Car Donation Program Comparison: Hands of The Carpenter vs. Kars for Kids - Hands of The Carpenter (2024)

When you’re looking into donating your used car to charity, one of the first things you need to determine is which organization to donate it to. After all, your used car was once a valuable asset. Plus, used cars often hold sentimental value, and you would probably like to make your car as useful for someone else as it once was for you.

So why choose to donate your used car to Hands of The Carpenter, especially when there are other nonprofits, like Kars 4 Kids, that offer a used car donation program, too? To help you understand the benefits of our car donation program – the Good Neighbor Garage Vehicle Placement Program vs. the Kars 4 Kids Car Donation Program, we’ve compiled a quick Q & A-style comparison below.

Who benefits from my used car donation?

Kars 4 Kids was founded in 1995 and launched their vehicle donation program to fund different charities geared towards furthering children’s education. In a nutshell, they accept your used car donation and resell it. The proceeds support the various programs of their partner charities.

Hands of The Carpenter (Hands), on the other hand, is a faith-based nonprofit founded in 2003 by Dan and Brenda Georgopulos. While it’s a young organization compared to Kars 4 Kids, the past 18 years have seen the organization make a worthwhile and meaningful impact in the lives of many deserving working single mothers through the Good Neighbor Garage Programs (GNG). While our primary focus is on single mothers, other deserving single women (widows, domestic violence survivors, etc.) in need of transportation assistance can also apply.

Unlike the Kars 4 Kids car donation process, our car donation program allows you to make a direct impact. Here’s why:

Your used car donations directly benefit qualified working single women, especially single mothers. Without reliable transportation, many single moms can risk losing their jobs. This, of course, can have the terrible follow-on effect of causing them to lose their home and, potentially, becoming unable to provide for their children. This fact is why every time we receive a used car, the car itself or the proceeds (if sold) goes directly to a qualified beneficiary. There is no “middle” charitable foundation that we send the proceeds to. You can learn about the touching stories of the lives we have helped through the simple act of accepting your used car donations.

Does the organization offer other vehicle-related programs?

Other than accepting the donation of other vehicles, such as boats or RVs, Kars 4 Kids does not offer other vehicle-related programs or services to its recipients. At Hands of The Carpenter, however, we understand that sometimes it’s not a car that our beneficiaries need – sometimes they just need help with costly car repairs.

That’s why aside from our Vehicle Placement Program, we also offer a Vehicle Repair Program and Vehicle Maintenance Program. Our primary goal is to help deserving working single moms and their families to get back up on their feet. With reliable transportation, we hope to open doors for better opportunities.

Can I maximize my tax deduction with your program by donating my used car?

Both Hands of The Carpenter and Kars 4 Kids car donation programs qualify the car owner for a federal tax deduction. Kars 4 Kids offers an additional 2-night hotel voucher as an additional incentive.

Hands of The Carpenter, however, is one of few charities in Colorado which allows you to maximize your tax benefits. If you’re interested to donate an unwanted car, you can read how our vehicle donation process works. To determine your claim amount vs. sale price/car value, we recommend that you read IRS Publication 561 – “Determining the Value of Donated Property.”

How does the organization qualify a candidate for a car donation?

Kars 4 Kids offers a broad approach in terms of their beneficiaries – the proceeds from the sale of your used car donation are turned over to their partner charities. These charities aim to further the future and education of children through youth development programs, community services, and community family outreach.

At Hands of The Carpenter, we narrow down our beneficiaries to single mothers and other deserving single women in need of reliable transportation. We follow a strict qualification process where candidates undergo a lengthy application process, and submit a number of items for approval for the program. Before approval, we carefully examine each candidate to ensure that each beneficiary is truly qualified for the services we provide.

Conclusion

Are you ready to make a difference? Choosing between Hands of The Carpenter and Kars 4 Kids is understandably a tough decision. We encourage you to examine the benefits of donating your car to Hands of The Carpenter, as we are one of the few car donation programs in the country where the cars go directly to individuals in need. It’s a win-win situation: you get a sizable tax benefit from your used car donation, and a single mother gains reliable transportation – with no middle man – that will help her pursue the opportunities in front of her.