They’re everywhere – ads asking you to donate your old car or truck to a charitable organization. When you see this much advertising on any subject, you can be certain that it is generating revenue. Organizations don’t pay for advertising if it doesn’t bring in money. In 2008 alone the IRS reports that US taxpayers donated over 443 million dollars worth of old vehicles.

People who donate cars are looking for a tax break or looking to get rid of a junker. But people also donate cars to charity because they want their donation to do some good. Which begs the question: What percentage of the money earned from donating a car actually goes into programs that help people?

The answer to that question can be difficult to pin down – and the more difficult it is to pin down, the more wary you should be about the ‘charity’ you’re thinking of donating to. The first thing you need to check out – are you donating directly to the charity, or to one of the countless charity car donation middlemen out there?

You would think you’d be in the clear if the organization is classified as a 501(c)(3). But it’s not that easy. If the organization you want to donate your car to uses language like ‘Your donated car can benefit any charity, school or church that you choose’, or ‘choose from a list of charities’, or if they talk about donating the money from your car to a charity for kids, pets, veterans or anything else – you are dealing with a charity car donation middleman, not the organization that runs programs that help people. Some some of these middlemen are even more noncommittal about what they do with the money from your donation.

So what’s so bad about donating your car to a middleman car donation organization? The problem is you think you are donating your car to a charity, but you are really donating a large percentage of the money to the people who run the middleman organization. Before the middleman donates any funds from your donated car, they pocket money to pay for marketing, operating costs, and their salary. Some middleman car donation programs keep more than 70% of the money they earn.

The worst of them never disclose how much money they take for operating costs and their paychecks. Probably because they know people might not be so eager to donate cars if they understood that less than 30% of the money went into programs that help people. When you consider that any charity will subtract their own operating costs from any donation they get, the amount going to help people gets even smaller.

There are some easy steps you can make to be certain your car donation does the good you want it to. Most important: avoid middlemen. Donate your truck or car to the charity directly if possible. Second, do a little digging. There are a couple of effective online resources you can use to make certain the charity you’re thinking of donating a vehicle to is legitimate. Go to charitynavigator.org or the Better Business Bureau online at bbb.org and search for the organization’s name. If they have a questionable report, don’t give. If they don’t have any report at all, don’t give.

Most respectable charities will reveal the percentage of donations that go to programs that help people. You can usually find that information on their website or in their annual report. If that percentage is hard to find, or you can’t find it at all, that should raise a red flag and warn you that your donation could be going into someone’s pocket instead of charitable programs.

Done right, donating a car to charity is a win-win situation. You get a nice tax deduction and the charity gets the money they need to help people. It pays to take a little extra time to make certain you’re doing the most good with your car donation.

Donating a Car? CarsHelpingPeople.org is the online car donation site for Volunteers of America, Created in 1986 we are one of the nations oldest and most respected charities. Rest easy when donating cars, 100% of the funds stay with Volunteers of America, and 88% is used for services for veterans, the homeless, children at risk and seniors. CarsHelpingPeople.org.

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You are sure there is fire somewhere near when you see a red truck whizzing by with its lights flashing and sirens blaring. It is the fire truck with its fire fighters who are going to the place where there is an outbreak of fire, or even a catastrophe or accident. Popularly called fire engines, these fire trucks are fully equipped for dousing the fire and rescuing the trapped. Not long ago, it was the loud ringing of the bell that used to announce the arrival of fire trucks.

The color of the fire trucks are usually bright red though there are other colors given to it. There are the yellow colored fire trucks that you find in the airport. So also you find yellow colored fire trucks assisting in dousing forest fires. Fire trucks are manufactured in different sizes. It can, at the least, seat five firefighters. The fire truck has a two way radio to communicate. Some fire trucks have a hydraulic system with which the ladders are extended to reach high. This is normally useful when there are tall buildings involved in the fire or accidents. Fire trucks carry a variety of tools with which one can break down doors or pull down a wall with hooks. Some offer emergency medical aid while there are others which act as a rescue units. Fire trucks are also active in assisting in incidents of building collapse and accidents. It is not as though that only fire trucks are involved in combating fire, aircrafts and boats too are used in fire fighting.

From the earlier water pumping apparatus on wheels pulled by horse, fire trucks have come a long way. Firefighting has become highly skilled work. Fire fighting equipments have got modernized. Websites announce used cheap fire trucks for sale.

Water tank mounted fire tanks are commonly found to be used. They have lengthy hose which is used to pump and spray water. Fire trucks also come with draft water suction to suck water out from various types of locally available water sources. Town, city and building planning now insist on having water hydrants or fire hydrants. Rivers, lakes, tanks and streams found locally are also a good source of water. Fire trucks and firefighters play an important role by providing these emergency and life saving services.

Fire trucks have improved. Yet, firefighters will forever be heroes in our hearts.

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Auctions can often be a great place to look for a car or truck under $1000. Local public auctions are generally advertised in the newspaper or on the radio. Dealer, wholesale and estate auctions are also good local sources. Online auctions can be found on Co Part, craigslist, and eBay.

If you own an alternator testing machine, you can test to see whether your car\’s alternator is charging correctly. For most people this isn\’t practical as few motorists own such an expensive piece of equipment.

One of the best things you can do to help increase your automotive safety is to learn defensive driving. A lot of defensive driving is really a matter of common sense and courtesy, nonetheless courses can be taken to improve your driving skills.

If there is an increase in voltage when you start your car, then your alternator is more than likely working just fine. Likely, you battery is the culprit; check the battery itself and the connections to make a final determination.

If there is no increase in voltage, you are likely looking at having to replace your alternator.The next step, of course, is to determine whether you will replace the alternator yourself or have someone else do the job. Some things to keep in mind as you weigh your options include:

If you trust your vehicle to a mechanic, what will the total cost of the work be including the part and labor? Is there a guarantee?

Then again, it is important not to overlook the most important factors in car safety: wearing your seatbelt and making sure that your car is in good operating order.

If you are in a crash, your chance of survival, according to some experts, more than doubles if you are wearing your seatbelt. And one of the leading preventable causes of tragic car accidents is a car that is inadequately maintained and fails because its equipment fails. Be conscious of car safety and don\’t drive on bald tires or a misaligned or failing suspension.

Don\’t put off that oil change and risk having that engine seize up on you! Above all, your car safety is your safety, so don\’t put your life on the line just because you haven\’t gotten around to getting those necessary services for your car!

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