Recently, a national vehicle donation program called One Car One Difference was launched to help dispel common misperceptions about the value and ease of vehicle donation.
Published 6:44 am Saturday, June 2, 2012
(NAPSI)—The next time you find yourself stuck with an old vehicle that barely runs—or doesn’t even run at all—you may be surprised at just how far that car can go.
If you donate it to a charitable organization, you can help others, help the environment and help yourself to a tax deduction.
What An Old Car Can Do
Donating a car can generate enough cash to:
• Supply a month’s worth of food for a family of five,
• Provide more than two years’ worth of generic drugs to a senior citizen,
• Support education, medical research and youth programs,
• Help rescue animals from neglect and abuse.
What You Can Get
Besides the good feeling you get from helping others, you can benefit in another way. Because donated vehicles qualify as charitable gifts, you may be eligible for a tax deduction. If your vehicle sells for less than $500, you can claim up to $499. If it sells for more than $500, you can deduct the actual sale price.
Most vehicle donation programs provide full service, including free pickup coordination, processing of the paperwork and sending you completed tax forms.
What The World Gets
Recycling the metal from old vehicles saves energy, conserves natural resources and reduces the pollution that can come from steel production. According to the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, recycling one car conserves 2,500 pounds of iron ore, 1,400 pounds of coal and 120 pounds of limestone.
Thanks to the salvage auction industry, the nation sees significant energy and environmental savings by recycling old materials, such as aluminum and steel, rather than relying on creating those materials from scratch and using precious resources from the environment.
Annually, more than 1.7 million tons of steel and more than 268,000 tons of aluminum are recycled. This eliminates the need to manufacture such metals and translates to a reduction in landfill space in one year that would equal all 31 NFL football stadiums filled 12 feet deep.
What Many People Don’t Get
Surprisingly, although vehicle donation programs have been around for years, many people don’t know much about them or how easy it can be to donate. Nearly three out of four Americans made charitable contributions in the last five years. Sixty-nine percent donated cash, 67 percent donated used goods and 47 percent donated time. Only 6 percent donated a used vehicle. In fact, four in 10 respondents said they were lacking the information and understanding of the overall benefits and process of vehicle donation.
A national vehicle donation program called One Car One Difference was launched to help dispel common misperceptions about the value and ease of vehicle donation.
Learn More
For more information about vehicle donation or to learn how to donate a vehicle, call (877) 557-1CAR or check out www.1car1difference.com.
On the Net:North American Precis Syndicate (NAPSI)