Is It Time to Donate Your RV to a Charity?
So you stopped using your RV years ago, but selling it feels like a hassle. If that’s the case, donating your RV to a charity might be the perfect thing to do. Once you arrange the donation, someone will pick take it off your hands. You free up space on your property and feel good about helping a great cause. It’s a win-win!
Curious about how to get rid of your old camper? Let’s review the best RV donation charities and how to make the most of your old rig.
The Four Ways to Get Rid of An Old RV
For many RVers like myself, life changes cause us to stop RVing. Our rig sits behind the barn or is in a storage lot rotting in the sun, suffering from lack of maintenance. If that sounds like your story, you’re not alone.
When you have no plans to do more camping in your rig, you basically have four options to get rid of that old camper:
- Donate the RV to charity.
- Do an RV dealer trade-in for a different RV.
- Repair the RV and sell it to a wholesaler or private party.
- Or do nothing, and watch it turn into a pile of junk on your property.
The Easiest Way is to Donate Your RV to a Charity
Sometimes the fastest and simplest way to remove an old RV is to donate it to a charitable cause. So many people do it, that mare many charities with RV donation programs have sprung up. These worthy organizations accept motorhomes, travel trailers, and other recreational vehicles. Most will also accept horse trailers, watercraft, motorcycles, and RVs.
If you want to support a great cause, like job training for people with disabilities, or injured vets, or provide support to the homeless, donating your unwanted RV is a great way to meet those charitable goals.
Some of the nonprofits that accept vehicles including different types of RVs do this work professionally and are connected with a variety of charities so you can select the cause you want to support.
Many of these organizations give nationwide support to help a variety of worthwhile causes, so it doesn’t matter where you live. More than likely there is an easy way for you to junk that camper. Most organizations even arrange to pick it up from your driveway or RV storage facility. After filling out a donation form, you should get a tax filing receipt from the charity. Not only are you helping someone else, you’ll also receive a financial benefit from the donation.
Is Your Old RV a Pile of Scrap? If Yes, Donating is Not an Option
To be a real blessing to the non-profit organization of your choice you need to donate an RV that has value. It’s fine if it has some defects, but there should still be some serviceable life left in the RV once it has been restored. Making the decision to donate your RV as quickly as possible once you’re done with it will maximize its value to the charity, maximize your tax deduction, and save you storage costs and insurance expenses.
There is no need to fix damaged systems, clean up the RV, find a tow company, or pay a salvage yard to take the rig off your hands. You can simply call one of the charity programs listed below and arrange for them to pick up your RV.
I am not suggesting that you can use these organizations to clear your property of piles of junk that once resembled an RV. They are looking for serviceable, usable, motorized equipment, not scrap. And these organizations do have stipulations, so don’t waste your time or theirs, trying to get a pile of junk hauled off your property, for free.
What To Look For in an RV Donation Program
When making the decision to donate an RV to a charity do your due diligence. Some things to do before donationg include:
- Find a reputable 501-3 (c) nonprofit organization with an RV donation program.
- Make sure the RV title is properly transferred to the charity so you have no liability for the RV after the donation
- Get an accurate tax-deductible receipt, and copy of the title transfer document with your RV VIN number on it.
The final disposition of your RV is determined by its age and condition, and whether it can be restored or refurbished. After it gets picked up, experts will evaluate and appraise the rig. Based on that assessment you should be given a tax-deductible receipt.
There could be a few pitfalls along the way, but this article describes what you can do to avoid being scammed.
How RV Donation Charities Work
Not all vehicle donation organizations are the same. Do a little extra research to make sure the nonprofit you select really does aid the cause of your choice.
I don’t want to discourage you from donating an RV. When the time comes to get rid of that unused equipment there are many worthwhile ways to donate it. Some of these charities use outside services (clearinghouse enterprises) to retrieve and move your RV.
The organizations I share below are well renowned third-party clearinghouses with good relationships with many charities. This is not a comprehensive list of RV donation charities but it’s a good start.
Donate Directly to a Charity
Giving your old RV directly to a charity might be easiest. In a perfect situation, you transfer the title into the name of the charity and receive a fair market tax deductible receipt directly from the charity. Both documents are necessary for proper tax deduction documentation with the Internal Revenue Service.
Once the charity receives your vehicle, transfers the title, and gives you a receipt, they may use outside contractors to manage the final disposal of the vehicle, but that is all done on behalf of the charity.
Donate Through a Clearinghouse
In contrast, some vehicle donation clearinghouses claim to transfer the proceeds from the donation to charities. If you work with a clearinghouse and have a particular charity in mind, check with them first to see if they take RV donations. If your charity doesn’t have a program, you may still be able to direct funds to that cause through a group like Charity Motors (listed below).
Unfortunately many vehicle donation clearinghouses not transparent about the actual amount of those donations. In some cases, they won’t even transfer the vehicle’s title into the charity’s name to accurately document your gift. And in the worst cases, some of the clearinghouses are nothing more than scammers.
I have verified the resources below to ensure they reputably receive vehicle donations, manage the paperwork, and give a significant amount of the value of your RV donation to the charity of your choice.
Reputable Charities That Take RV Donations
Goodwill Industries
When you donate a vehicle to Goodwill, you are directly helping to transform the lives of men and women in your community who are struggling with poverty, unemployment, and life-limiting disabilities. RV donations fund critical programs and services that aim to improve their overall well-being.
Vehicles for Veterans
The Vehicles for Veterans charity is Car Donation Foundation’s tax-exempt vehicle donation program that benefits disabled veterans. Their car donation program accepts cars, boats (with trailer), RVs, trucks, SUVs, and motorcycles, whether running or not. At no cost to you, they will arrange to have your vehicle towed away at a scheduled time that is best for you and your preliminary tax receipt will be mailed to you within 15 days.
The ARC
Your donation supports The Arc’s vision for a world where people with disabilities are fully included. RV donations directly support advocacy, programs, and services for disabled people.
V-DAC, Charity Motors, and Car Donation Wizard are all vehicle donation clearinghouses with a proven track record of reputable business practices, and all contribute a high percentage of the proceeds to charity.
Clearinghouse Organizations That Take RV Donations
Vehicle Donation to Any Charity
This organization gives RV donors a list of charities that will gratefully accept the value of donated RVs. Known as “V-DAC,” this group does commercial fundraising to support many charitable organizations.
Charity Motors
Here’s a clearinghouse that directly serves people in need. Charity Motors donates repaired vehicles at about 50% of their Fair Market value. It supports disadvantaged individuals and has donated over $100 million to a variety of charitable causes. They also accept boats, motorcycles, RVs and some real estate.
Car Donation Wizard
This is a third-party donation service that is frequently used by commercial fundraising organizations to transform vehicle donations into cash. Car Donation Wizard consistently passes on over 80 percent donation proceeds to contracting charities, including Habitat for Humanity and many other well-known national nonprofits.
Do Your RV Donation Homework
As with any industry, disreputable players exist. The vehicle donation industry is ripe with third-party middlemen claiming to represent one or more charities, but never actually handing over the proceeds of donated vehicles. Other RV donation scammers are known to sell donated vehicles at auction and pocket the profit.
Use care in who you donate your RV to. It takes some work but when the RV donation process is over, you will feel so relieved. No longer will you have the burdens of storing and insuring the RV. Getting rid of an old RV you don’t need frees up valuable space in your home, and your mind.
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Source: https://rvlife.com/donate-an-rv/
