To donate your auto, boat, R.V., motorcycle, van,
golf cart or plane call 619.671.7900.
Callers outside of the 619 or 858 area code,
call 1-888-FATHER JOE (1.888.328.4375).

Father Joe’s Tips on Auto Donations

Don’t be taken for a ride when donating your vehicle. Follow these steps to ensure you have a positive automobile-donation experience:

   Do your research. Make sure the organization asking for your donation is a registered charity. Visit your state attorney general or Better Business Bureau Web site to verify your donation is going to a legitimate non-profit agency. Donating to a registered charity is the difference between an illegal and IRS-approved write-off.
(Our tax I.D. number is 33-0492304, S.V.D.P. Management)

   Be wary of claims that "100 percent of the proceeds from your donated vehicle go to the charity." Every non-profit organization has overhead expenses related to its auto-donation program that simply cannot be avoided. This means the entirety of the proceeds of the sale of your vehicle is not directed toward the programs and services your charity of choice provides.

   It’s likely that between 40 and 50 percent of the proceeds from the sale of your vehicle cover costs associated with the operation of the charity’s auto-donation program, such as advertising fees, towing costs, payroll and other expenses. Father Joe's Villages controls all these cost since we directly manage our own vehicle donation program.

   Never give to a middleman. There are several companies that claim to give the proceeds of your donated vehicle to your charity of choice. What they don’t tell you is they are not required to give a specific percentage of the selling price of your car – as long as they give something, the middleman is not misrepresenting the service he provides. That means they could give $100 to your chosen charity after collecting $1,000 for your donated car, and it’s completely legal. If you give directly to a non-profit organization you ensure the entirety of your donation – after expenses – will fund the programs and services it offers the community.

Father Joe's Villages never uses a middleman. No other agency is authorized to accept car donations on our behalf.

   Pay a visit. If a charity is asking for your donation, the least it can do is give you a tour of its facility. St. Vincent de Paul Village welcomes visitors from across the globe to witness first-hand the life-changing services it provides to the less fortunate. If the organization asking for your car won’t allow you to stop by and see its operation in action or if it can only give you a P.O. Box rather than a physical address, there’s very good reason for you to be cautious as you proceed with your vehicle donation.

Still have questions? Feel free to call Father Joe’s Villages auto-donation department at 888. 328.4375. One of our customer service representatives will be happy to help you make a responsible donation decision.

To donate your auto, boat, R.V., motorcycle or van,
call 1-888-FATHER JOE (1-888-328-4375), or select
the link below. Thanks for your generosity.

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