More than one kind of green in this kind of giving!

Vehicle donation is a win-win-win. Here’s how:

Win #1: Your charity of choice (you can give to ANY Canadian charity) receives otherwise inaccessible donation dollars. Because there is a lot involved in processing cars for donation, this kind of fund raising is out of reach for most individual charities. Donate a Car Canada takes care of all of the details from first steps all the way through to the tax receipt. This means your organization incurs $0.00 in costs or fees. So, there’s the monetary value of your gift to the charity, and also the absolute simplicity of the process on their end of things! Maybe this is actually a double-win in itself?

Win #2: You receive a free tow, a tax receipt, and a clear driveway. Hmmmm. Maybe this is a win-win-win as well?

Win #3: Here’s where there’s another kind of green in the giving. More than just cash-in-hand for your cause, you are making a direct impact on Canada’s environment. Vehicles are re-sold whenever possible, allowing for continued use and less waste. Recycle-ready vehicles are processed in an environmentally friendly manner. A win for all of is.

The ripple effects of your simple human kindness

All of those wins, and we haven’t addressed the intangibles of the generosity of vehicle donation! Again and again we see the rippling outward of the already-extraordinary goodness of giving in this way. The ripple effects start with the vehicle donor, of course. And then there’s the experience that generosity sparks in our transport agents (they really dig serving donors like you!). Beyond that there’s the extended invitation to the donor’s loved ones and community to give as they are able, where they are able.

Not everyone is in a position to donate a car, but each of us have something to offer our communities. Every act of kindness spurs us on to reciprocate, or to initiate, our own loving actions!

One donor’s experience says it all

G.K. donated their recycle-ready Honda for the First Nations Child & Family Caring Society of Canada. They write,

“I was very attached to my old car and found the entire donation process
very emotional and it has taken time for me to process everything.
This being said, I have only positive feedback about every step of this
process with you. I am very glad to have chosen Donate a Car as the
organization through which I made this donation.

The biggest reason was that I liked being able to choose the charity to which I am donating and
you had so many great charities to choose from.
I also appreciated that I spoke to a caring, and helpful human when I first
called about the process and how to get started. This person had a lot of good information, knew about the car
conditions and was very honest about how the car would contribute to a
donation based on the description of the condition. They also had great
information on how the process works and the process specific to Quebec,
and could direct me to the right person to ask questions to about the
registration changes.

Then, it was time for the tow…

Locally, the garage I worked with and the person who came to pick up the
vehicle really made an effort during the busy season of tire change over,
to pick up the car and facilitate the registration change process. They
were even flexible with the pick up time, but were honest about their
availability and managed expectations well.

I hope that you can keep up the good work and maintain the humanistic
approach of this organization. It is very refreshing when the rest of the
world is automating so many interactions.”

Is this kind of giving too good to be true?

We pride ourselves on being a business that readily provides full disclosure. This is important from the onset of your vehicle donation process.

We have three methods of managing your donated car, van, SUV, truck, motorcycle, or boat. Each method is curated to your unique vehicle. Every truck has a tale to tell; every SUV is singin’ its own song. So, we need to be sure we don’t apply a one-process-fits-all system.

1) If your vehicle is selected for our recycle process, the donation amount for a vehicle can be between $30.00 – $800.00. This is dependent on the area in which it is donated, and what the market will pay for the year/make/model. The vehicle will be picked up by our towing agent at no cost to you.

2) Your vehicle may be considered for sale at auction. Several factors go into qualifying a vehicle for auction. These include, but are not limited to, drivability, type of mechanical problems (if any), age, damage, visual appearance, and mileage.

Vehicles sold at auction are sold ‘as is’ and ‘unreserved’. They are sold to the highest bidder, as a full and final sale. Outcome at auction varies. As such, we cannot guarantee a specific sale result.

3) Our third option applies to vehicles that may not perform well at auction, but that are not ready for recycling. Our re-sale/recycle process will see our agent pick up your vehicle for free.

Once they have it on their yard they will assess it to determine if it should be re-sold or recycled. This will be based on the current market. If they see re-sale value in your vehicle, they will advertise it to their own buyer base, selling it as-is, to the highest bidder. They will send us the net proceeds from the re-sale price. If they determine that they will not find interested buyers, they will recycle your car.

Our experience tells us that we do not always see Blue/Black book value when we employ the re-sale process. That said, if you explore our social media posts you’ll see that we routinely see vehicles sell for thousands of dollars in donation returns for the donors’ charities!

Vehicle donation is simple, quick, free

The benefits of vehicle donation extend far beyond helping the chosen charity. And helping that charity is so very important in and of itself! ‘Ready to embark on your own donation experience? Fill in our online form! In less than 10 minutes you’ll be on your way to your free tow. Or, call in to 1-877-250-4904. A funny, happy, capable human is at-the-ready to walk you through. Then it’s just a matter of waiting for your tow call, and receiving your tax receipt. One generous, impactful, ripple-making way to show your charity of choice that you care!

The post The Surprising Benefits of Vehicle Donation appeared first on Donate A Car.

The owners of a recycle-ready 2007 Dodge Caravan chose Autism Calgary Association for heartfelt reasons.

Donating Zoomy is all about Autism awareness

Our minivan donors noted,

“This vehicle has enormous sentimental value to our son, who has autism. He has named the van Zoomy. Zoomy was last driven 6 years ago and needed major work at that time. We have held onto Zoomy until our son was ready to let go. He’s ready and has chosen to donate Zoomy to Autism Calgary.”

These kinds of stories are exactly why Donate a Car Canada does what we do! Not only do our donors matter, their vehicle matters. And the charity of choice is vital to the giver.

Zoomy makes a difference

For charities like Autism Calgary Association, a donation like this is critical to their ongoing work. Furthermore, the beauty of a gift like this is that it allows the giver to feel sure their beloved vehicle is more than just scrap metal. “Zoomys,” all across Canada, continue to serve by turning wheels and metal into much-needed dollars.

Consider the causes that are meaningful to you. You’ve likely experienced, for yourself, the value of every donation dollar. Hearts and minds are impacted in very real ways!

ACA Star Stories | YouTube

Visit the Autism Calgary Association YouTube channel for challenge and inspiration.

‘Have a Zoomy of your own to share?

If neurodiversity is at the top of your Give-To list, we can help!

Not all cars and trucks have sentimental value to their owners. Frankly, sometimes we just want the ol’ scrap metal hauled out of the back yard! In extreme cases, we don’t even care what happens to what feels like a heap of junk.

On the other hand, sometimes we do care. A lot. We care because the car was the last vehicle that our aging loved one used before they gave up driving. Or, it may be the last car we’re going to use before we surrender that freedom for ourselves. Equally common, the car or truck may be our learner vehicle — or the one we used to teach our kids to drive. Whatever your story (or lack of story!), we’re here to help you turn your donation ready unit into monies for the cause you love.

The process is so easy! Click (or call), receive your free tow, and wait for your tax receipt. It really is that simple, and that quick.

You are also invited to contact and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter! There you’ll be able to keep up to date on our program. You can also see posts that showcase our amazing donors and charities in every province in Canada!

The post Autism Awareness appeared first on Donate A Car.

Charlottetown Kia Sorento LX for women & kids

When R.P’s Sorento was over 200,000 kms in and ready to come off the road, he knew he wanted to extend its legacy. A quick call in to explain the condition of the Kia and where it had stranded him and R.P was on his way to a free tow.

He knew he wanted to support  women and children recovering from intimate partner violence.

Alice House, a Maritime charity that provides safe second-stage housing and supportive counselling for women and children in Nova Scotia, was the perfect fit.

Free tow for R.P., and cash in hand for the charity!

’06 Spectra in Ontario goes to the dogs

M.R.S. wrote, “…it won’t start because it hasn’t been used in almost a year…”. Donating her Kia for the Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind was a win for the driveway, and for the charity!

‘Still waiting on Kia Amanti outcome

When a Kia still has miles left to give, re-selling is the way to go! This is accomplished one of two ways: auctioning, or private re-sale from an agent lot.

When Mr. S found himself facing ailing health and the loss of his driver’s license, he wanted to make something good of it. He and his wife donated their Amanti on behalf of the YMCA in Cobourg!

The car will be up for bids this month. The highest bidder will get the Kia; the YMCA will receive the net proceeds from the sale. And Mr. S? He has extended both the life of the car and the legacy of his own family through giving!

Single mum gifts Sedona

The hustle and worry of raising three kids on her own…while going to school…didn’t stop F.O.N. from donating. “I don’t want to sell! I want to donate!” Despite being the victim of vandalism with student loans to pay, she gave! The Heart & Stroke Foundation benefited with a hearty (You see what we did there?) gift of $650.00.

Kia donors reflect the diversity and goodness of Canadians coast to coast. We count it 100% privilege to serve their charities alongside them!

The post Donor Snapshot | KIA Kudos appeared first on Donate A Car.

Junk cars, scrap cars, end-of-life cars

ARC standards compel them to act as a governing body, from coast to coast. “It’s almost unbelievable, but there are some scrap operations who buy cars just to crush them and sell them for the value of the metal, allowing toxic fluids and heavy metals to escape into the soil and groundwater. They don’t recycle any usable parts and pay no regard to the damage they’re doing to the environment.” Read more details here.

Junk cars are managed differently by different companies. One of the reasons you might see a reduction in the value of your old car at the area scrap yard is due to the costs of processing responsibly.

Scrapping junk cars: More than just rusty metal and old tires!

If these practices are important to you, contact us here today and we’ll walk you through our donation process and take that clunker off your hands!

End of life processing for junk cars can benefit not only the charity you love, but the planet you rely on. Donate your old SUV, van, truck, or car today and make a difference!

You are also invited to contact and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter! There you’ll be able to keep up to date on our program. You can also see posts that showcase our amazing donors and charities in every province in Canada!

The post Our Junk Cars | Caring for the Earth appeared first on Donate A Car.

The Winnipeg Humane Society

Winnipeg Humane Society’s Mission is to protect animals from suffering and to promote their welfare and dignity. They do this via a broad work of addressing issues of both animal care, and earth care. Offering support for fosters, adoptions, and community efforts helps them get it all done!

The Winnipeg Humane Society believes in taking a stand against animal cruelty, promoting humanely produced foods, and working with the community to combat Winnipeg’s cat overpopulation problem.

Vehicle donor gifts the critters – x3!

The first time we “met” our repeat WHS vehicle donor was back in 2016. They donated their recycle-ready Grand Am. Then, their Uplander donation was the second of three gifts to their beloved animal charity in 2017. The donor let us know, “‘Service was awesome!” And an ’06 G5 was gifted on behalf of the Winnipeg Humane Society in 2020. That’s a whole lot of four-wheeled Goodness on behalf of the WHS!

So many ways to give

We make vehicle donation really easy here. When we say, “As easy as 1-2-3!” our donors (repeat, or one time only) will tell you that it really is! Animal care charities like the Winnipeg Humane Society are many on our charity list! These are causes that car, truck, rv, boat, and motorcycle donors get behind. Every day.

Our animal charities have many options for giving. If you do not have an unused/unwanted vehicle ready to go, consider how you might help in other ways.

For example, the WHS welcomes unique gifts! Did you know you can donate stock, or Airmiles? You can make a one-time, special occasion donation. You can even purchase a WHS personalized license plate!

Whatever your cause

We’re here to support you in giving to any cause that you love. We work on behalf of everything from wildlife and domestic animal concerns to local theatre. Illness and marginalized communities — we process vehicle donations for them! We will come alongside you in your wish to gift a faith-based charity. Or, as with one recent donor who sincerely requested that we ensure a charity free of any such affiliation, we honor your need to give without such attachment.

Your vehicle. Your charity. Feel 100% about process (from data entry to free tow to tax receipt). Feel 100% about your gifts landing spot.

The post Winnipeg Humane Society appeared first on Donate A Car.

How vehicle donations work

The simplest way to proceed with your vehicle donation is to click any of the buttons on our webpage. That click will take you to an online form for your donation. The form is simple to understand, and it only asks for information we really need to process your car or truck promptly.

Not having success with the online form? No problem! Give us a direct call at 1-877-250-4904. Our phone team will be happy to talk with you. They’ll walk you through the form if you like, but will also be happy to just fill it all out for you.

Done that step? Leave it to us. We’ll contact a nearby towing company and arrange for your free and timely pick-up. Don’t worry: no one will show up for the vehicle until they’ve called to arrange best timing with you.

The tow guys will come for your auto, process it, and send us payment. The dollar outcome is subject to (always!) fluctuating metal prices in Canada. Once we have payment from our tow agent, we’ll forward the proceeds on to your charity.

What does the charity have to pay?

Not a thing! We have written agreements with our supported charities that they will issue tax receipts in a prompt manner. Apart from that, the work is all taken care of by us here at DACC. Many of our charities receive thousands of dollars each year; some of the lesser-known organizations would be grateful for a little extra from you!

The difference you make

Vehicle donation in Canada has a multi-layer impact. First, it allows you to have a recycle or re-sale ready vehicle picked-up and processed at no cost to you. But the benefits don’t end there. The charity of your choice will certainly benefit. And so will the environment (clean, thorough recycling practices matter). The longer reach? Many of our supporting tow agents are small, local companies: keeping wheels on the ground with a steady stream of work matters, too.

So, give us a click and let us get you on your way with your vehicle donation today!

The post Vehicle Donations in Canada appeared first on Donate A Car.

Mindfulness: Buzz word? Lifestyle? Flavor-of-the-month feel good nonsense? Where it meets grit (You are so resilient!) and a little luck, it may prove to be enough to bring true comfort.

Simply put, mindfulness is just paying attention. Waking up. Attending to the sensations in our physical, emotional, and spiritual self. It can be spiritual (in a traditionally religious sense); more likely it’s spiritual in that we are beings who seem quite curious about answers to difficult questions. Questions like, “Why I am here?” or, “Why do people suffer?”

It is as simple as noticing that when it’s cloudy out (Which it is today. ‘Days on end of brilliant sunshine. One morning without and I’m feelin’ it for real!) I feel a little glum.

‘Noticing that I’m tired, or taxed, or curious.

That I’m hungry, or anxious, or indignant.

Just noticing.

Mindfulness matters because…?

What good, the noticing? We’re affected by the stirrings and whirrings in ourselves whether we notice them or not. By paying just the slightest attention to them we sort of assign them a healthy degree of influence. So, if I notice that I didn’t get enough sleep last night, I may be a bit more gentle with myself when I feel inexplicably sad or irritable. I won’t excuse poor behavior, and I’ll be able to acknowledge that there’s a reason I’m feeling off.

If I notice that opening up my email inbox stirs a wave of nausea, I might take a minute to address the reality that there are a couple of people I’m really nervous about hearing from, rather than assigning a general feeling of anxiety to the whole of the many voices of my Gmail account.

Am I really hungry, or do I need a big drink of water?

Is it really Joe that’s peeving me off, or is it that Joe reminds me a lot of a rude teacher from junior high?

Is that knot in my stomach caution to go a different direction, or a bundle healthy nerves that can just be noticed and set aside as I pursue a new opportunity?

So I notice stuff? Then what?

Mindfulness as a practice (meaning, we work it like a muscle or a piece of music that needs a tweek) starts with noticing, and moves to letting go, and to letting things be.

Some of the things we’ll notice (I’m hungry, thirsty, bored…) can be tended to easily.

Other things have a little more psychological weight to them. By just paying attention we start to become aware that our sniping at the kids and the husband may not have anything to do with either the kids or the husband: sitting with the irritation for just a minute may show that there’s a more complicated disgruntle at play. We can be mindful of both the surface frustration, and awake to the deeper concern. And from there we can get curious. What’s really going on here? What do I need? What do I want?

Are there stressors and trouble spots where I can let something go? Are there some things that just need to honored as they are (even if they’re very difficult), things I need to let be?

Mindfulness and your mental health

We’re just skipping rocks over the surface of some deep stuff here. Maybe you find yourself noticing that you’re feeling wobbly mentally and emotionally. Winter months can take a different toll than the rest of the year, and you’re not alone if you’re feeling the emotional chill.

Check out our charities page for a robust list of organizations that are set up to help with all aspects of mental health care. Your whole health matters, so if you’re feeling like you could use a little back-up there are people ready to go the distance with you.

The post Mindfulness | What does your You need right now? appeared first on Donate A Car.