for recycling. See how at elmersgluecrew.com.

Hangers (plastic):

You might want to think about donating all those plastic hangers to a thrift store, because not many places will recycle plastic hangers. Probably because there is such a low volume brought in for recycling. Good news, Angelinos – LA is one of the rare cities that accepts plastic hangers for recycling.

Hangers (wire): Most dry cleaners are happy to take back your old wire hangers and reuse them. Sometimes you can put them in with your household metals recycling – check with your recycling service to see if you can. But make sure you take those cardboard tubes off. The best way to recycle an old wire hanger? Use it to roast marshmallows over a camp fire.

Keep your eye out for the continuation of this exhaustive How To Recycle list, and in the meantime, if you have an old car, recycle it by donating to Volunteers of America.  Whether you’re looking to donate a car in Washington DC, are thinking I want to donate a car in Michigan, want to donate a car in New Jersey, Pennsylvania or Delaware, or are looking to donate a car in Virginia, Maryland or Nevada, just click here to donate a car, or call us toll free at 877-721-4862. You’ll give new life to the car, and to all the people you’re helping!

When you donate a car to Volunteers of America, you help underwrite veterans programs, programs for seniors and for children and their families. But in many areas of the country you also fund programs that help recently released prisoners re-enter society as productive members of society. Helping former prisoners lead new lives has been a focus of Volunteers of America since we were founded in 1896. Our unique partnerships within local communities represent some of the nation’s best opportunities to engage citizens in the process of offering acceptance, service and guidance to formerly incarcerated citizens. These efforts not only provide life-changing benefits for the formerly incarcerated but also make a direct impact on the health and vitality of the local community. All over the nation, local programs partially funded by people who have donated a car to charity provide housing and job training for recently released prisoners, with life changing results. Joe, just released from a Michigan prison, is one example of the good your donated vehicle can do:

Joe is new to the Increasing Hope group this past month. He had spent the past fifteen years in prison. Like so many who have done their time, Joe was released from prison with no viable plan to reintegrate to society. The unemployment rate for ex-offenders is calculated to be between 20 and 25 percent. Thankfully, Joe has received encouragement and support from Volunteers of America Michigan staff and guests. He is now working with Tony Cook from Michigan Works and putting together a plan to help him re-enter the labor force which is a critical step toward re-establishing his life in society. Of course, this support is in addition to the shelter and basic needs he receives from Volunteer of America Michigan’s programs. Volunteers of America Michigan staff is also working hard to help Joe locate viable permanent housing, another critical element in helping him gain stability. Joe is determined to make good on the help he has received from Volunteers of America, and is optimistic about his future. Joe’s case illustrates the crucial role that Volunteers of America Michigan programs can play in a person’s way back to becoming a productive member of society and living a fulfilling life.

Whether you're looking to donate a car in Washington DC, are thinking I want to donate a car in Michigan, want to donate a car in New Jersey, Pennsylvania or Delaware, or are looking to donate a car in Virginia, Maryland or Nevada, just click here to donate a car, or call us toll free at 877-721-4862. You'll give new life to the car, and to all the people you're helping!

Volunteers of America Michigan's Veteran's programs include creating Veterans Memorial Park out of a vacant lot with the help of 200 Team Depot volunteers

Thank you for all your votes and efforts for Volunteers of America Michigan for The Home Depot Foundation’s Aprons In Action program!

Volunteers of America Michigan will receive $5,000 for being a finalist in the competition, and plans to continue work with our homeless veterans! Thanks to all of you who have placed your vote for us all month long! We appreciate your support very much!!!

“Being selected for the Aprons in Action Program was such an honor, and we are so thankful for the recognition,” said Alex Brodrick, President and CEO of Volunteers of America Michigan.

Working together, Volunteers of America Michigan and Team Depot volunteers have already installed a Veterans Memorial Park across the street from the Volunteers of America Michigan Veterans Housing Program in Detroit.  This park sits adjacent to two vacant lots and those lots have the potential for becoming useful and therapeutic green spaces for the 60 veterans that are served in the program.

Across the country, The Home Depot Associates give back to their communities by volunteering their time and talents with local nonprofit organizations, like Volunteers of America Michigan. The Aprons in Action Program recognizes these successful partnerships and gives each of the featured nonprofits the opportunity to do additional work with Team Depot volunteers to better their communities.

No matter where you live in Michigan, from Detroit to Kalamazoo, Flint, Ann Arbor, Lansing, Saginaw, Grand Rapids, Bay City or Marquette you help us fund these vital programs when you donate your car or truck. Click on the link to the right, or give us a call at 877-721-4862 toll free to donate a car to charity. To learn more about how you can get the maximum tax deduction for donating cars to vets click on Taxes: Donate Car.

Thank you!

As we continue our obsessively thorough guide to recycling almost anything, lets celebrate the differences recycling is making in the USA. Consider these statistics: In 2009 nearly 34% of the 243 million tons of waste generated by Americans was recycled, which prevented around 178 million metric tons of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere. That’s like eliminating the yearly emissions of 33 million cars! Here is Part 2 of our alphabetical listing of how to recycle nearly everything:

Cars, or other unwanted vehicles:

This is a subject near and dear to us here at the Cars Helping People Blog. Running or not running, the best way to recycle any car, truck or boat you don’t need is to donate it to charity (like Volunteers of America for instance). Donating a car creates a win-win-win scenario – the donated car gets reborn as affordable transportation for low-income people, or the materials in the car are separated for scrap and recycled that way. Then a worthy charity receives money for programs that help people…and you get a tax deduction! CarsHelpingPeople.org is an easy way to get information about free pickup and towing, tax write offs, and charity programs in your community that will benefit. We also feature important information on how to avoid charity car donation scams.

Cell Phones:

There’s room for improvement here. Only 20% of cell phones get recycled, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. The problem seems to be that even though 84% of people know cell phones can be recycled, they don’t know how. Just like charity car donation programs, there are charity phone donation programs that provide an important solution. Go to gowirelessgogreen.org for more information about recycling your cell phone and help keep toxins out of land fills.

CFLs (compact Fluorescent light bulbs):

The same Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs undoubtedly save energy, but unfortunately they also contain a good dose of toxic mercury and should never be thrown in the garbage to end up in a landfill. Check with your trash disposal service or municipal government to see if they provide recycling services for CFLs – there are many that do. You local Home Depot store also provides CFL recycling.

Computers:

Many electronic makers will accept old computers recycling. So will many of the stores that sell them. See greenergadgets.org and enter your zip code for a list of electronics recycling programs near you. Also, watch for computer recycling days from your local municipality.

Crayons:

Yes, that’s right, you can recycle crayons. The National Crayon Recycle Program melts them down and uses them to make new ones. Don’t take the wrappers off, It helps them tell the colors apart. Go to crazycrayons.com for more information.

Crocs:

Got a worn out pair of the comfy clogs? Don’t toss them in the garbage – if they can still be worn you can recycle them. Over 6 million feet in over 40 countries have received free shoes through Crocs Cares program. Go to crocscares.com for more info.

Cans (cleaning powders):

When you have an empty can of scouring powder like Comet or Bon Ami, just snip the metal ends off and put them in the metal recycling bin. Then put the cardboard tube in the bin for recycling cardboard.

Cans (food):

It’s quite likely that your garbage service or municipality recycles metal food cans. If they don’t, go to recycle-steel.org (yes, they aren’t tin cans, they’re steel – the most recycled material on the planet) and click on recycling resources to find a local steel recycling center.

DVDs, CDs and jewel cases:

Tired of some of your DVD’s or CDs? Try out Zunafish.com – a site where people barter, trade and swap goods and services – even CDs and DVDs. Don’t think anyone would want to swap for your DVD of Santa Claus vs The Martians? Find out how to recycle it at Greendisk.com.

Keep your eye out for the continuation of this exhaustive How To Recycle list, and in the meantime, if you have an old car, recycle it by donating to Volunteers of America.  Whether you’re looking to donate a car in Washington DC, are thinking I want to donate a car in Michigan, want to donate a car in New Jersey, Pennsylvania or Delaware, or are looking to donate a car in Virginia, Maryland or Nevada, just click here to donate a car, or call us toll free at 877-721-4862. You’ll give new life to the car, and to all the people you’re helping!

On February 15 Volunteers of America officially opened the Mary Marshall Assisted Living Residence for senior citizens with mental illness or intellectual disabilities in Arlington, Virginia. Not only is the new Mary Marshall center a state-of-the-art community based facility, it is also an example of the kind of locally based programs you help fund when you donate a car.

This 52-unit licensed assisted living facility provides a welcoming home for low-income seniors who need assistance with daily living due to cognitive, mental health and other special needs. At Volunteers of America we have found that assisted living programs like the ones found at the Mary Marshall Residence are very successful in allowing people with intellectual disabilities to live longer, more fulfilling lives. As these people reach the age of 55 and over (the age serviced by this new facility) they are confronted with both the issues from their existing disability, and also new issues that come with aging like limited vision or mobility.

Following a two-year expansion and renovation project, the first residents moved in to the facility in November. Ongoing renovations included an expanded kitchen and an enlarged library, computer and media center, a wellness center, community lounges and other common areas enjoyed by residents.

Volunteers of America is a national leader in providing care and housing for both seniors and those with disabilities. The organization is one of the largest nonprofit providers in the United States of affordable senior housing, skilled nursing care and assisted living for seniors.

When you make a car donation, truck donation, or donate any non-running vehicle, you help your local Volunteers of America provide community-based programs like these:

• Assisted living for the intellectually disabled and mentally ill
• Suicide prevention hotlines
• Homeless prevention services
• Homeless veteran services
• Job training for the homeless
• Emergency shelters and food
• Adopt-A-Family Christmas Programs
• Action Teams youth outreach
• Senior communities
• Drug and alcohol rehab
• Scholastic book giveaway programs
• Operation Backpack school supplies

Whether you’re thinking of donating a used car, donating a truck to charity, or donating something a little more unusual like a golf cart or boat, just use the form on the right side of this page. Or call us toll free at 877-721-4862.

We're always happy to accept charity car donations for our veteran's programs, but now you can help Volunteers of America Michigan win a $25,000 grant with just the click of your mouse!

Volunteers of America Michigan is in the running to win a $25,000 grant from the Home Depot Foundation. You can help us – just click here and vote for Volunteers of America Michigan — you can do it once a day. Look for the banner on the left, click on vote now and you’ll be presented with a choice of four projects to vote for, including Volunteers of America Michigan’s.

A debris-filled parking lot – transformed into the new Veterans Memorial Park.

VOA Michigan will use the $25,000 grant from Home Depot to continue their work with the brand new Veteran’s Memorial Park they created out of an empty overgrown parking lot in Detroit. Last year Volunteers of America Michigan and over 200 volunteers from Team Depot came together to transform a Detroit parking lot into Veterans Memorial Part. They cleared 20 years of weeds and debris, cleared out all  the trash and installed a full park complete with paved walkways, planter benches, bushes, tree, flowers, a barbeque pit and flag poles to display the banners of every branch of the military.

The $25,000 will help us continue the transformation, plus provide therapy and fresh food for area veterans

Team Depot and Volunteers of America Michigan are ready to put the $25,000 in Home Depot gift cards to use by creating a community garden next to the Veterans Memorial Park for veterans and neighbors to enjoy. The community garden will provide therapy as well as fresh food for the veterans in the area.

Volunteers of America Michigan's Veteran's programs include creating Veterans Memorial Park out of a vacant lot with the help of 200 Team Depot volunteers

Please help us continue our work in Veterans Memorial Park – Click Here and Vote for Volunteers of America Michigan

Volunteers of America is a leader in services to our honored veterans, in Michigan and throughout the rest of the country. In Michigan Volunteers of America’s veterans programs include:

Donating a car to VOA is the ultimate in recycling!

Here at CarsHelpingPeople.org we are big fans of recycling. Donating a car to charity like Volunteers of America is one of the most effective kinds of recycling anywhere. Not only are you helping us provide funds for the millions of people we help every year, you are also giving your car a second (or third or fourth) life.

Let’s face it, as Americans the amount of trash we throw away is staggering. The average American throws away 1500 pounds of trash every year. Look around you – nearly everything you see and own can be given a second life through recycling. For some items it means breaking them down into the plastic, glass or metal they are made of. For others it can mean giving them to others to enjoy. This guide is part 1 of a series that will help you cut down on waste in landfills and bring new useful life to countless household items.

Aerosol Spray Cans:

If your aerosol can is completely empty you can drop it off at a nearby recycling facility or put it in your curbside recycling bin. More than 5,300 communities in the USA offer curbside recycling. Some communities even offer buy-back programs for aerosol cans and will pay you a few cents for every can you return. If you want to recycle your spray can, just pull the spray cap off and make sure the can is empty.

Antiperspirant or deodorant sticks:

Take a look at the bottom of your antiperspirant. If it has a dial on the bottom, it’s likely that dial is made from a non-recyclable plastic. Simply remove it before you place the applicator in the plastic recycling bin. The Tom’s of Maine brand sells deodorant stick whose packaging is made solely of recyclable plastic #5, and Kiss My Face makes a roll on applicator that is completely biodegradable.

Backpacks:

Give your old backpack a second life by donating it to the American Birding Association. They’ll give it to a scientist who will use it while they track neotropical birds. Also, look for events hosted by the Great American Backpack Exchange where you can bring a gently used backpack or book bag for use by students and needy children.

Batteries:

It is essential that you recycle batteries. Single use household batteries are manufactured using materials that are hazardous to the environment. But they are also recyclable. Look in the yellow pages or online for a household hazardous waste facility close to home. Many stores also recycle batteries – office supply stores, hardware stores and auto supply stores to name a few. Many of these stores are also collection centers for rechargeable batteries. Car batteries contain toxic chemicals and metals like lead, so you can’t put them in landfills. Thankfully almost any store who sells car batteries will collect them for recycling.

Beach Balls:

Yes beach balls are plastic. Unfortunately, at this time there aren’t any official Beach Ball Recycling Centers that we know of. But there is a good way to recycle your old beach ball – stick a patch on it and give it away, or donate it to a thrift store. Hopefully near a large body of water.

Books:

It’s usually easy to recycle paperback books – just put them in your curbside recycling bin. Same thing with hardcover books, with an extra step. You have to remove the cover first. But without a doubt the best way to recycle a book is give it to someone else to read. Here are a few ideas along that line: Donate used books to a library or school. Donate them to a hospital, hospice or assisted living center. Give them to a charity thrift store. You can even trade your books with other readers, or sell them on eBay or Craigslist.

Carpeting (nylon):

The Carpet America Recovery Effort is an group whose mission is to recycle carpet and keep it out of the dump. Go online to carpetrecovery.org to find a carpet reclamation partner close by. While you’re on the site check out the cool counter that ticks off how many pounds of carpet have been kept out of a landfill while you read the page. Several carpet manufacturers also offer carpet recycling programs – Flor, Shaw and Milliken to name a few.

Keep your eye out for the continuation of this exhaustive How To Recycle list, and in the meantime, if you have an old car, recycle it by donating to Volunteers of America.  Whether you’re looking to donate a car in Washington DC, are thinking I want to donate a car in Michigan, want to donate a car in New Jersey, Pennsylvania or Delaware, or are looking to donate a car in Virginia, Maryland or Nevada, just click here to donate a car, or call us toll free at 877-721-4862. You’ll give new life to the car, and to all the people you’re helping!

At Cars Helping People we focus day in and day out on making it fast and easy for you to donate a car to Volunteers of America. After all, even a heap that doesn’t run can provide valuable services like food and shelter to struggling people in our community. But over the years, generous people have gone above and beyond to help people with some amazing and unusual donations.

The true story of  the yellow submarine.

The story starts with an imaginative engineer working for one of the Big Three Automakers. He wanted to explore the depths of the Great Lakes and decided to build a working submarine to bring his dream to life. Over the course of many months this enterprising submariner built himself a fully functional 8000-pound submarine that could carry two passengers to depths approaching 1000 feet. To top off his creation he painted it bright yellow,  maybe because he was a fan of the Beatles, maybe he just had a warped sense of humor. The backyard sub was fully pressurized, and even had a custom built trailer that could swing the sub over the lake and drop it gently into the water.

He used it to explore Lake Superior for years before deciding his days underneath the waves were over. His wife may have influenced his decision – in a money saving move the engineer hadn’t installing a radio that could communicate with the surface, so when he took the sub down his wife was left to bite her fingernails and pray he came back up.

The engineer knew about Volunteers of America, and the shelters, emergency meal programs, senior housing and job training we provide. He knew we would accept a donated car, so he took a chance and called with the most unusual question we’ve ever heard…”Can I donate my yellow submarine?”

After we finished laughing we said, “Of course you can donate a submarine…” We picked it up quickly and free just like we would a donated car, and eventually were able to sell it for over $15,000 – enough to provide hot meals for over 20,000 needy people.

From airplanes to apartment buildings, 100% of your donation stays with Volunteers of America

You can call Volunteers of America toll free at 877-721-4862 and donate almost anything. Generous people have donated airplanes, boats, golf carts and even apartment buildings. No matter what you donate we make sure you get the right IRS paperwork, so you can claim the maximum allowable deduction on your federal income taxes. Of course pick up is always fast and free…unless you donate a building.  Whatever your donation is, it helps us fund important programs that help people in your community get back on their feet, from programs that help homeless veterans to programs that provide food and shelter for vulnerable children or seniors.

Used car donation, stock donation or anything in between, we’ll use it to improve the lives of people through local community programs

Making a gift of stocks is a very effective way to make a charitable donation, since donating stocks often offers additional advantages on your tax return. In addition to a significant income tax deduction for the full market value of the stocks or securities, you might also be able to eliminate capital gains tax if your stocks have appreciated. And there’s more: if your donated securities are used to fund a charitable trust or a gift annuity you could enjoy estate and gift tax advantages.

One word of caution: If you’re thinking about donating stocks to charity, don’t sell them yourself in order to donate the proceeds. Selling securities yourself will put your tax benefits in jeopardy. Instead, notify your broker that you intend to donate stock, then contact Volunteers of America toll free at 877-721-4862. Make sure you have your broker’s name and telephone number handy, along with the name of the stock and number of shares you wish to contribute. We will then contact your broker, who will tell you about the contribution deduction based on the date you transferred your stock or securities.

When we say the generosity of people who donate to Volunteers of America  knows no bounds – we mean it!

Used car donation or submarine donation – they help us fund local programs like these:

Emergency shelters and food
Senior Communities
Homeless Veteran Services
Job Training for the Homeless
Drug and Alcohol Rehab
Scholastic Book Giveaway Programs
Apartments for the Disabled
Adopt-A-Family Christmas Program
Holiday Meal Programs
Action Teams Youth Outreach
Operation Backpack School Supplies

Whether you’re thinking of donating stock, a used car or a submarine, just use the form on the right side of this page. Or call us toll free at 877-721-4862.

   Got an old clunker sitting in your driveway? You can get rid of that eyesore and make some money at the same time – just follow these simple steps. This guide to making the most money from your high mileage used car or truck will take you through everything you need to know to sell your car for the most money possible. We’ll also give you hints about donating your used vehicle to charity, which can be another great way to make money from a used car – in this case by saving big on your taxes.

#1: Time to Do Some Vehicle CSI.

For an excellent starting point, take out your pencil and paper….or even a magnifying glass. Go out to the vehicle and make an inspection. Note things that a potential buyer will notice. This gives you a list of thing to do before selling.

#2: Consider Outside Help.

You should consider taking the vehicle to a qualified mechanic for a complete inspection. This serves two purposes. You know exactly what is wrong and what needs repair. You have a record of the inspection to show potential buyers. If someone knows that the car is in good condition, they are more likely to pay a higher price.

#3: Clean Up Your Act.

Your auto should be very clean inside and out. When someone inspects the vehicle, they will look at the interior and inside of the engine compartment. It is a lot of work to clean a vehicle completely, but is well worth the effort. If you do not have the time or do not wish to invest a lot of work, consider a professional detailing service.

#4: Trading In Will Cost You.

It is not usually a good idea to trade your vehicle in when you buy another one, as you are likely to lose money. Check with a free online auto service such as Edmunds or Kelly Blue Book to get a good idea of the value. When you sell your car, set the price on the high side of its actual value. You can always come down, and this makes the buyer think they are getting a good deal.

#5: Donate and Deduct.

It could be that you cannot get enough for the vehicle by selling. Some people do very well by donating their to charity and taking a nice deduction of their federal taxes. However, you must itemize your income taxes to see any kind of tax savings. You should also be aware that some so called charity car donation programs take your vehicle, only give a small percentage to charity, then pocket the rest. It is best to give directly to the charity, to be sure that a vehicle is going to a worthy cause. So before you donate, do a little legwork.

#6: More Suggestions for Donating a Car to Charity.

Before you donate a vehicle to a charitable cause, ask how the money is used. If you contact your local Better Business Bureau, or look the charity up on Charity Navigator.com you can get a good background on a charitable business. This way, your efforts are not wasted. Whenever you have questions about these matters, you should contact a tax professional for advice. After all, if you make the donation, you want to be certain you get the deduction!

Selling a high mileage vehicle does not have to mean taking less money. Your vehicle should be as clean as possible, including the engine area. Fix everything that you possibly can. You may be better off donating to charity in some cases, but you need to do this wisely. If you want to make the most money from a high mileage used car don’t be afraid to use the services of a trusted mechanic, or of your accountant if you’re thinking about donating your car. Their advice and service can be an invaluable aid.