Thank you for thinking of us and the children and families whom we help.  Our program relies on the generosity of individuals.  When you donate you allow us to provide hope to more families without homes and more children without families. Vehicle donations are turned into funds to build more homes for families and take more boys off the streets.  The average nonprofit has administrative costs from 20 - 50%.  Our administrative costs for last year were 17%.  This means that eighty-three cents of every dollar goes directly to programs and services.

Donating your vehicle will also give you a great tax break and frees you of the hassle of selling a car- advertisements, strangers visiting your home, phone calls, haggling, etc.

Our goal is to make this process as simple and straightforward as possible.

1. What can I donate?        We accept most cars, trucks, RV’s, boats, motorcycles, trailers, and even airplanes.

2. What about a tax deduction?        Charities which are IRS501(c)3 approved may receive tax deductible donations. Following are the basic guidelines for donating a vehicle. Please consult the IRS website or your tax professional for clarification.

• Items given to us will be acknowledged with an IRS approved receipt and corresponding IRS forms.
• This receipt will not have an estimated value. This is per IRS rules.
• You must assign a value to the gift when you file your taxes for that year. To estimate the value of your vehicle, you can utilize the Kelly Blue Book at www.kbb.com or request a printout from us for your particular make and model of car.
• If you assign a value higher than $500 to your vehicle, you must have a receipt from Project Mexico stating that the vehicle was sold for the amount you wish to deduct or a letter from Project Mexico stating that the vehicle is being used for ministry purposes, or was given to a program participant. If the vehicle is being used by Project Mexico or was given to a ministry participant, the donor may claim the market value for the vehicle.

3. Does it need an appraisal? If the value of the vehicle is above $5,000, the donor will need to include an appraisal of the vehicle. If the vehicle was sold by Project Mexico, the amount of the sale will be specified in the documentation sent to the donor from Project Mexico.

The guidelines for donating vehicles can be found at the IRS website: http://www.irs.gov 

• An appraisal is a very easy process which takes about an hour and costs under $100. Appraisers are licensed and are generally very friendly and helpful. For appraisers for different types of vehicles see the yellow pages or contact your tax advisor.
• Keep the appraisal information and all documents provided by Project Mexico for your tax return. Project Mexico will provide the donor with all of the necessary documentation and make the donation and receipting process as easy as possible for the donor.

4. What documents/arrangements do I need to donate my vehicle?  We would like to have the title to the vehicle but if you are unable to locate it please call us. It is possible to make other arrangements. Following is the typical process for donating a vehicle:

• The vehicle does not need to be running but it does need to be towable and have an engine.
• No smog certificate is required.
• We offer free pickup at a prearranged time.
• In the month following the date the vehicle was received, you will receive a tax deductible receipt and corresponding IRS forms.

5. Do you pick up vehicles outside of San Diego or in other states?  We are able to pickup vehicles in all states except Hawaii. Simply contact us to arrange a donation and pick-up.