The Mini Token Blog

I’ve had the pleasure of donating three of my cars to charity over the years, older models which could still have fetched me several hundred to a few thousand dollars each had I chosen to sell them privately. Another option, to trade these cars in when buying a new one was something that I considered, but I was much more moved by helping a charity out who could resell the car and keep the cash. When you donate to charity it is a really great feeling.

Donating your old car to charity can be a wise move, one that can benefit a needy organization as well as yourself. Is donating a car always the right move? From a financial standpoint that answer would be “no,” but it does have its advantages. Read on and we’ll explore why donating your car can be one of the smartest decisions you ever make.

Eligible charities - Although many charities may accept car donations, in order to reap the tax deduction on your federal tax return, you should give to those organizations which are 501(c)(3) recognized under the federal tax code. If they are, then you’ll be able to claim the amount that the charity was sold for. Remember, your donation will go to the charity, but in all likelihood they’ll resell your car and keep the proceeds. Once the sale is done, you’ll receive a receipt from the charity telling you how much the car fetched at auction. Use that amount to claim a deduction per IRS regulations.

Donate directly - Regardless of the value of your car, you’ll want to donate it directly to the charity, if possible. This means that if your car is in good running order, you can drive it to the charity’s office, sign the related paperwork retitling the car, and leave. When a third party must be brought in to pick up the car, the charity must pay the tow truck driver to remove your car, cutting into the funds they make for selling the car. Why not maximize your donation by cutting out the middleman?

Avoid a headache - Trading your car in when buying a new one or selling it separately to an unknown party can be a tedious event. Likely, the amount of money you’ll get when trading it in will be far less than what the car is worth; this especially holds true if you’re trying to unload a gas guzzler. As far as a private transaction goes, do you really want to deal with strangers?

Malignant mesothelioma is a uncommon and quick acting growth for which no successful therapy has been discovered even with the breakthrough of many possible molecular and genetic targets. The final stages of MPM diagnosis and the period of time that exists between some exposures and diagnosis have made it tricky to completely study what risk factors do and the resulting molecular effects.

Quite a few hospitals are now seeing more people that have mesothelioma cancer. Because of this, pathologists studying the case are given a number of problems, which can be divided into those discovered in distinguishing between malignant mesothelioma and harmless changes and those experienced in setting apart mesotheliomas from other forms of epithelial and connecting tissue tumors. Immunohistochemistry plays a major role in diagnosing, however, it should be understood with due regard to the medical setting and radiological characteristics, and taking into consideration the vast morphological differences seen in malignant mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma is a cancer affecting the serosal cavities, an anatomical area that is often affected by mets, predominantly from primary carcinomas of the lung, breast, and ovary. Progression in IHC have caused an improved diagnostic sensitivity and exactness in the differential diagnosis in regards to histological and cytological material. As of late, the authors group applied high throughput technology to the identification of new markers that may aid in being able to tell the difference between cancer of the mesothelium from cancer in the peritoneum and ovaries, closely related histogenesis found in tumors and antigenic profile. In addition to the better tools available for serosal cancer diagnosis, knowledge regarding the biology of malignant mesothelioma has accumulate in recent years.

Intelius founder and current CEO Naveen Jain may be a busy man but he always dedicates a significant amount of his time and energy to philanthropy. As leader of Intelius, a premiere company in the information commerce industry, Naveen Jain is viewed as a visionary whose bold moves have won him and his company deserving accolades from several organizations and individuals. As a man of philanthropy, the captain of Intellius and former CEO of Infospace has his sights set on several issues including education, easy access to adequate healthcare, and proper housing. Naveen Jain has a soft spot for children and this is very visible in his works, whether it is a business engagement or a charitable endeavor. For one, his company Intelius works closely with the Boys and Girls Club of Bellevue, an organization that provides a venue where children can play and learn after school hours. Intelius provided the organization with free background checking service to help the club sort their candidates for volunteers and job openings. Another notable endeavor is Naveen Jain’s collaboration with Child Rights and You (CRY) India, a nonprofit organization that aims to promote and uphold children’s rights in India, particularly the underprivileged children living in communities in rural and urban areas. Naveen Jain also advocates children’s access to proper healthcare and as such, partnered with the Children’s Hospital to make sure that children, regardless of race, socioeconomic status, and cultural upbringing, receive the best health and medical attention. With his wife Anu, Naveen Jain took part in the 200+ Family Christmas program where over 200 low-income families from various locations in the western United States enjoyed a Christmas treat from the sponsors of the project, which also included Austin-based Nicholas Matzorkis, technology entrepreneur and CEO of ZabaSearch. In addition, there are many things Naveen Jain has done, and would do, for children; clearly a mark of a person who makes children a priority in his list.

And who ruffled my feathers? My state legislators did when they voted in favor of a bill costing $3m to produce curriculum materials for our public schools. So what’s wrong with that?

All members of the legislature, both republicans and democrats, voted in favor…with the exception of a single republican senator who felt that it was none of their business. He is right. Their job is to finance public education not to produce curriculum materials.

How could this have happened at a time when over 6% of our labor force is unemployed and we are in a severe and prolonged economic down-turn? There are several possibilities:
The media failed to keep us informed.
No organization protested (PTA, School Boards,
Teachers, parents etc. etc.
The bill was proposed by a member of a politically potent ethic minority and, in the present climate of multiculturalism and ethnic diversity of course {”whitey” would grovel and vote for a bill clearly against their best interest as well as the interests of the students

This is just one more example of the failure of what we laughingly call DEMOCRACY. Democracy is like a wheelbarrow, you know. It doesn’t work unless you get behind it and apply some effort. Fail to do this and you forfeit your bitching and whining rights.

About the Author

Retired high school science teacher.