Vehicle Donations
Donate Your Car or Truck Today! Call 408 998-5865
Fight lung disease. Decrease air pollution. Donate a car. That third item might seem out of place, but if you live in the Bay Area and you have an old or unused vehicle, there’s a much more effective way to get it off your hands than sticking a “for sale” sign in the window and hoping someone calls. Instead, you can use your car as a charitable contribution to Breathe California, the area’s foremost provider of lung health programs and services. We will sell your used car, and you get a tax deduction in exchange.
How does it work? When you call Breathe California’s vehicle donation line at (408) 998-5865, a helpful representative will take down basic information about your car or truck. They’ll need to know the license number, the VIN #, as well as the make, model, location, and if there are any serious issues with it. While most cars are accepted, the general guideline is that the value of the car has to be enough to offset the cost of pick-up, and any fees that Breathe California has to pay. If your car is accepted, we will arrange for it to be towed to their facility at no expense to you, and you’ll get a receipt for tax purposes.
Speaking of taxes, you should check with your tax advisor for specifics, but since the 2005 change in the rules regarding charitable contributions, most donations are capped at $500. If you think your vehicle is worth more, you’ll need to make sure that you stay in touch with Breathe California, because you’ll need proof of the sale price for your documentation. You will need to provide your Social Security number to Breathe California – the new tax regulations require us to send documentation of the sale and sale price directly to the IRS. Finally, it will be your responsibility to file a “Release of Liability” form with the DMV. This form can be downloaded from DMV’s website: www.dmv.ca.gov. This is for your protection, and notifies the DMV that the vehicle is no longer in your possession. If you would like to download the form from the DMV site, click here.
Breathe California has been working for lung health since we were originally formed as the Tuberculosis Society in 1911. Your donated car or truck will be used to raise funds for our continued work in the fight against lung disease – something that will help us all breathe a little easier.