Local Nonprofits See Decline In Car Donations
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- It is the time of year when donations flood in. People are hoping for tax write-offs at the end of the year, donating everything from clothes to cars.
A number of nonprofits rely on car donations to help, but some have seen those donations drop from where they were just a few years ago.
Tal Tostenson is donating a car to Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute for the third time. It is a place he knows well.
"It's a '97 Honda CRV. Has a lot of miles, but it's served us well," Tostenson said. "A close family relative has actually been treated here. Has gone through rehabilitation here after surgery."
Courage Kenny relies on donors like Tostenson. They get anywhere from 100 to 150 donations a month during the course of the year. But that number jumps to about 250 cars, vans and trucks during December.
"This is our busiest week of the year" said Kelly Buttler, manager of In-Kind Giving. "We typically see a 100 or so vehicles come in this week alone."
Some donated cars can bring in a few thousand dollars at auction time, which can go a long way.
"Fundraising dollars cover what insurance does not," Buttler said.
Donated vehicles are auctioned off to help pay for rehabilitation services that insurance does not cover. But at Courage Kenny, donations are down about 30 percent compared to three years ago.
"We have seen a lot of national companies coming into our local market," Buttler said.
He says national nonprofits have taken away from organizations like hers. Her goal now is to steer donors back in their direction.
"It's a little bit frustrating. I think there are a lot of deserving organizations out there, and my only wish is that donors would do a little more research on who donors are donating to," Buttler said.
She says car donations bring in about $2 million a year to Courage Kenny.
Here are some other local organizations that also accept vehicle donations:
