Each year, more than 300,000 cars are given to non-profits.  But only 5% are given to Christian ministries.  This paltry number is true despite the fact that the majority of these cars are given by Christian donors.

            Why the disparity?  First, many people don’t understand how to give a car.  The process is relatively simple.  Find a charity that has the mechanism in place to accept the car, or a group like www.idonate.com that can help you direct the gift.  Make sure the charity has the capability to pick up the car and sell it for a reasonable value and then do the proper receipting.  Once the car is picked up, you’ll receive an acknowledgment; and when the car sells, you’ll get your final receipt.  You often get to deduct what the car sells for (which is why it is important to get a reasonable sale price).

            Second, the disparity also results from the fact that many Christian charities don’t have the mechanisms to receive such gifts.  If they do, the process is often cumbersome and takes several staff members to handle—not a good use of resources.  Because the mechanisms don’t exist, Christian donors tend to go to places that have existing programs.

            Third, many Christian ministries simply don’t realize how big the vehicle donation opportunity actually is.  Each year there are more than 600 million dollars worth of vehicle donations.  Consider what would happen if Christian ministries began tapping into that opportunity.  The impact would be huge—multi million dollars redirected to Christian work.

            The message for Christian non-profits is to pursue this area of donations.  For the Christian donor, look to organizations like www.idonate.com who can help you direct your vehicle to the ministry of your choice.  The impact is an eternal one.

Bill High

Bill is CEO & Founder of Vyne Legacy. He works with families to equip them with tools to build multigenerational legacies, and he teaches givers and financial advisers on transformational biblical generosity. He is the co-author with David Green of Giving It All Away and Getting It All Back Again: The Way of Living Generously.

Published November 10, 2010

Topics: Giving Strategies

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