Vehicle Donations: a Win-Win Way to Give

Lyons resident Phil Aumiller figured he’d gotten his money’s worth from his Volkswagen Jetta TDI. “It had 60,000 miles on it when I bought it, and I drove it for another 134,000,” he said. “I didn't want to try to sell it myself, which is always a painful, time-consuming process…and I didn't know if somebody would buy it for a couple hundred dollars or a couple thousand.”

So Aumiller contacted Vehicles for Charity. “I thought an auction was the best way to get some cash for the car,” he said. “I'm really glad that it fetched nearly $1,000 toward a worthy cause.” 

Not only did the Lyons Community Foundation “win” – with the proceeds of the car going toward post-flood rebuilding efforts – Aumiller did, too: “By going through Vehicles for Charity, I didn't need to renew the car’s registration, which had lapsed and would have cost me $170,” he said. “I didn't need to get an emissions test, either, which requires an appointment at a diesel emissions location and would have cost $60 or so. And I didn't need to spend $2,800 to replace the fuel injector pump and timing belt.”

Indeed, according to Aumiller, the car was falling apart – except for the engine. “The car had a cracked windshield, and the glove box was broken. The paint was badly oxidized and the car had yellowed headlight lenses,” he explained. “Its best feature was the TDI engine, which is in-demand and is probably why somebody bought it.”

The Lyons Community Foundation, an affiliate of The Community Foundation Serving Boulder County, designates grants to areas of greatest need – from providing emergency services and meeting basic needs for individuals, to the Lyons Fire Protection District, the Town of Lyons and various volunteer groups. 

“Vehicle donations are just one more way to donate and give back to our communities,” said Maegan Vallejo, Individual Giving Coordinator at The Community Foundation. “You can turn your used car into grant dollars for local nonprofits, a scholarship for Leadership Fellows, to help pay for a School Readiness Coordinator, or a variety of other options.”

*This article first appeared on "Sabine's Blog" on The Community Foundation Serving Boulder County's website.

Phil Aumiller, giving back to his community.