Donating your car requires time and effort if you want to carefully choose the best charity. Finding out what goes on behind-the-scenes of a charity, digging deeper into the charity’s mission, and investigating negative incidents that have happened in the past can give individuals insight to the best and worst charities. With many factors that need to be taken into consideration, it can be confusing and time-consuming when it comes down to the nitty gritty. That’s why it is important to utilize customer review sites to make sure that your car will be donated to a worthy place.
When choosing a charity to which to donate your car, don’t just go by the name of the organization. The name of the organization can be misleading and contradictory to what really goes on behind closed doors. You don’t want your car going to a less-than-worthy organization, so viewing the customer ratings of various car donation programs can help you make a more informed decision. Some organizations may even have a vehicle donation program.
Some charitable organizations may allocate too much money for administrative costs or simply operate to scam you. Not all charities have a universal way for spending their money. The money they raise may go largely toward their programs, while others work harder to actually cover the cost of raising the money in the first place.
Tips For Donating
Be aware of “sound alikes” — Some lower-rated charities may name themselves something similar to that of high-rated charities. They may create this “sound-alike” form of deception to trick donors into donating to them. Make sure you have properly researched your charity and any other organization with a similar name.
Give directly — Some charities use professional fundraisers to earn the necessary funds to operate. When contacted by a professional fundraiser, choose to say no and give to the organization directly instead. It’s possible that these fundraisers may be taking a large percentage of the money raised. Also, charities may pay these professional fundraisers more than they are actually taking in, so they are causing significant financial loss for the organization.
Verify your tax-exempt status — Assure that the charity you are interested in donating to has a tax-exempt status. Don’t just assume that all charities are tax-exempt; check with the organization or by visiting the IRS website. Even if it’s a popular charity, the organization might not always be tax-deductible.
Request for privacy — Be sure to check the organization’s privacy policy before donating. Tell the groups that you support not to sell, rent, or exchange your contact information with other non-profit or for-profit organizations. This is a commonality among many charitable groups. Once you donate, request that the organization stops sending you further emails, phone calls, or other marketing techniques to get you to donate again.
Consider donating to charity watchdogs — Charity watchdogs, such as Charity Navigator and Charity Watch, are charities too. These organizations help steer you in the right direction and find a charity appropriate for you.
Use customer review services — Customer reviews give individuals who may be interested in a product or service more information. By reading the comments and ratings given by people who have donated through an organization before them, they will be able to have a more informed and personal understanding of the organization.
Where Can I Find A Customer Review Service?
If you are trying to find the best rated charities, check out eKomi for customer reviews. eKomi provides a collection of helpful customer reviews and can assist in giving individuals insight to the best and worst charities for donating automobiles. eKomi allows people to rate the organization out of 5 points, as well as write their own comments. eKomi then awards the organization with an overall gold, silver, bronze, or standard rating. Customer reviews can provide helpful feedback and may have positive results on the person’s satisfaction with donating.
One trustworthy charity to consider is “Donate a Car 2 Charity,” which was rated by eKomi with a silver seal of approval. All of the money donated to this organization goes to Activated Ministries, a non-profit spiritual and humanitarian organization that distributes educational and inspirational materials and provides school scholarships for children throughout the world. The activated ministries review on eKomi helps people who are considering donating their car to a charity feel more safe and secure about where their money is going.
If you are going to be donating your car, customer reviews can help you find the best rated charities. Whether your vehicle is being reused by another individual, used for operations, or even sold at an auction, it can be helpful for a charitable organization in times of financial need. When donating your vehicle, make sure that you transfer its title to the charity and remove the license plates and registration documents. Make sure you utilize a customer ratings service before donating your car!
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