Should You Sell or Donate Your Used Car?

Last year, in this Parade.com article, I explained why late summer is a good time to buy a new car—the next year’s models start rolling off the assembly lines and into dealership showrooms in October. That means dealers want to move out the previous year’s inventory and are more likely to have deals to share.

While many people trade in an old car when they buy new, what are you supposed to do if you’re not in the market for a new-to-you car but you still want to get rid of an old car? This is a dilemma we recently faced.
Due to a death in the family, we inherited a 2003 SUV in great shape. Since it was from an older relative who didn’t drive much, the car had 75,000 miles on the odometer when we assumed ownership. Given that most cars are driven, on average, 12,000 miles per year, there should have been nearly twice that many miles on the car, given its age.
Soon thereafter our 10-year-old, everyday car, a Ford Freestyle, started having significant problems.
For starters the air conditioning gave out. Next, the all-wheel drive stopped working. Estimates to get both fixed added up to almost as much as the Kelley Blue Book (KBB) value for this car. Finally, earlier this summer, the rear windshield shattered–either by a passing lawnmower or the extreme summer heat. We’ll never know.
What I do know is that because this car is older and pretty beat up—both our daughters learned to drive in this car so you can only imagine the dents and scratches it received during parallel parking practice—we didn’t have comprehensive insurance anymore. That meant that if we wanted to replace that windshield, that would be on our own dime. Suddenly, all these needed repairs added up to more than the car was worth.
With this newer car sitting in our driveway, it became obvious that it was probably time to get rid of the Ford Freestyle. Since we weren’t interested in trading it in for a new vehicle, the question became this: should we sell or donate our used car? Here’s what we learned.

Sell a Car On Your OwnCompanies like Carmax.com and Autotrader.com are good places to start when trying to sell your car yourself. The only drawback that we found that after going through the “estimate” process was that we had to visit a nearby dealer to get our actual offer. I didn’t want to drive somewhere, get an offer I didn’t like, and then feel awkward about getting back into my car and leaving, having wasted my time. (FYI, before using these websites, I recommend doing pre-estimate research on KBB.com so you have a realistic sense of what your car is actually worth.)
Perhaps one of the best ways to sell a car yourself is via Craigslist. (Always be smart about how and where you meet someone you communicate with on Craigslist. Your safety should be your No. 1 priority.) That’s how my friend Denise sold her Ford Focus in 2014, even though her 2003 vehicle needed a new transmission. Despite the car’s KBB value being $2,000, her motivation wasn’t making as much money as possible—it was getting the car out of her driveway. So she priced it at $1,000 on Craiglist. A few hours later, she had an offer from someone would could come the next day and give her $900, which he did. “I gave him the title,” she recalls, “and he gave me the cash.”
What helped Denise successfully sell the vehicle was that, except for the transmission, the exterior and interior were in perfect condition. Since I couldn’t say the same for my Ford Freestyle, I figured selling it on my own wasn’t an option.
Donate Your CarWhile speaking with Denise about how she sold her car on Craigslist, she told me that she had also donated a used car in the past. While that process was seamless, she was disappointed in the resulting tax “benefit.” “I was only able to write off the car for $200,” Denise recalls. It seems that the only time that donating a car might make sense, says Brian Moody of Autotrader, is during a tax year when you might have a big tax liability you need to counterbalance. That would have been a good idea for us to do last year—we had taken an early IRA disbursement to pay our daughter’s college tuition bill.
We did research donating the car, nonetheless, and were impressed with the Car Talk Vehicle Donation Program—Car Talk, as in the NPR radio program. It was easy to use online, and we could have arranged to have the charity come pick up the car (versus us driving it to them), if we chose to donate it. Before you donate your car to any good cause, though, I would recommend checking out the organization on Charity Navigator, which gives you an inside look at how non-profits use those profits they get from your donations.
So what did we end up doing with our used Ford Freestyle? We junked it.
After all the research, it turns out that the car was worth more to us if we sold it for scrap metal. Last weekend we drove it, with its back window taped together with plastic bags, to a local junkyard. We removed the license plates, handed over the title, and the junkyard gave us $260 to take it off our hands. When I got home I called our auto insurance company to let them know we no longer owned the car, and they refunded us part of the $480 annual premiums we’d already paid to insure that car. So more cash in our pocket for getting rid of a used car we no longer wanted or needed.
Leah Ingram's favorite price is free! She is the author of 14 books, including two on frugal living. Her book Suddenly Frugal: How to Live Happier and Healthier for Less was recently released as an audiobook. Leah, a money-saving expert, is the founder of the popular frugal-living blog called Suddenly Frugal. Right now if you subscribe to Suddenly Frugal, Leah will send you an exclusive freebie. Follow her on Twitter @suddenlyfrugal and “Like” Suddenly Frugal on Facebook.

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Legislature to propose fund to donate tax refunds to state

PHOENIX -- So you think state government is a financial bargain? Or that lawmakers aren't spending enough?
Sen. Dean Martin has a proposal just for you: The Phoenix Republican wants to create the "I Didn't Pay Enough'' fund where taxpayers can make donations to the state treasury.
He even plans to make it easy: It would add a new line on state income tax forms where those so inclined can designate a portion of any income tax refunds to this fund. That's a fairly large pool: Most Arizonans get refunds because they have too much withheld from their paychecks.
Martin, leader of a group of legislators who pledged never to raise taxes, said the proposal really isn't a joke.
"Every year there's always somebody out there complaining they don't pay enough taxes,'' he said. Those comments usually arise when one group or another says the Legislature should spend more on some favored program.
"Rather than take money from every taxpayer out there, for those who think they're not contributing enough, there's now an easy way to contribute more to the state,'' he said.
Martin conceded his new fund would not allow taxpayers to earmark their donations for specific programs. Instead, they would be giving the money to the same legislators who they may have complained have the wrong priorities.
"Obviously, they can lobby for where those dollars should go,'' he said.
The measure is guaranteed a hearing this session: It is assigned to the Senate Finance Committee -- which is chaired by Martin.
So how many people does he really expect to donate?
"Fifty,'' he responded without hesitating. And he expects total collections to hit about $5,000.

ACMH, ArmsCare donate nebulizers to schools for students with asthma

FORD CITY -- Donors have given the Armstrong School District 13 medical devices to help students with severe asthma get the treatment they need in school. Thanks to a donation from the ACMH Foundation and ArmsCare, Inc., all 13 schools in the Armstrong School District have a respiratory treatment device called a nebulizer in each school nurse's office. The total equipment value of the donation is about $2,600.
"Nebulizers help students with asthma in severe cases when hand-held inhalers aren't strong enough to open constricted airways," said Alyssa Miller, a nurse at Kittanning Area Middle School.
A nebulizer is a special container that holds liquid medicine. The container is attached to tubing and to an air compressor. Patients use a face mask or mouthpiece to inhale a fine mist medication, such as albuterol, deep into their lungs. In about 15 minutes, the medicine opens their airways so that the person can breathe easily again.
"Having the nebulizer at school will reassure parents that their children will get the treatment they need in a timely manner," Miller said. "The sooner the treatment is started, the less the student is in respiratory distress. It will also prevent students from having to leave school in the middle of the day to get a treatment at home."


Miller called school physician Dr. Hal Altman to talk about how having nebulizers in schools would help students with severe asthma miss fewer classes. Altman is also the medical director at the East Franklin-based hospital, and he got in touch with the ACMH Foundation, a charitable arm of the hospital.
The foundation raises money through an annual golf outing and its trustees decided that buying 10 nebulizers for Armstrong School District would be a perfect fit with its mission to promote health and wellness in Armstrong County, Altman said. Medical products company ArmsCare, Inc., also donated three machines.
"It's difficult and expensive for a family to have a nebulizer at home and one in school," Altman said. Many families' health insurance plans provide just one nebulizer that usually stays at home because it's too awkward for a student to take to school.
A team of employees working under the auspices of the Medical Home Project at Children's Community Pediatrics/Armstrong also helped by making numerous phone calls to parents, insurance companies and school officials.
"For a kindergartener or a first-grader to carry a machine like this to school every day is almost impossible," said Shelley Eckman, a Children's Community Pediatrics/Armstrong employee who led the charge as a care coordinator with the Medical Home Project, a joint effort of the PA American Academy of Pediatrics, the PA Department of Health and the PA Elks Nursing Association designed to meet the needs of special needs patients.
To ensure sanitation, students who use a nebulizer will have their own mouthpiece and tubing to attach to the machine. The parents will be responsible for bringing their child's medication, prescription and tubing from their physician to school, in accordance with school district medication policy as found in the student handbook.

High Point student athletes team up to donate car

HIGH POINT, N.C. Some student-athletes in High Point teamed up for a special winning effort -- raising money to buy a used car for a single mother.The teens are members of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes at Southwest Guilford High School. The group raised 13-hundred dollars to buy a 1998 Fort Escort and presented it to Lisa Crosby yesterday in a church parking lot.
The group has been raising money since September through donations at school and church, and from individuals.
Senior Caleb Murphree coordinated the effort. He said the group got involved because they knew Crosby really needed a car. But fellow fundraiser Leigha Dennis said it was about more than meeting a need. She said, "It's a way for us to show God's love."
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Information from: High Point Enterprise, http://www.hpe.com

N.Y. Cops Show Up In Droves To Donate Blood

(CBS) WOODLAWN The rich, ruby-red blood flowed freely Sunday at St. Barnabas Church in the Bronx. But it might as well have been blue, with all the police officers who showed up to donate in the name of their fellow brother, officer Eric Hernandez. Blood transfusions at St. Barnabas Hospital saved his life Saturday.Philip Bowles' donation is intensely personal. He was in the same police academy company as Hernandez, and they now work together in the 52nd Precinct."(He's a) good guy, very good guy," Bowles said. "In great shape and it's because of that he's still alive, fighting for his life."Ninety percent of the estimated 175 donors were officers, tripling the usual turnout for this blood drive. "Policemen have come from all over, some from Westchester, some from Rockland, some from Queens, and mostly from the Bronx," said Cleo Oliver of Hudson Valley Blood Services.Many don't even know Hernandez."As everybody knows, especially in New York, constantly needs blood," officer James Finnegan said. "Unfortunately, when a tragedy like what happens to officer Hernandez comes to pass, reminds everybody to donate immediately."None of this blood will actually go to officer Hernandez. It will, however, be used to replenish the very large amount of blood used to save his life.The blood will be tested and then it will help save more lives.

Sign up to donate through Gift of Life

By Jennifer Jones / Letter to the Editor
I have a close friend who needs a kidney transplant. He has been waiting for over three years. He has been going through a painful process called dialysis for a long time. I think it's great that you printed a story on an organ recipient. However, I have learned that there is a contest going on to sign up organ donors in Michigan for the Gift of Life. I have signed up through the Gift of Life to help EMU come out on top in this contest. I think your readers should be made aware of this -- an important cause -- as well as a way for our school to be recognized as the most humanitarian. GiftofLifeMichigan.org. Make sure Eastern is in the box when you register. Cordially, Jennifer Jones

Youth group and American Red Cross donate defibrillators to local schoolsMonday, January 30, 2006

CHRIS PAGANO ~ Southeast Missourian
Automatic external defibrillators can be used by anyone with a minimal amount of training to help someone whose heart has stopped. Cape Girardeau Central High School and South Elementary in Jackson now each have one. The Southeast Missouri chapter of the American Red Cross and the Junior American Red Cross/Modern Woodmen Youth group partnered to raise money for the purchase of the defibrillators, valued at $1,695 each.
Defibrillators can help when the most common cause of sudden cardiac arrest, a heart attack, occurs. Each year approximately 250,000 people die of sudden cardiac arrest in the United States.
Defibrillation is an electric shock that interrupts the heart's chaotic electrical activity, most commonly caused by an abnormal rhythm, and can restore the heart's ability to function as a pump. A victim in cardiac arrest has only a 5 percent survival rate with cardio-pulmonary resuscitation alone. If the rescuer has a defibrillator available and is trained, the victim's survival rate increases to 95 percent.
Jerie Fluchel, guidance advisor for the youth group, said this has been a vision of the Junior American Red Cross that they've worked at diligently over the past year to launch from a dream to a reality.
Sherri Brethold, American Red Cross health and safety director, said "AEDs in our schools are very important. This can result in additional lives saved in our community."
Defibrillators are available to purchase for home, business or organization. For additional information, contact the American Red Cross, 335-9471.

Donate Your Car to Help Soldiers

Soldiers Angels announces its new Car Donation Program, now along with donating dollars, items and Stocks you can also donate your automobile, boat or recreation vehicle.

(PRWEB) December 16, 2005 -- Do you have an old car, boat, or motorcycle you do not know what to do with? If the answer is yes then please consider donating it to Soldiers' Angels so the proceeds from the sale of the vehicle may be used to help our deployed and wounded military members.Soldiers' Angels and the Donate a Car program have teamed up to take those unwanted motor vehicles off your hand and use the money to support our troops. All you have to is go to www.soldiersangels.org and click on the donate a car button, you will be prompted to a donation form, fill it out, submit it, and someone will come and pick up the donated vehicle. The money from this donation could help purchase welcome care packages , much need medical supplies for the combat support hospitals, supplies for the wounded, as well as help a military family that has hit hard times.Call Donate a Car, toll-free seven days a week at 1-800-513-6560 ext 2030 or Soldiers' Angels at 1-626-398-3131 and one of our friendly customer service representatives would be happy to answer all of your questions. http://soldiersangels.orgSoldiers Angels1792 E. Washington BlvdPasadena, Ca. 91104

Car donations can help

Individuals can respond to the cries for help from victims of natural disasters by donating their used vehicles to charities that head up recovery efforts. Car donations that are handled by a reputable, authorized agent provide an essential source of cash funding to charities, such as the American Red Cross, so that disaster recovery programs can be carried out.

A car donation is converted into cash for the charity. People who want to help but who cannot make a cash donation should know that their used cars could be just as beneficial.

As the public seeks ways to respond to those in need, particularly in light of Hurricane Katrina, individuals considering trading in their vehicles might consider donating instead. Whereas a trade-in will get the owners limited credit toward their new purchases, a car donation can get the owner a tax write-off for the full sale amount of the vehicle, which is often more than the trade-in credit received, and the charity receives cash proceeds from the vehicle's liquidation. With car donations, the value of one car helps twice, as two parties benefit - the donor and the charity.

The United Way has referred car donors to Cars Helping America, a Massachusetts-based vehicle donation processing center that handles car donations for different American Red Cross chapters and numerous other 501(c) (03) charities.

Individuals who want to help by donating a car can call 1-866-949-3668 or visit www.carshelpingamerica.org.

Car donation can help

Car owners looking to get that extra car out of the yard before the next snowfall can do well for themselves while doing a good thing for others.

All it takes is one quick phone call and the American Lung Association will send you a packet of information about the process - or you can connect with us via the internet. Log on to http://www.lungma.org or call toll-free 1-800-577-5864.

Once you've decided to go ahead with the donation, a tow truck can be sent to pick up your car at no cost to you. By donating people have the opportunity to part with their used cars and receive a tax deduction for 2005 while helping the American Lung Association of Massachusetts support its vital lung research, advocacy, and community education efforts.

Every year thousands of cars are donated through the American Lung Association of Massachusetts vehicle donation program, raising more than $190,000.

It's a simple and convenient way to support the American Lung Association of Massachusetts and the work it does to help Americans living with chronic lung disease such as asthma, emphysema and chronic bronchitis.

Stricken town gets old cop cars

By Lesley Rogers Barrett
lesley.rogers.barrett@indystar.com
As part of its adoption of hurricane-struck Long Beach, Miss., Carmel has donated eight police cars to the Gulf Coast community.
The department lost eight cars this month when Hurricane Katrina destroyed the Long Beach police headquarters and other municipal buildings.
Carmel had eight recently retired cars to send as replacements.
Mike Fogarty, Carmel's police chief, said the eight cars are older, and each has about 90,000 miles on it. The city bought replacements this summer and planned to auction the old cars this fall.

"We're pleased to be in a position to donate them," Fogarty said. "The timing was right. I would rather see them go to this use."

Katrina left about 40 percent of Long Beach's 17,000 residents homeless, and Carmel is partnering resources with city departments, churches and service organizations to help.
The effort to help rebuild Long Beach has gained support from Carmel residents. St. Elizabeth Seaton adopted the Catholic Church in Long Beach, and Carmel's VFW Post No. 10003 sent a $500 donation to the Long Beach VFW Post No. 3937, which lost its roof and one wall in the storm.

Carmel Clay Public Library will send books to its Long Beach counterpart.
To open schools by Monday, Long Beach needs supplies for teachers and students, including paper, pens, pencil, glue, crayons and general cleaning supplies.

Volunteers will accept supplies until Thursday afternoon, when a semitrailer truck will deliver the goods. The truck is parked in front of City Hall, off Range Line Road, and is open for donations from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. today and from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday.
Residents also can send tax-deductible donations by check to "City of Long Beach," with "Disaster Relief and Recovery Fund" on the memo line, to: City of Long Beach, Disaster Relief and Recovery Fund, P.O. Box 929, Long Beach, MS 39560.

Long Beach, about 80 miles from New Orleans, took a major hit from the storm. About 30 feet of water covered the city and destroyed most of its business district.
Long Beach Mayor William "Billy" Skellie Jr. thanked Carmel in an e-mail last week.
"Words cannot express the deep appreciation we feel toward those helping us here in Long Beach," Skellie wrote. "To know that individuals are willing to help our suffering citizens is an extremely humbling experience."

For more information about Carmel's efforts and to see photographs of Long Beach, go online to www.carmel.in.gov/ and click on the "Long Beach Katrina Relief" icon.
Call Star reporter Lesley Rogers Barrett at (317) 444-2613.

Donate your car for charity

Thursday, September 15, 2005Car owners looking for an end of the year tax break can do well for themselves while doing a good thing for others. It's a simple and convenient way to support the American Lung Association of Massachusetts and the work it does to help the hundreds of thousands of Massachusetts residents living with chronic lung disease such as asthma, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis. All it takes is one quick toll-free phone call to 1-800-577-5864 and the American Lung Association will send you a packet of information about the process.

Once you've decided to go ahead with the donation, a tow truck can be sent to pick up your car at no cost to you. By donating, people have the opportunity to part with their used cars and possibly receive a tax deduction for 2005 while the American Lung Association of Massachusetts gets continued support for its lung disease research, advocacy, and community education programs.

An estimated 6.1 million children under 18 currently have asthma. Programs such as the American Lung Association's Camp Chest Nut, an overnight camp for asthmatic children ages 8 to 13, is essential in helping those children learn to manage and control their asthma. Additionally, an estimated 440,000 Americans die each year due to smoking-related diseases. The American Lung Association and its Freedom From Smoking(r) program, the recognized gold standard in adult smoking cessation programs, face-to-face, online and through a self-help manual helps smokers quitting by providing support during the difficult times. Programs such as these benefit from the funds raised through the American Lung Association of Massachusetts' vehicle donation program.
Beginning our second century, the American Lung Association is the leading organization working to prevent lung disease and promote lung health. The American Lung Association funds vital research on the causes of and treatments for lung disease. With the generous support of the public, the American Lung Association is "Improving life, one breath at a time." For more information about the American Lung Association or to support the work it does, call 1-800-LUNG-USA (1-800-586-4872) or log on to www.lungusa.org. For more information about the vehicle donation program or to donate your car, call 1-800-548-8252.

America's largest and most trusted car donation center.

Welcome to America's largest and most trusted car donation center. Thanks to the generous support from people like you, we have processed over 500,000 car donations for hundreds of charities since 1992 - making us America's #1 choice for donating your car!

Are you thinking of selling or trading in that old car, boat or RV? Why not donate it instead? As a charitable contribution your donation could make a big difference. In this easy-to-use site you can research hundreds of respected charities, find answers to frequently asked questions and complete a simple online donation form. Or, if you prefer to speak with a representative, please feel free to call us toll-free seven days a week at 1-800-237-5714 to start our no-hassle car donation process.

We will make arrangements to conveniently and quickly pick-up your vehicle donation at no cost to you. We handle the title transfer requirements and provide you with a tax deductible donation receipt at the time of pick-up!

Have any questions that aren't answered on our frequently asked questions page? Call us toll-free seven days a week at 1-800-237-5714. One of our friendly customer service representatives would be happy to answer all of your questions. To get your car donation rolling now, click here!

Please don't forget to Bookmark This Site for future reference.

Donate Your Car Tothe American Lung Association

Donate your used car or truck to the American Lung Association® and we'll arrange to have it picked up free of charge. We accept most vehicles, even if they don't run. Some restrictions may apply on older vehicles, though. It's easy and convenient, and you may be eligible to receive a charitable contribution deduction on your itemized federal tax return. Consult your tax advisor to see if you qualify.
Why donate my car?
It's much easier to donate your used car than it is to sell it yourself. Your donation will support the American Lung Association's programs in asthma management and tobacco control.
How to make a car donation.
Donating is easy! You can fill out our online form, or call.
The American Lung Association®.
The American Lung Association® (ALA) was created in 1904 to fight tuberculosis (TB), a major threat to public health. The ALA has broadened its focus to all lung diseases, and is focused on the areas of asthma and tobacco control. If you would like to learn more about us, or about lung health in general, contact the ALA Website or contact your local ALA association at 1-800-LUNG-USA (1-800-586-4872).

Car donations for skin cancer research

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Used vehicles provide an essential source of funding to the Melanoma Education Foundation of Peabody, a non-profit organization that provides statewide education programs about prevention and early detection of this otherwise fatal form of cancer. The same amount of money th...

Cruisers donate

A thankful Bridgett Dix, director of the Samaritan House, and Rebecca Cudé, case manager, shakes hands with Gary Perkins, president of the Bay City Cruisers (BCC). Also pictured are BCC members Tom Milne, Bill Gray, Lorn and Barb Hendricks, Marci Perkins and Janet Cummiskey. The Bay City Cruisers delivered a check for $700 from their annual car show fundraiser held to help with funding operations for the Samaritan House. The Samaritan House, located at 715 SW Bay Street in Newport, has provided temporary housing and life changing programs for hundreds of families in Lincoln County since 1988. (Photo by Tom Milne, BCC member)

Donate Your Car to the Lung Association

Don't trade it - Donate it. Give us a call to get that car out of your yard and get a year-end tax bread. The American Lung Association of Massachusetts accepts donations of cars, trucks and RVs. Donating you car today will help others breathe easier all year.