Full Answer
See more
What does Kars4Kids do with the money?
KARS 4 KIDS, INC. FUNDS EDUCATIONAL AND YOUTH PROGRAMS FOR JEWISH CHILDREN AND FAMILIES IN COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES. OUR FULL SUITE OF PROGRAMS INCLUDES SCHOOL PLACEMENT AND TUITION ASSISTANCE, MENTORSHIP AND EXTRACURRICULAR PROGRAMS, FAMILY RETREATS AND SUMMER CAMPS.
Who is behind Kars4Kids?
Kars4Kids and Oorah share a principal officer, Eliyohu Mintz, the son of their founder, Rabbi Chaim Mintz, and both organizations are located at the same address in the heavily-Orthodox Jewish town of Lakewood, New Jersey.
Who gets money from Kars4Kids?
OorahKars4Kids is a United States-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that states that its mission is "to fund educational, developmental and recreational programs for low-income youth" through programs largely facilitated by its sister charity Oorah, which focuses on Jewish children and families.
What is the best charity to donate a car to?
5 Best Car Donation CharitiesHabitat for Humanity. Habitat for Humanity accepts donated cars, trucks, motorcycles, recreational vehicles, boats, snowmobiles, farm equipment and construction equipment. ... Ronald McDonald House Charities. ... The Salvation Army. ... Goodwill. ... Canine Companions for Independence.
Is Kars4Kids real?
We're a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit Jewish organization who, together with our sister charity Oorah, help thousands of children. Kars4Kids makes donating to charity easy. Be it cars, boats or real estate, we pride ourselves on making the donation experience a pleasure.
Are car donations worth it?
Donating your car to charity can result in significant tax savings if you include it in your charitable contribution deduction. However, doing a little planning will ensure that you maximize the tax savings of your donation.
What happens to the cars donated to Kars for Kids?
Most cars that are donated to Kars4Kids are sold in order to generate funds for the charity. In all cases, the proceeds from each sale are then used for Kars4Kids' charity programs. You'll be informed of where we're sending your car, and then we'll arrange a pickup at a time that's convenient for you.
Does Kars4Kids take cars that don't run?
Sure! You can donate almost any car that doesn't run to our charity. If you have a vehicle that hasn't been in running condition for a while, either fill out a form online or give us a call at 877-Kars4Kids - that's 877-527-7454 - and we will come pick it up for free.
Can you buy a car from Kars4Kids?
We don't sell on the private market, although we do sell some boats and RV's on eBay. Kars4Kids sells the donated vehicles through licensed auctions and vendors that are primarily dealer exclusive to raise proceeds for our programs. The vehicles are mostly sold at Copart Auto Auction.
How do you get rid of a car that doesn't run?
Options for Getting Rid of a Car That Doesn't RunTrade-In at a dealership. Both new and used car dealerships buy used vehicles. ... Sell it independently. ... Find online buyers or traders. ... Consult mechanics and repair shops. ... Consider junkyards and scrap yards. ... Donate your car to charity.
Is Free Charity Cars legitimate?
Nonprofit Overview Mission: Established in 1996, The Original 1-800-Charity Cars, www.800CharityCars.org (DBA: Free Charity Cars), is a 501(C) (3) non-profit charity with its stated mission “To engage in activities that will uplift humanity”.
What does Purple Heart do with donated cars?
Purple Heart evaluates each donated vehicle to obtain the highest possible selling price for the vehicle in an effort to generate funds for our veterans and to maximize the donor's tax deduction.
Where do cars kids money go?
Most cars that are donated to Kars4Kids are sold in order to generate funds for the charity. In all cases, the proceeds from each sale are then used for Kars4Kids' charity programs.
What does Volunteers of America do with donated cars?
We convert vehicles into cash, which becomes a welcome donation to Volunteers of America. Your gift may qualify for a tax deduction and you avoid the cost and hassle of repairing or selling a car you no longer want.
How old are the Kars for Kids kids?
Kars4Kids was founded in 1995 as a 501(C)3 non-profit organization.
Who sang the Kars for Kids jingle?
“You can't forget it,” says Colin Crest, who played the lead singer in the Kars 4 Kids Car Donations ad as a 10 year old. “It is always stuck in my head on repeat 24/7.”
What is the motto of Kars4Kids?
They use the motto: ‘Because kids are our future’, which sounds seemingly harmless, but is also telling the truth about what their mission statement is all about. With all respect to religions and faith all over the world, a charity is not exempt from helping special interest groups. Many of them have a very specific focus on who they directly help.
Does Kars4Kids sell cars?
If you have a car that’s worth much more, it needs to be evaluated independently. Kars4Kids does mention they will sell the car at the amount it sells for’ at auction, which is another red flag. You don’t have any control over its appraised value, or getting what the car is worth at market value.
Does Kars4Kids accept donations?
But this is where the Oorah nonprofit organization starts to get murky as well. It was further reported that Kars4Kids now accepts property donations of all kinds. At least 10 million in properties acquired by Kars4Kids, then became investments that were lost by Oorah executives recently.
Is Kars4Kids a 501c3?
The reason that Kars4Kids is a legitimate charity goes back to 1995 when they were legally registered as a nonprofit organization. This also gave them the ability to offer what is called the 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization classification. This means they can accept donations in return for tax deduction claims. They can be cars, trucks, boats, and not limited to land or property.
Is Kars4Kids a nonprofit?
It seems that one state is upset about their review of mission statements from Kars4Kids, and is being quite vocal about where the proceeds are actually going. The state has filed a 300-page report through the Attorney General’s office, and other supporting states to repeal Kars4Kids charity nonprofit organization title. This comes after their findings that donations from this charity barely benefit any Minnesota charities or children in their state.
Can you donate a car to Kars4kids?
If a vehicle is not working, broken down, or wrecked, Kars4Kids will accept these vehicles too. They are sold-off and stripped for parts. Whether these auctions are done in your state is a big mystery. A vehicle can be transported to an out-of-state auction site Kars4Kids prefers to sell through. Since they have volunteers in every US state, they can move vehicles wherever they want once you donate your car to them.
Does Kars4Kids give money to family?
If further informs you that any money made from the sale of your donation goes directly to their organization and family members . It also funds their education programs set up by Kars4Kids and Oorah. On their Kars4KidsGrants- About Us page, they detail exactly what their mission statement is all about.
What is 990 form?
The Form 990 is a document that nonprofit organizations file with the IRS annually. We leverage finance and accountability data from it to form Encompass ratings. Click here to view this organization's Forms 990 on the IRS website (if any are available).
Why is Charity Navigator important?
Charity Navigator believes nonprofit organizations that engage in inclusive practices, such as collecting feedback from the people and communities they serve, may be more effective. We award every nonprofit that completes the Candid survey full credit for this Beacon, in recognition of their willingness to publicly share this information with the nonprofit and philanthropic communities. Although the data is not evaluated for quality at this time, future iterations of this Beacon will include third party or other data that will serve to validate the information provided by the nonprofit.
What does Charity Navigator look for on Form 990?
Charity Navigator looks to confirm on the Form 990 that the organization has these governance practices in place .
What is working capital ratio?
Determines how long a charity could sustain its level of spending using its net available assets, or working capital, as reported on its most recently filed Form 990. We include in a charity's working capital unrestricted and temporarily restricted net assets, and exclude permanently restricted net assets. Dividing these net available assets in the most recent year by a charity's average total expenses, yields the working capital ratio. We calculate the charity's average total expenses over its three most recent fiscal years.
How to calculate charity efficiency?
To calculate a charity's fundraising efficiency, we divide its average fundraising expenses by the average total contributions it receives. We calculate the charity's average expenses and average contributions over its three most recent fiscal years.
How to find program expense ratio?
The Program Expense Ratio is determined by Program Expenses divided by Total Expense (average of most recent three 990s).
Why do charities need to be rated?
Part of our goal in rating the financial performance of charities is to help donors assess the financial capacity and sustainability of a charity. As do organizations in other sectors, charities must be mindful of their management of total liabilites in relation to their total assets. This ratio is an indicator of an organization’s solvency and or long term sustainability. Dividing a charity's total liabilities by its total assets yields this percentage.
How many stations does the jingle air on?
Airing first on radio stations on the East Coast, the jingle took off, wildly exceeding our expectations. Today, our jingle airs on over 50 stations in 14 major US markets and is estimated to reach 50 million listeners daily.
Why do we invest in children?
We invest in children because they are our future. That may sound cliché but it’s undeniably true. Our mission is to give children the opportunities and support they need to develop into productive members of their communities. Mentorship is the heart of all of our programs.
What is Kars4Kids?
Kars4Kids is a registered nonprofit Jewish organization who, together with Oorah, our sister charity, helps thousands of children. Learn more about our charity, financials, board and team.
How much money did Kars4Kids lose in 2009?
Especially costly were Kars4Kids’ and Oorah’s real estate investments in an alleged Ponzi scheme in which they were victimized and lost more than a combined $7.6 million in 2009 and 2010. To put the $7.6 million in context, Oorah’s total cash spending on Jewish youth programs was approximately $12.2 million over that same period. The real estate developer behind the alleged investment scheme, which reportedly caused $200 million in total losses, was sentenced to 22 years in prison. Even though Kars4Kids and Oorah were victims, some donors may seriously question the judgment of Eliyohu Mintz, the principal officer of Kars4Kids and Oorah, and their other respective board members in deciding to risk donated charitable funds on real estate speculation.
What is the Kars4Kids commercial?
The Kars4Kids commercials claim that the charity provides for “quick and easy” pick up of car donations, and that the car donations will in some way be used for the benefit of kids. An important question potential donors should ask, though, is: Just how much do kids benefit from the cars donated to Kars4Kids? Also, with hundreds of millions of kids in the world, exactly which kids will benefit, and how are those kids helped?
Where do Kars4Kids live?
Donors should also be aware that even though the Kars4Kids ads are broadcast across the country, the vast majority of the children that benefit from the cars donated to Kars4Kids live in the Northeast, particularly in New York and New Jersey. According to a 2017 compliance review conducted by the Office of the Attorney General of the State of Minnesota (OAG), over 99.9% of the $90 million raised by Kars4Kids from 2012-2014 was spent on charitable programs under the direction or control of Kars4Kids’ “sister charity,” Oorah. Oorah’s two largest programs are its summer camps and tuition assistance programs for Jewish children, according to the OAG, with the camps being operated at two New York locations. The OAG reports that of the total number of children that benefitted from Oorah’s summer camps and tuition assistance programs from 2012-2014, 67% and 65%, respectively, were from either New York or New Jersey. The OAG compliance review also provides a broader geographical breakdown by region (Northeast, South, Midwest and West) showing that 79% of the children that benefitted from Oorah’s summer camps and tuition assistance programs lived in the Northeast; less than 10% lived in the Midwest and West combined. Furthermore, CharityWatch noted that even the backpack giveaway and coat distribution events run by Kars4Kids for the benefit of needy children, regardless of their religion, seem to be highly concentrated in the Northeast, based on the information available on the Kars4Kids website.
Is it a good idea to donate a car to charity?
Backed by memorable TV and radio ads or not, car donations are notorious for being one of the most costly ways to give to charity. Kars4Kids certainly has a catchy advertising jingle and may be among the more financially efficient charities when it comes to processing donated cars, but ultimately it, together with Oorah, still only spent about 38% of car donation proceeds on charitable programs in 2015. Donors should also be aware that the vast majority of those programs are for Orthodox Jewish youth outreach, and do not benefit needy “kids” in general. Before deciding to donate your car to any charity, see CharityWatch’s Tips for Donating a Car to Charity.
Does Kars4Kids donate to Oorah?
Additionally, as the car donation proceeds get passed along from Kars4Kids to Oorah, Oorah itself has fundraising and general administrative costs to pay for, which it does primari ly with the grant money it receives from Kars 4Kids. Therefore, the proceeds Kars4Kids generates from car donations get another “hair cut” when they make their way to Oorah. Fortunately, Oorah’s cash-based program spending percentage was 74% in 2015, which is above CharityWatch’s reasonableness benchmark of 60%. Even with Oorah’s very reasonable rate of program spending, though, once Oorah’s and Kars4Kids’ overhead expenses are considered in aggregate, only about 38% of Kars4Kids’ donated car proceeds were spent on bona fide programs in 2015. In other words, based on the average resale value of about $365 for a car donated to Kars4Kids in 2015, less than $139 actually went towards benefitting “kids,” who, as a reminder, are mostly Jewish youth that participate in Oorah’s Orthodox Jewish outreach programs.
Does Kars4Kids have a car donation program?
The religious affiliation of the kids that benefit from the cars donated to Kars4Kids may not matter to some donors, but what should concern all donors is what portion of the car donation proceeds get spent on bona fide charitable programs versus fundraising and other overhead costs. Unlike many car donation charities, Kars4Kids claims to do all of the car donation processing “in house” rather than through middlemen. Processing the donated cars in-house theoretically cuts down on the related overhead costs, leaving a larger portion of the car proceeds to be used on programs. Kars4Kids’ total fundraising costs, however, are still relatively high. For example, about one-half of the average resale value of each donated car in 2015 went to pay for Kars4Kids’ fundraising and advertising expenses that year. Therefore, although Kars4Kids may have cheaper processing costs than many other car donation charities, it still spent more on overhead than it did on programs in 2015, when just 47% of its cash budget went to programs – an unsatisfactory level by CharityWatch’s standards. Moreover, at almost 51%, the amount that Kars4Kids spent on fundraising and advertising relative to its donated car proceeds in 2015 has increased considerably since 2010 when less than 33% of donated car proceeds were used for fundraising and advertising.
Did Kars4Kids pay for car donations?
In connection with Kars4Kids’ failure to disclose in its ads that donated cars are used to benefit children of a specific religion, and not needy children in general, Kars4Kids paid tens of thousands of dollars in settlements to the states of Oregon and Pennsylvania in 2009. (CharityWatch informed donors of these fines in our Catchy Jingle Not a Green Light to Donatearticle published in 2010.) Under the settlements, Kars4Kids was also required to change its solicitations in those states to include adequate disclosure of the religious purpose of its programs. “It is unacceptable for charities to deceive Oregon consumers,” the Attorney General said in an April 15th, 2009 press release announcing the Kars4Kids settlement, which also involved claims that Kars4Kids misled donors with its offer to provide a “free vacation” with every car donation. Apparently, however, the Oregon and Pennsylvania settlements did not convince Kars4Kids to add a disclosure related to the religious nature of its organization to its ads being run in other states – most likely, in CharityWatch’s view, because Kars4Kids does not want to risk losing potential donors who may not want to support Jewish youth outreach programs.
How Much Can I Deduct for a Car Donation?
If we sell the car for up to $500, you can deduct the fair market value of the car, up to $500. If we sell it for more than $500, the amount you can deduct on your taxes is the amount for which the vehicle is sold.
How much money does Kars4Kids raise?
Through donations to Kars4Kids, the organization has raised $100 million to help kids, providing mentorship, educational support, and nurturing year-round environments like afterschool groups and summer camps. Through the proceeds of donations from all over North America, Kars4Kids has had an impact on more than 32,000 children and their families, networking with over 180 individual schools, and with more than 30 afterschool program locations, two summer camps, and a state-of-the-art mentoring program that matches mentors and mentees through the use of cutting edge technology.
What kind of donations does Kars4Kids accept?
Kars4Kids accepts donations of cars, boats, RVs, motorcycles, and all types of vehicles. The charity also accepts donations of real estate, gift cards, cash, in kind donations, and matching donations.
What is Kars4Kids culture?
At Kars4Kids, our culture, whether with our donors, in our office, or among the children in our programs, is one of helping and kindness. Our customer service representatives process donations, but can also handle any questions that arise. We listen to all comments and complaints and do what we can to assist donors so that the process of donation is fast, easy, and as pleasant as possible.
How many radio stations are there for Kars4Kids?
They wrote the lyrics, set it to music, and recorded the jingle in house to keep production costs low. Today, the jingle is aired on 50 radio stations in 14 major US markets (not to mention television channels, too) and is estimated to reach some 50 million listeners daily. Even those who dislike the jingle, agree that it is unforgettable, which makes for good branding. When it’s time for someone to donate a car, the Kars4Kids jingle, with the charity’s phone number, readily comes to mind.
What is a kars4kids?
Kars4Kids is a nationally recognized Jewish 501 (c)3 nonprofit organization that serves the community through a variety of education, youth development, family outreach, and faith-based programs . The charity’s donation programs raise funds for a large number of year-round programs offered to children and their families through a sister charity, Oorah.
When was the original Kars4Kids jingle made?
But the original jingle was first aired in 1999 on a local New York radio station. It was the iconic 1999 original version of the jingle that propelled Kars4Kids from a small local charity to large national organization impacting on the lives of hundreds of thousands of children and their families.
Why are cars donated to Kars4Kids?
Most cars that are donated to Kars4Kids are sold in order to generate funds for the charity. Depending on several factors including vehicle and market conditions, they may be sold at auction or to a scrapyard. In some cases, the donated vehicle will be used by Kars4Kids for a charity program, such as to transport volunteers or the like. In any event, Kars4Kids assesses each donated car carefully to ensure it is getting maximum value for each donation.
What is the phone number of Kars4Kids?
Remember: The official Kars4Kids is spelled with a “K” throughout, and the phone number is 1.877. KARS4KIDS.
Is Kars4Kids a 501c3?
Kars4Kids’ success has been built on a proven track record, both in its car donation practices and its charitable work. Kars4kids is recognized by the IRS as a licensed and registered 501 (c)3 charity.
How Does It Work?
In order to provide their youth members with the support and opportunities they need, including educational services, youth mentorship, community and family outreach, summer camps, extracurricular programs, holiday retreats, and more, the Kars 4 Kids organization created a revenue stream that is beneficial to both them and their donors.
Cos & Price Plans
The whole point of donating your car to Kars4Kids.org is that you will not have to pay fees to take a non-working car off your property or to do the work of selling it, when you can instead allow them to take ownership of it.
Refund Policy
Since this company is a charity that is provided a free service to their donators, there really isn’t any need for a Refund Policy.
Customer Service Contact Info
Customers who would like to contact Customer Service with any questions, concerns, or complaints can do so by phone at 877-527-7454 or by email at [email protected].
Reputation
There are some very vocal people online who are extremely upset with this organization, because they feel that they solicit donations under the guise of a children’s charity without making it clear that they are a Jewish non-profit organization that largely finds program through its sister organization Oorah, which provides Jewish children and their families with opportunities to better reconnect with their heritage and their faith..
Competitors and Alternatives?
There are many other organizations that offer tax deductible donation opportunities for people, including the ability to donate their car.
Kars For Kids Customer Reviews
I donated a 43 foot tri-axle/tri-slide fifth wheel toy hauler trailer to them in June 2020 in Canada. I advertised it last summer for $20K and let the ad expire as don't like opening my property to strangers. During that time I received an offer for $18K which I turned down having just spent $3K in repairs.
What does a donation to Kars4Kids do?
Your donation supports the youth and educational programs of national nonprofit Kars4Kids and our sister charity Oorah.
What is Kars4Kids?
Kars4Kids is a registered nonprofit Jewish organization who, together with Oorah, Oorah, our sister charity, help thousands of children develop into productive members of the community. Our vision. Our vision is to give our children the ability to succeed in life.
How long does it take to get a car donated?
Your car donation can be picked up within 24 hours, and often even the same day.
Is Kars4Kids a Jewish organization?
It takes a positive experience in all arenas to build a healthy child. Kars4Kids is a registered nonprofit Jewish organization who, together with Oorah, our sister charity, help thousands of children develop into productive members of the community. Our vision is to give our children the ability to succeed in life.
Do you get a tax receipt for vacation?
You receive a tax receipt and vacation voucher .
