A Tax-Deductible Vehicle Donation with a Big Community Impact

The staff here at Good News Garage (GNG) was excited to see a familiar name tied to the donation of a beautiful red 2010 Chevy Malibu. That name, Brad Cook, is familiar to us for two reasons. First, Brad has made a tax-deductible vehicle donation to GNG in the past. And second, Brad provides legal counsel to GNG’s parent organization, Ascentria Care Alliance, as an attorney with the business law firm, Sheehan Phinney. According to their website, Brad is “head of the firm’s Estate Planning and Probate, Government Relations and Not-for-Profit, Charitable and Religious Institutions Practice Groups. He is a past President of the firm and has practiced with Sheehan Phinney since 1973.”

We called Brad to ask him a few questions about why he chose the GNG car donation program.

Passing His Keys

As a community-minded person with a history of volunteering, Brad wanted his car to go directly towards helping a neighbor who was having trouble with transportation. If a car still has plenty of life remaining, why not pass the keys to someone in need, instead of selling it? This is where GNG comes in!

Good News Garage is one of the very few car donation programs that awards many of the donated cars it receives to local individuals and families in need of reliable vehicles. Most car donation programs will sell every donated car at an auction and use the proceeds, but the goal of Good News Garage is to repair as many donated cars as possible and then place them with new homes here in New England. This isn’t possible with every donated car; some are too old, can’t pass inspection, or would have high maintenance costs. But, GNG always strives to help its donors pass their car on to someone who will love it as much as they have. As a result, donors who make a tax-deductible vehicle donation have the ability to easily make a big impact in their community.

Brad said he has donated to other programs in the past and that it wasn’t a very personal experience. “When I donate cars to GNG,” explained Brad, “I know that I will be working with real people that are based here and care about our community.” He added that it has been a fun and rewarding experience seeing “someone enjoy my car who may not have had the opportunity to have a reliable vehicle otherwise.” Brad knows that donating his car to Good News Garage allows it to make the biggest possible impact.

“For a dependable car that’s depreciated most of its value, but still has life in it, why wouldn’t you do good with it? Donating to GNG is a very simple process,” added Brad.

A Win-Win for Brad and His Community

Good News Garage provided donated cars to New Hampshire residents for around 15 years, but the program is currently on hold due to a lack of funding in the state. We are hopeful that funding can be reinstated soon so that we can continue with our tradition of providing wheels to NH residents.

Fortunately, Brad’s donated 2010 Chevy Malibu was able to empower and support a family in nearby Massachusetts! Brad’s donation is going to help the recipient, Emmie, achieve her goal of becoming a nurse, and take her daughter everywhere she needs to go. Brad hopes that Emmie is able to enjoy the car as much as he and his family have. He reminds us that for some, a “car is just a high-price appliance, but for others, it’s the difference between a productive life and an unproductive life.”

Since Brad’s car was awarded to a neighbor in need, his tax-deductible vehicle donation qualifies for a deduction up to the car’s fair-market value, according to the IRS. GNG is one of the few car donation charities in the country that can offer a fair-market value tax deduction if the donated car is awarded to a family in need. This can mean hundreds, even thousands more in tax deductions than other charities can offer. For more information about tax-deductible vehicle donations, please visit our blog at this link: https://goodnewsgarage.org/how-do-vehicle-tax-deductions-work/.

You can also find more information about tax-deductible vehicle donations in the IRS publication 4303, “A Donor’s Guide to Vehicle Donation.” As always, we encourage you to consult with a tax professional regarding any tax advice.

Inspired to Make a Difference?

If you’d like to help advocate for transportation equity and the renewal of our New Hampshire programs, please consider writing an email or letter to your NH state representative. You can find the name and contact information of your local representative on this page:
 http://gencourt.state.nh.us/house/members/default.aspx.

If you were inspired by Brad’s donation and want to help New Englanders reach their potential, consider donating your old or unused car! Donors who make a tax-deductible vehicle donation always receive free towing and the satisfaction of knowing that their donated car is making a big community impact, here in New England.