We think it’s about time you knew some ‘behind-the-scenes’ information about how our agents’ involvement makes a difference for you, our donors!

Donate A Car operates by connecting with agents (towing companies, salvage yards, auction houses) across the country. They share our vision and process.  We invite them to participate in the joy of facilitating donations to charities nationwide. Then, when you submit your vehicle for donation, we assign it to one of those agents. They pick up or auction it on your behalf — for free!

Recently one of our family-run salvage yards participated in what turned out to be a really cool experience. And not just for them! For them, for our donor, and for our Donate A Car team. Oh! And for the charity the donor selected (in this case, the MS Society)!

Wheelin’ in a Unique Donation for the MS Society!

Talk about an interesting scenario! A Calgary woman offered her used electric wheelchair as a donation to the MS Society. At first we were unsure if we could help her with it. Although it had wheels, it wasn’t really considered a ‘vehicle’! A Calgary agent agreed to take it but then suggested it go to their sister site in Edmonton. The had a hunch that the Edmonton locale’s style of auction would get a better donation result. They then generously offered to transport the chair from Calgary to Edmonton at no charge.

In the big scheme of things, we would never have guessed what that wheelchair would bring at auction because we’ve never had the opportunity to do this before. I don’t know that any of us anticipated that it would generate almost $600.00 in a charitable amount being given to the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada. Woot!

What we didn’t know at the time was that the owner of the company was all over that sale. The gentleman who bought the used wheelchair is a regular attender at the Edmonton auction site. He requires the use of a wheelchair. When the compassionate auction owner discovered it was one of his ‘regulars’ who’d purchased the wheelchair he said, “I wouldn’t hear of him paying for that chair so I just went ahead and covered the cost for him. ‘Just paid for it!”

These are the moments we know we’re in the right place at the right time doing the right thing with the right people!

Thank you to all of our agent who, daily, make a difference on behalf of donors and charities alike! The MS Society and thousands (Yes – actual thousands!) more. You’ve got a lot of heart!

The post Our Agents Have Heart: MS Society Receives Unique Gift appeared first on Donate A Car.

Collector car donor chooses Liver Foundation

You just never know what a donation day will bring for your charity of choice. Collector car donations are always welcome. Our process in attending to a vintage vehicle donation needs to be robust. Attention to detail is key.

When one of our Canadian Liver Foundation estate vehicle donors rolled into the system with an ’89 Rolls Royce, we got excited! Then we became attentive: An underground tow would be required. The executor noted, “It needs a new paint job – had a car cover on it that caused lots of tiny scratches to the paint.”

Our maps indicated that the car was located over three hours from our supporting auction house. Not only that, there was a sea straight in between the car and our selling agent!

We tapped the brakes a little and began the careful process of looking for the very best sale option for this treasured car. How might we best serve this Rolls Royce donor and the loved ones tending his estate?

Island auction steps on up — as they always do!

Jett Wholesale Public Auto Auction has been working alongside Donate a Car Canada for many years. They’re located out on Vancouver Island. Stuart and his crew get some of the strongest sale outcomes in all of Canada. This directly benefits donors and their charities every month.

Our Rolls Royce donor was soon to be one of those well-served donors.

Undeterred by the over-sea-and-land transport, the auction house set up a free pick-up for the collector. This is a paid-for service on our side of things. Our agents need to keep tires on the trucks and gas in the tank. They do take a transport cost from the value of our donated vehicles. But the donor doesn’t pay a penny out of pocket, and neither does the charity!

Once Stuart and his people had the car on the yard it was just a matter of time. Jett ran the ’89 Rolls Royce through auction. That car came out the other side with one of our highest-ever donation outcomes for the BC branch of Canadian Liver Foundation!

How much did you say is going to the CLF?

Donated vehicles that are run through auction are sold as-is to the highest bidder. We are not able to put minimums or reserves on those sales. They go to the buyer willing to offer the most on sale day. This is where Jett’s expertise serves charities beautifully. Buyers offer, and pay, what vehicles are worth. This means hearty gifts for heart works!

Our estate donor’s collector car sale at auction resulted in a whopping $21,531.25 for the donor’s chosen charity! You read that right: twenty-one-thousand! Dollars!

Your estate vehicle, your choice

If you ever find an unwanted or unused vehicle in the driveway, consider donating it!

You may find yourself managing an estate at some point. Vehicles are often part of that process. The recycling or re-selling of those cars, trucks, SUVs, vans, and motorcycles via donation can make that estate processing step so much easier for the executor/trix, and for the family. This can also extend the legacy of the estate that you are serving. Honoring your loved one by ensuring a charity they would have loved can help bring meaning in difficult circumstances.

Your gift may not bump the decimal places quite as dramatically as the CLF’s collector car donation did this past winter, but every donation counts. Your human kindness links with that of the donor before you — and the donor that will come after you, too!

We’re a donation form or a phone call away!

The post Collector Car for the CLF appeared first on Donate A Car.