One way that many charities raise money is by holding car donation fundraisers. Individuals who own vehicles that they no longer want or have no use for can allow them to be sold at fund-raising events so that the proceeds can go toward a charitable program or service.
The only downside to this is that not all fundraising events are held by honest organizations. As such, it takes a bit of research on the donor’s part to ensure that his or her donated car sells like it is supposed to, and that the proceeds are provided to a charity.
In order to determine whether or not the fundraiser campaign is held by a trustworthy organization, such as Goodwill Industries® , the prospective donor should do the following:
• Do research on the fundraiser. Find out who is in charge and interview him or her. Look online to see if anything is written about the people in charge, whether it’s complaints or positive references.
• Add up all the numbers instead of going by percentages. Some fundraisers claim to give 100% of the proceeds to charity, but does that 100% represent the net AFTER all the fees and expenses are taken out?
• Make sure that the organization will give donors a copy of the receipt after everything is said and done. The charity should keep in touch with the donors even after the fundraising event takes place. If an organization takes off with the donated vehicles and is never heard from or seen again, that can obviously be a problem.
Doing appropriate research on a fundraising company is essential before one donates a car. These tips will help make the process worthwhile.
