Car Donation In Wisconsin, WI
What You Need To Know
Car donation in Wisconsin covers a variety of different vehicles and a number of different potential charities.
However, before you get too eager to start clearing out your garage it’s important that you follow all the applicable laws governing vehicle donation to charity in the state of Wisconsin.
Below, you will find answers to all the important questions you might have if you are considering making a car donation in Wisconsin.
1. What Can You Donate In Wisconsin, WI?
Besides standard cars, trucks, RVs (see RV donation) and SUVs, in working or non-working condition, you can also donate snowmobiles, motorcycles, boats, trails, ATVs, off-road vehicles, planes, helicopters and a variety of other vehicles that are allowed for use by land, sea or air in the United States.
Talk To Your Charity
Of course if you’re not sure a donation will be accepted, such as heavy pieces of construction or mining equipment, then all you really have to do is call your charity and ask.
2. Where Can You Donate Cars In Wisconsin?
However, before you get too eager to donate your vehicle you should look over the lists found at www.bbb.org and www.charitynavigator.org.
You will be able to source charities in all the main towns and cities of Wisconsin.
- Abbotsford
- Algoma
- Alma
- Amery
- Antigo
- Appleton
- Ashland
- Baraboo
- Beaver Dam
- Beloit
- Berlin
- Black River Falls
- Chilton
- Crandon
- Darlington
- Dodgeville
- Durand
- Eagle River
- Eau Claire
- Elkhorn
- Ellsworth
- Florence Fond du Lac
- Fort Atkinson
- Friendship
- Green Bay
- Greendale
- Hayward
- Hudson
- Hurley
- Iron River
- Janesville
- Kenosha
- Keshena
- La Crosse
- Ladysmith
- Luck
- Madison
- Manitowoc
- Marshfield
- Mauston
- Medford
- Menomonie
- Merrill Milwaukee
- Minocqua
- Monroe
- Neillsville
- New Richmond
- Oconomowoc
- Oconto
- Onalaska
- Oshkosh
- Park Falls
- Peshtigo
- Phillips
- Platteville
- Portage
- Prairie du Chien
- Racine
- Reedsburg
- Rhinelander
- Rice Lake
- Richland Center
- Sauk City
- Saukville Shawano
- Sheboygan
- Siren
- Spooner
- Stanley
- Stevens Point
- Sturgeon Bay
- Sturtevant
- Superior
- Tomah
- Viroqua
- Watertown
- Waukesha
- Waupaca
- Wausau
- Wautoma
- West Bend
- Westfield
- Whitehall
- Wisconsin Rapids
- Wittenb
These two lists, compiled by the Better Business Bureau, provide a starting compilation of the 501(c)(3) charitable organizations that you can donate to. Once you’ve picked your charity all that’s left is to contact it and ask where in the state you can bring your donation vehicle.
Donations In Other States
There is no restriction on where you might donate your car in the United States. Therefore, if you live near a state border, you are free to find a worthy cause in a neighboring state.
3. How To Maximize Your Charity’s Donation?
Condition
For instance, if you’re donating a vehicle, do all the necessary repairs and make any improvements that would increase the price before you donate it.
Self-Delivery
Make sure that you drop the vehicle off yourself to prevent the charity picking up the bill for the tow.
Where Will Your Car Be Sold?
Avoid charities that work with for-profit agents, or who sell donations at wholesale auctions. In both cases the charity will simply not be earning as much as it might for your vehicle donation.
4. What Documents You Need To Donate?
Where can I donate my car, is only the first question.
Once you know where you’re taking it, you need to have the proper documentation in hand. And unless you are donating a snowmobile or an ATV in Wisconsin, that means you have to have a title to your vehicle.
Replacement Vehicle Titles
Fortunately if you need to get a replacement title the process is a fairly simple one. Go to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation’s website and download Form MV1, Application For Vehicle Title. The form itself contains considerable information about the process of obtaining a duplicate title.
If you would like to discuss your application in person, then contact a Wisconsin DMV Service Center.
5. How To Release Liability Of Your Vehicle?
Otherwise it’s possible that you will still be liable, and thus legally responsible, for any sort of injuries or damages that involve your vehicle, even after you donated it to the charity.
What You Need To Know
To transfer liability you need to sign over the vehicle title to the charity, ensuring that all of the charity’s information is listed in the new owner section. The Wisconsin DMV explains what you need to do when selling or donating a vehicle in Wisconsin.
DMV.org
We recommend you also check out the very comprehensive DMV.org website for more information on vehicle titles and registrations in Wisconsin.
6. How To Maximize Your IRS Tax Reduction?
Can You Claim Fair Market Value?
For instance, a charity that will use your vehicle itself for a significant period of time before selling it, which will give your vehicle away for free or who will sell your vehicle at a price far below the fair market value (to a needy person) allows you to deduct the fair market value of your vehicle on the date that you donated it to the charity.
Partial Cash Payments
Additionally, some charities will offer you a partial cash payment when the sale of the vehicle is complete. Now you still have to claim that cash on your tax forms, and the cash must be subtracted from your overall deduction that you receive for donating the vehicle, but it is a way to get your reward now as well as later.
This is a useful option if you have higher value vehicle, truck, SUV or boat; or simply a way of not claiming too high a deduction.
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