Why Donate Your Used Car to Us?
Second Chance Cars provides affordable cars for people to get to work with a focus on veterans, returning citizens, and now North Shore healthcare workers in Eastern Massachusetts. Your used car donation can help these low- and lower-income individuals have a better chance of landing a better paying job that will improve their quality of life. We also offer a higher tax deduction amount than most other car donation programs out there.
Three reasons to donate your gently used car to Second Chance Cars:
1. Get the Highest Tax Deduction
Other car donation programs sell your car for its wholesale price, but Second Chance Cars gives you a tax receipt for the full retail value of your car — this is usually 50% or greater than any other Massachusetts car donation program! We can do this because we either award your car to a lower-income individual or we sell it to support our community work.
In both cases, the IRS allows you a tax deduction for the “full and fair” retail value of your car!
“The amount you may deduct for a vehicle contribution depends upon what the charity does with the vehicle… Charities typically sell the vehicles that are donated to them….generally your deduction is limited to the gross proceeds from the sale.”
To learn more about the tax benefits of donating your car or to find downloadable tax forms once you’ve donated, please visit our tax forms page.
2: We Give Second Chances and Change Peoples’ Lives
At Second Chance Cars, we give low-income veterans, healthcare workers and returning citizens a second chance at a better quality of life. Car ownership allows our recipients to access jobs that are not accessible by public transportation, an opportunity to earn a higher wages at a job best suited to them, and the ability to accept profitable overtime shifts.
Your donated car also helps our recipients improve their credit rating be repaying the affordable $900, zero interest car loan we secure for them.
3: Make a Difference in Your Local Community
Second Chance Cars awards your refurbished, donated car to vetted individuals in Eastern Massachusetts communities. When you donate a used vehicle, it can help its new, low income owner break the cycle of poverty by providing access to living-wage jobs and that are often just outside the reach of public transportation.
“Public transportation commute times in (Massachusetts) Gateway Cities are twice the duration of vehicle commutes, meaning those who are less able to drive have less access to employment opportunities.”
MASSInc 2013 report
We Repair Our Cars Locally
Before we award our donated cars, we work with a community of local, technical schools that help us refurbish them. Students who work on our cars learn a trade while supporting their community, and ensure that our new car owners have a reliable car to drive.
Our partner vocational schools are part of our Community of Goodness (aka “the COG”), and which also includes our nonprofit and corporate partners. You can find a list of our COG members on our partners’ page.
READY TO DONATE YOUR USED CAR?
The Impact Our Cars Provide
Our donated cars help their new owners earn more, commute less, and improve their quality of life, while our technical students benefit from learning a trade while giving back to their communities.
