"The number of car donations offered to Operation Lookout has increased, over the past year, from a couple per week to dozens every month. In a recent email to Michael Irwin, President of Kars-R-Us (a Professional Fundraiser specializing in car and boat donation programs), Melody Gibson, Treasurer of Operation Lookout, had this to say:
"I want you to know the net income from KARS R US is literally saving Operation Lookout from extinction! Other sources of donations have crashed and burned - your program is getting it right. You have used a fresh approach and it is fruitful!"
Irwin, with over 15 years experience in car donations, pointed out that: "Car donations are a win-win situation for everyone. First, the donor gets to take a tax deduction. Second, the charity gets much needed funding. And third, that old car puts money back into the economy. Someone gets paid to answer the phones, someone gets paid to pickup the vehicle, someone gets paid to sell it at an auction, and advertising dollars are spent. In short, the money generated by that car donation not only gets used by the charity, it also puts a lot of people to work!"
One criticism of car donations has been that "not enough money goes back to the charities". The truth is that no tow truck drive could afford to transport the cars and trucks for free. And no auction can afford to process the paperwork for free. And, of course, no newspaper or radio station is going to run ads for free. So yes, it does cost money to run a car donation program. But is the glass half full or half empty?
Irwin says, "I think the fact that Kars-R-Us has sent checks to our charity clients for over $500,000 speaks for itself. Some charities would have to close their doors, or at least significantly cut back on their services if they did not have income from car donations."
