"Everything was so wonderfully simple. Emails were returned promptly and the mechanic was great. It was one of the easiest transactions that I had to do as far as the passing of my Father and coping with my Daughters illness(coping with my loved one's estate). We all live in different cities, yet no one had to be on sight and for that I will be forever grateful. Thank you." 

~ Honda donor for humane society

Estate vehicle donation: Why leave a legacy in this way?

Managing the estate vehicle donation process is part of our every day here at Donate a Car Canada. If you are looking for our quick, simple, how-to, just scroll down to, “Common questions,” or to the bottom of this post. You’ll see, “The 1-2-3 of estate vehicle donation.” We can assist in managing your own estate, or that of a dear one.

If you are still researching your options for this kind of donation, we appreciate that process.

Estate vehicle donation is a personal and intentional decision. Donors come to it in so many different circumstances. We have experience in supporting estates where there has been a long illness, and those where death is untimely. A few years ago a donor donated her vehicle because she was terminally ill and had chosen to go the route of medically assisted death so that she wouldn’t be suffering through the lengthy health battles.

One of our staff recalls,

She was such a lovely woman and, because we knew the date that she’d chosen for her passing, we organized the paperwork being signed and set up the tow schedule for her vehicle around that so that it was all taken care of before she passed. This way her loved ones didn’t have to worry about any of it.

We can absolutely help to organize the donation ahead of time so that family members and loved ones are prepared to activate the donation once the time comes.

Legacy giving to match your unique circumstance

Much of our estate vehicle donation process is built around those filling the roll of executor/trix, or Power of Attorney. In these circumstances, the one tasked with settling the estate often chooses a charity that reflects the one who has died.

At the time of this writing we are processing donations for thirteen families. The charities chosen reflect the lifelong loves of the vehicle owners. Nature, wildlife, and local animal shelters will be beneficiaries of these gifts! Other families are gifting charities that have served them in the final days and months of their loved one’s time. Local hospice, Cancer, Diabetes, heart health, and mental health organizations will be helped by these estates.

When the one we love leaves a vehicle behind

“I’m the executrix for my loved one’s estate. He left us a 1998 Honda. How can I donate it?”

Estate vehicle donation is a simple and capably tended process here. We facilitate hundreds of such gifts every year; we well understand that your circumstances are unique. No two estates settle out in quite the same way. If you are an executor/trix, or have power of attorney, you have a LOT on your heart and mind. Furthermore, you have likely been asked the same questions by virtually every professional you have encountered! There have probably been a few speedbumps along the way.

We are here to make donating your loved one’s vehicle quick, easy, free, and loving. Equally important? We are here to help extend their legacy.

I’m planning my own estate car donation

You may be coming to us in the process of your own estate planning. We are here to come alongside you with care, efficiency, and even a little good humour when the moment is right.

Common questions about donating an estate car

For quick answers to your estate vehicle donation questions, we welcome your call at 1-877-250-4904. This is a live phone line (with real, funny, kind, and knowledgeable people on this end), Monday – Friday, 8:00am – 5:00pm MT.

Here are a few most commonly asked questions about estate donation:

1) How do we fill in your form to show that it’s an estate vehicle?

The online donation form has a menu that will allow you to select the estate vehicle donation option. There are also empty spaces on the form where you can offer as much, or as little, detail as you wish. Some donors even make special notes to the charity on the form! For example, they might say something like, “I would like to make this donation in honour of my dad. He cared so much about the arts, and I know that this gift to Rosebud Theatre would mean a lot to him.”

2) What paperwork do you need for us to donate the car?

Typically, all that is required is the vehicle registration. If the vehicle is being recycled, a copy will suffice. If the car is in a condition to be re-sold, the original document will be required.

We will provide an email trail of every detail of your donation process so that you have clear documentation for the estate.

3) If we can’t find keys/registration for the car, will you still take it?

Yes. In most cases our agents are able to provide service even if the keys or registration are missing. We will walk you through the process on your own unique estate vehicle donation. Please note: if the keys and registration are missing it will likely mean that the vehicle will need to be recycled. We cannot re-sell vehicles without proper documentation.

4) We live in a different city/province from the vehicle. Do we have to be there when it’s picked up?

No, you do not need to be present at tow time. That said, in British Columbia and Quebec there are some extra documents required when letting go of a vehicle. These require signing by those with authority to do so. This may mean that this paperwork will need to be sent to our agents by regular mail.

5) Can I have the tax receipt issued in my own name (instead of it going to the estate)?

It depends if the estate has been closed yet or not: 

If the final taxes on the estate have not been completed yet, the tax receipt must be issued in the estate’s name.

If the final taxes are done, then the spouse/next of kin is considered the legal owner of the vehicle. In this case the tax receipt can be made in their name.

Your charity of choice

The cause that your loved one cared about is ready to receive their estate car donation. You can choose any Canadian charity as the recipient for this gift! For some, this is a healing part of the complexity of grief. Knowing that the heartwork of their mum, dad, sibling, or child is being helped offers comfort.

In some cases, the owner of the car may have been ill for a time. If that is true for you, a donation can be made to a charity that is involved in research and care specific to that disease. Cancer, diabetes, and heart disease causes are top-of-heart for many donors. The hospice that offered end of life care can also be named.

On the other hand, you and your family may wish to spread cheer in a different way. If you can imagine a cause, Canada has a charity to support it! Sharing your loved one’s car donation with The Donkey Sanctuary might bring a little kick to the process.

The 1-2-3 of estate vehicle donation

Every vehicle donation is unique to the Giver, but there are a few things that are steady-on.

1. Our donation form will take you less than 10 minutes to complete. We can do it over the phone for you if you prefer to connect with a caring person. Just call in to 1-877-250-4904 and we’ll take quick and thorough care! The form will allow you to name yourself as the POA/Executor/Trix, or simply as next of kin. There are times when the gift must be made in the name of the estate. Sometimes it will be simple to have the donation issued in the name of the next of kin. We can assist with this if you are unsure.
2. Then, sit back and wait for the tow agent to call: Your free tow typically happens within 1 – 5 business days. The agent will call and discuss options that suit you best. This will be made as simple for you as possible. If you live in a location where this is more complicated, we’ll have your back on that, too!
3. Finally, our agent will pay us. Your charity of choice then receives the net proceeds from the re-sale or recycling of the vehicle. You receive your tax receipt by email. In addition, you will receive emails at each important juncture of the donation process. This includes the tax receipt, of course. All will ensure that you have a healthy email trail for estate purposes as well.

Next steps

By now you may have gathered: we are just a click or a call away.

We are here to make this aspect of caring for your loved one seamless and simple.

‘Not quite ready to donate? Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter! There you will get an overall feel for how we care for each other and our charities. This is a caring community, here to serve you.

The post Estate Vehicle Donation | Legacy Giving appeared first on Donate A Car.

When the one we love leaves a vehicle behind

“I’m the executrix for my loved one’s estate. He left us a 1998 Honda. How can I donate it?”

Estate car donation is a simple and capably tended process here at Donate a Car Canada. We facilitate hundreds of such gifts every year; we well understand that your circumstances are unique. No two estates settle out in quite the same way. If you are an executor/trix, or have power of attorney, you have a LOT on your heart and mind. Furthermore, you have likely been asked the same questions by virtually every professional you have encountered! There have probably been a few speedbumps along the way.

We are here to make donating your loved one’s vehicle quick, easy, free, and loving. Equally important? We are here to help extend their legacy.

Honouring through charity of choice

The cause that your loved one cared about is ready to receive their estate car donation. You can choose any Canadian charity as the recipient for this gift! For some, this is a healing part of the complexity of grief. Knowing that the heartwork of their mum, dad, sibling, or child is being helped offers comfort.

In some cases, the owner of the car may have been ill for a time. If that is true for you, a donation can be made to a charity that is involved in research and care specific to that disease. Cancer, diabetes, and heart disease causes are top-of-heart for many donors.

On the other hand, you and your family may wish to spread cheer in a different way! If you can imagine a cause, Canada has a charity to support it! Sharing your loved one’s car donation with The Donkey Sanctuary might bring a little sparkle to the process!

The 1-2-3 of estate car donation

Every vehicle donation is unique to the Giver, but there are a few things that are steady-on.

1. Our donation form will take you less than 10 minutes to complete. We can do it over the phone for you if you prefer to connect with a caring person. Just call in to 1-877-250-4904 and we’ll take quick and thorough care! The form will allow you to name yourself as the POA/Executor/Trix, or simply as next of kin. There are times when the gift must be made in the name of the estate. Sometimes it will be simple to have the donation issued in the name of the next of kin. We can assist with this.
2. Once we have your information, we will promptly make arrangements for free towing. Even this will be made as simple for you as possible. Sometimes the person settling the estate does not live near where the car is located. In some provinces this is no problem at all! If you live in a province where that is more complicated, we’ll have your back on that, too!
3. Next, our agent will pay us. Your charity of choice then receives the net proceeds! In addition, you will receive emails at each important juncture of the donation process. This includes the tax receipt, of course. All will ensure that you have a healthy paper trail for estate purposes as well.

Next steps

By now you may have gathered, we are just a click or a call away.

Your free tow typically happens within 1 – 5 business days. The agent will call and discuss options that suit you best.

Not only that, we will give you clear direction about what paperwork is required. Typically, all that is needed is the original vehicle registration. That can be left in the car.

We are here to make this aspect of caring for your loved one seamless and simple.

‘Not quite ready to donate? Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter! There you will get an overall feel for how we care for each other and our charities. This is a caring community, here to serve you.

The post Estate Car Donation | Extending Legacy appeared first on Donate A Car.

Queen Elizabeth II | Honouring a lifetime of service

Whatever your relationship with the monarchy, the passing of Queen Elizabeth II invites a pause. Speaking for myself, committing to dutiful service for 70 years seems a bit of a wonder! I have feelings about colonization (so many feelings!), and could probably hammer on about that awhile. But Queen Elizabeth II the woman? I have not known life without her.

By the time I was born she had already been faithfully attending her role as queen for 17 years. She and her family are the closest thing to a real, live fairytale that I will ever know. Her face graced our money and her addresses our airwaves. Most recently, her story has given hours of curious entertainment through documentaries and Netflix series alike.

Acknowledging a life through giving

Grief is a cheeky and varied thing. Some of us will experience the Queen’s passing with sorrow. I keep hearing, “She was like a mum!”, or “It just always kind of felt like she was my grandma!” We related to her in a strangely personal way.

Some of us might feel angry at the disruption of fuss and bother about a woman so far removed from our lived experience.

For others, there will be a feeling of nostalgia. Perhaps a sadness at the loss of yet another stabilizing factor in a world that feels as if its gone mad.

Interacting with these things is helped by action: mourners hold vigil for loving reason. We have funerals and spread ashes because our humanity asks for ritual around these kinds of things.

The ritual of giving is a bit new in our culture: children request that donations be made to the animal shelter in lieu of gifts. Newly weds invite us to give to a wilderness preserve instead of piling on the pots and pans. When Betty White passed, it felt like the whole world was right in tune with saving puppies! This was an active and loving way to feel a part of celebrating and mourning an intelligent-generative sprite of a woman! And mirroring Queen Elizabeth II’s habit of giving is one way to be with her passing, too.

Who do I give to, and how do I do it?

A beautiful article about the Queen’s giving notes that she gifted over 600 different charities during her reign! “Her support over the decades — to groups that focus on education and training, climate campaigns, hospitals and museums — has helped raise over $2 billion for nonprofits and has been described as having done more for charities than any other monarch in history, data collected by the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) noted.”

Here at Donate a Car Canada we have a charity for every cause you can imagine! Check out our list to find your own heartwork. We are set up to serve any charity in Canada, so if you do not see yours listed, just let us know! Experience the grounding and connection that comes with honouring legacy and life through giving.

The “How?” is as easy as 1-2-3! Click on the big red button below. That will take you to a donation form (this will take less than 10 minutes to fill out). If you would like to hear a human voice, give us a call at 1-877-250-4904! We will be delighted to assist.

The post Donate to Charity in Memory of Queen Elizabeth II appeared first on Donate A Car.

The reasons we give

Charity choice can feel like a really big decision when donating a car! How can we possibly choose one of over 1,000 charities? We give where we live. Hope. suffering, and sickness impact this choice. Legacy and estate giving can be a meaningful way to honour our loved ones.

The Alberta Cancer Foundation (Tom Baker Cancer Centre) was the heartwork of one September donor.

The giver’s ’09 Mazda Tribute was recycle-ready,

“This has been a great vehicle but recently we have had issues with it not starting randomly then it starts fine. It’s a 2009 so it’s just not worth us putting the time and money into it.”

Capably served by our regional tow agent, the free tow was arranged within a few days. The donor wrote in to say,

“The experience…has been extremely professional and easy. It was actually hard to let go of our family vehicle but when we saw we could donate of the the cancer foundation and specifically the Tom Baker it was an easy decision as I lost my brother to cancer in 2019 and donating in his memory means a lot…thank you for making the experience so easy with dealing with all your kind staff, including the…tow staff.”

The Goodness of Canadians in giving…even when they’re hurting. Giving with the intention of offering hope and practical help to others who will come after them. One little Mazda is a meaningful donation!

Alberta Cancer Foundation | Own.Cancer

Every donation dollar counts in our shared experience of Cancer. Did you know that the ACF has an enormous project in the works?

“Alberta is taking cancer and we’re making it ours. Calgary is already a recognized hub for cancer research, treatment and care. That’s nothing compared to what we’re poised to become.

Canada’s largest, most comprehensive stand-alone cancer care centre is coming to life in Calgary this very second. Concrete walls rising to the big prairie sky will shelter 1.3 million square feet of world-leading cancer care, research and education.

The Alberta Cancer Foundation and the University of Calgary are partnering together with one mission — to raise $250 million in support of improved cancer research, treatment and care at the new Calgary Cancer Centre when it opens its doors in 2023.We’re asking all Albertans to join us in this once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform cancer care and treatment.”

Has Cancer affected you and your family, too?

Cancer foundation work exists across Canada. If this cause impacts you, donate your car, truck, or van! Running, or not — we’ll turn your vehicle into donation dollars!

You can find the Alberta Cancer Foundation in our charities drop-down list when you fill in your online donation form. You can also select them from their own “Other Ways to Give” page (simply select, “Donate a Car” on the bottom right)

If you, or your affected loved ones, do not reside in Alberta, don’t worry! Visit our charities list and find the charity that serves in your back yard. ‘Can’t find what you’re looking for? Pop us a line in our query thread, or call in to 1-877-250-4904. We’re happy to assist in your search for just the right recipient for your vehicle donation!

The post Cancer Foundation Makes Life Better appeared first on Donate A Car.