Donate An RV To Charity & Support A Good Cause

How To Donate An RV To Charity

Donating your RV to charity is a great way to give back to your community and help out an individual or family through that organization.

One of the best reasons to donate your RV is the feeling you get when you help your fellow man or woman. While I’ve never donated an RV before, I have donated a couple of cars, and just seeing someone appreciate the gift and knowing you met a need are worth it all.

With my donation, I helped them to get to their job, or now have the ability to get a job, or transport their loved ones to school or a doctor’s appointment. Basically, it just felt good to do it.

Donating your RV is also a great way to help the homeless. Although most charities choose to sell the RV to help fund their organization, thereby helping their clients get off the streets, there may be some charities that actually provide the RV for housing, depending on its condition.  

Some deep diving may be needed if you want to be sure your RV is used to get someone off the street. It may be a small thing for you, but it means the world to someone to be able to get out of the elements.

Why donate an RV?

Beyond the feel-good rush of helping someone, donating your RV to charity can also provide you with a tax deduction when donating to a 501c3. You also don’t have to hassle with putting your RV online for sale, showing it to buyers, dealing with inspections, fixing it up for sale, or continuing lot rent or storage fees if it doesn’t sell.

Most charities will take care of any paperwork needed including a tax-deductible receipt and title transfer, picking up your rig, and taking it no matter what condition it is in. Even an RV in poor condition can be recycled in an eco-friendly manner.

Here are some more good reasons to donate your RV:

• Your ability or desire to camp has waned and you rarely use it.
• You no longer want to pull it or drive it.
• You don’t want the hassle of selling it.
• You have tried or are unable to sell it.
• You are tired of paying for storage, insurance, etc.
• Gas prices are keeping you at home.
• The RV is deteriorating and taking up space on your property.

Where can you donate an RV?

Many charities will take the used RVs, fix them up, and sell them to use the money for the needs of the organization. Whatever causes the charity focuses on, whether it be housing for people, medical care, services for veterans, services for children, bringing meals to the elderly, or providing care for animals, the donation will certainly be appreciated.

If your RV is in good working order, it could be used to house homeless veterans or families. It could also be used as a food truck or transportation vehicle, or if it is not habitable, it could be taken apart and sold for parts.

Charities that take donated RVs

Vehicles for Veterans

Vehicles for Veterans supports disabled veterans in the areas of health and wellness, employment, medical care, disability, pension, and housing. This 501c3 serves veterans all across the United States and has benefitted veterans through a number of other organizations including the Gary Sinise Foundation, Homes for Our Troops, DAV, The Fisher House Foundation, and many more.

This organization provides a tax donation, free towing and paperwork processing, and acceptance of most vehicles.

Wheels for Wishes, benefiting the Make-A-Wish Foundation

Proceeds from Wheels for Wishes donations go to individual Make-A-Wish chapters across the US. You can choose the Make-A-Wish chapter you would like to benefit when you donate your RV.

The organization does pick up your RV and provides the paperwork processing. Even vehicles that are not running can be donated.

Car Donation Foundation (aka Wheels for Wishes) has donated more than $98 million dollars to participating Make-A-Wish chapters since 2009. The car donation program also benefits other children’s charities and hospitals and veteran’s programs.

Goodwill

Goodwill is a well-known charity that has locations throughout the US. They accept the donation of RVs, cars, and other types of vehicles.  Similar to the other charities mentioned, with just a phone call, Goodwill will pick up your RV donation.

The donated camper is sold through an auction and the proceeds are turned over to the Goodwill Car Donations organizations in your local area. The money from your donation helps by providing disadvantaged individuals with job training employment and learning opportunities, livelihood assistance, and other community-building services.

Habitat for Humanity

Habitat for Humanity is known for building houses to help people embrace homeownership. They do take donations of RVs, which are sold and the money is used for Habitat projects. According to the website, between 78 and 86 percent of the gross revenue from vehicle sales is used by Habitat for Humanity.

RVs that can’t be used again are transported to auto salvage yards, where usable parts are removed and the vehicle is then recycled.

Your donation goes toward helping families to partner with Habitat to build and improve places to call home. They are selected based on their need for better housing and their willingness to partner with and work alongside volunteers and their ability to pay for an affordable mortgage.

Some people work to fulfill sweat equity hours by putting time in a local Habitat ReStore. Others may serve on committees or help out in their local Habitat office. They also attend financial education and budget-planning classes.

Home on Wheels Alliance

Home on Wheels Alliance is one organization on this list that is truly looking to put homeless individuals and families into vehicles. Its mission is to help seniors, the working poor, people with disabilities, and others from becoming truly homeless and living on the streets. They help these people to live rent-free by providing them with vehicles in which to live.

Most of the donations are minivans, which are transformed into places to live for those on the edge of homelessness. HOWA provides them with a vehicle and mentors them to be successful in the nomadic lifestyle.

The organization also takes RVs, cars, trucks, SUVs, and any vehicles that can be sold, even an airplane, according to the website, as long as it has an engine and is in one piece.

The organization also has a number of programs, including emergency funds and one that allows those who own a van but can’t afford to make the changes needed to live in it, the opportunity to come and get supplies and help to make that change.

All recipients are vetted based on need. When someone is assisted, they are required to start making income-based payments that are put into an escrow account to hold the money, which can be used as an emergency fund or savings account.

Clients learn to keep a budget and save for their future while gaining their independence. They also give back through one of the volunteer programs they have set up, helping and mentoring new people coming into the program.

Kars4Kids

This organization, which has been helping charity programs for 27 years, accepts donations of RVs to support its fundraising efforts. All vehicle donations are processed by Kars4Kids so that the maximum amount of money can go directly to designated programs.

Its mission is to give children the opportunities and support they need to develop into productive members of their communities. Mentorship is at the heart of all their programs, which include educational services, youth mentorship and development, community and family outreach, and cultural events. Summer camps, extracurricular programs, holiday retreats, and educational resources are available for children throughout the years.

Since 1995, the organization has raised nearly $100 million with more than 450,000 vehicles donated.

Everyone benefits when you donate

While all of these organizations don’t directly take an RV and give it to someone homeless, most are in the business of helping people learn new skills, budget, and most importantly, gain their independence to keep them from becoming homeless.

Donating an RV that you no longer need or want is a step in the right direction to help those in need and is something you can feel good about.

One of the best parts about RVing is engaging with the community of traveling enthusiasts. iRV2 forums allow folks to chat with other RVers online, and get other perspectives on everything RVing, including products, destinations, RV mods, and much more.

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