In the state of Connecticut you can donate a vehicle to help benefit a nationwide or a local charity. The vehicle may not be of value to you anymore but may be able to support services that are in need of funds. The donation of a car will help the organization provide services for those in need. There are hundreds of 400 and 501 c 3 non-profit charities to choose from. You can find these online or in your local yellow pages.

The process begins with filling out a form. This can be done online or a form will be mailed to you if you request one from the organization. As a rule, a towing company will then get in touch with you and coordinate a time and place that they can pick up the vehicle. Free vehicle donation pick up is available in most cases and donations of cars will be accepted whether they are running or not.

According to current IRS regulations, all donations are tax deductible and you should receive a tax receipt once the car is in the organization's possession. Often the towing company driver will pass you the tax form.

To find out what your car is worth visit Kelly Blue Book website. Most cars will be sold at auction. For example, if your car sells for $500 or less you can deduct the fair market value.

When evaluating your car's worth you must use the private part valuation option. The tax letter would then state that your car sold for $500 or less and will include the following information:

Your name

Address

VIN# (Vehicle Identification Number)

Charity name

Tax ID#

The donation date and the sale date

Many charities will fix up the vehicle and it will be given to a person of need. They may require a small fee for the car according to the client’s ability to pay and the worth of the car.

Some non-profits will require that the client do service work for a period of time to pay off the car. The regulations would be different than an outright donation. You can find the information you need if this is an option you would like to consider in A Donors Guide to Car Donations.

You need the title to the car that you are donating. If you do not have one you can apply for a replacement with the Connecticut Motor Vehicle Department. You must sign the back of the title in order to turn it over to the organization that you are donating the vehicle. Do not cancel your liability insurance until you've cancelled your registration. Be sure to cancel your registration so that you do not incur tickets or other violations that can be applied to your driving record.

Donation centers are located in different areas of Connecticut but are contracted with multiple towing services so that they can accommodate pick up in most locations of the state.