We have recently partnered with a disaster relief organization that stages supplies and manpower whenever a disaster strikes in the USA or worldwide.  This organization has recently received a large auto parts inventory that we are currently liquidating on behalf of the charity.

Weather it is hurricane Gustov or Ike or the tornado in Greensburg, these faith based organizations are extremely important during disasters.  Where there are enormous needs, these organizations are filling in the gap where the government organizations can’t.

 When a disaster strikes, corporations offer large quantities of “In Kind” donations like water, blankets, shoes food.  Sometimes donations are offered that are not helpful for the relief effort but are still valuable.  In the past, these organizations turn down these donations but this where iDonate.com comes in.  These in- kind donations can be sold for cash providing funds for expense of mobilizing the volunteers and supplies. 

There is always a great call during these disasters is for cash donations not only for the victims but also for the organizations that are serving them.  Liquidating qualified donations makes a lot of sense, not only for businesses that have overstocks but for the relief organizations themselves.

One of the great values iDonate.com bring to organization is “Creativity!”   As we continually learn new ideas for receiving and liquidating non cash donations, we are able to pass that expertise on to other ministries in their fund raising efforts.

Recently we received word of a corporation in New York that was offering a business inventory donation to one of our family foundations.  This inventory comprises of electrical supplies from a large distributor that was consolidating their warehouse by taking slow moving and discontinued stock off of the shelves and storing it in the container.  Even though this is old stock, it is still very valuable in the electrical wholesale market! 

The most amazing thing about the story of this donation is the amazing way God works through anyone who has a true burden for the poor, the widow and the orphan.

4 years ago an 18 year old girl began working with her parents to bring awareness of the plight of orphans.  By working with Servant Christian Community Foundation, they set up a Family Foundation called Hopes Heart Orphan Foundation and since their beginning, they have granted out over $100,000 to orphan ministries.  That is why this inventory donation is so significant!  It shows how a family with limited resources and  a servants heart can really make a difference for the poorest of the poor; orphans.

We don’t know how this inventory donation will turn out, the company in question is still working to obtain permission to actually give the product but what a story!  Do you have a burden for the hurting?  Has God given you something that is bigger than you can do?  Take a look at hope’s heart and be encouraged because God wants to do something great with your life, all you have to do is let Him!

To Donate Corporate Business Inventory you can go to: https://portal.idonate.com/workflow/donation_unregister_info.aspx?org_id=World%20Impact&gifttype=inventory

To learn more about opening a Family Foundation you can go to:  http://www.servantchristian.com/web/Individuals_and_Families/home_page.asp?b=16

Burdensome timeshares can be a pain. If you're sick of paying maintenance fees for a week off you cannot seem to get around to taking every year, you can go to all the work of reselling it—or you can donate it.

Timeshare donation companies abound.  By donating your timeshare, it will be out of your hands within weeks, which also means the end of those maintenance fees and taxes.  You can circumvent the fees involved in listing, promoting, and advertising that are inherent in the selling process. The only costs to you might be the appraisal if you are claiming more than $5,000 at tax time.

idonate.com is one such company.  The timeshare donation can be submitted via Internet or phone.  Within two business days you will be contacted by the company. You will be sent a package with all the paperwork you will need to tell them all the necessary information about your timeshare. Idonate.com then  takes care of the sale and transfer of ownership.  When it is sold, you will be notified and sent a receipt to use for your tax-deduction.

idonate.com is not alone in this service. Donate Timeshare Online, Inc. and Charity Timeshare Donations are similar organizations. Give BackTimeshare.com can list certain qualifying timeshares on the market with no upfront fees. SellMyTimeshareNOW.com will give the proceeds of your donated timeshare to the Southern Hampshire University. Donate for a Cause has a list of specific charities your donation will go to. Florida Veterans Assistance Association, Inc. is the route to go to contribute to war veterans.

Donating your timeshare is often the most efficient way to get away from a timeshare you cannot use and from paying expensive listing fees for marketing companies.  It rids you of those maintenance fees much sooner than waiting for an indeterminable amount of time.  Donating it is a lot less work and with the tax deduction, oftentimes much more rewarding. 

Timeshares originated in France in the 1960's.  Today it is a multi-billion dollar industry with  over 5,000 resorts offering timeshares in 100 countries.  Clearly this industry did not explode overnight—but what was the process?  How did the timeshare industry get to be so big?

In the 60's travel and tourism expanded significantly with the introduction of the commercial jet.  A French company saw their opportunity and sprang on it—they began selling hotel rooms instead of renting them.  Their slogan was “ No need to rent the room, buy the hotel—it's cheaper!” The timeshare concept moved quickly from there to a ski resort in the French Alps.  A Baar Switzerland company took  timeshares and ran with them—purchasing resorts in Italy, Spain, and Switzerland.

Kauai was the first place in the United States to offer timeshares, started by the same two men who started Vacation Internationale. Kauai leased timeshares in weekly increments. Florida was the first state in the continental U.S. to copy the timeshare model.  Existing condo's converted quickly and began the first deeded timeshares. Resort Condominiums International, one of the largest timeshare exchange companies today, started giving owners the option of exchanging their weeks, which was a new concept. Today United States citizens make up 45% of timeshare owners.

In the 70's and 80's the timeshare industry covered most of Europe and the Western Hemisphere. More and more resorts converted to timeshare model. Spain and Portugal experienced huge success. Timeshares appealed to all classes of society.  The higher class now had more exotic and new locations to vacation and the working class could suddenly afford to vacation. By the 1990's timeshares has expanded to global proportions, even Eastern Europe and Asia.  Hotels got back in the game and began selling timeshare properties, giving the industry record highs. The timeshare industry continues to grow and shows no sign of stopping.

The timeshare industry has been growing and expanding as more and more people recognize it as a way to vacation anywhere around the world for a much lower cost. Timeshares can be sold directly from the resort, but more and more buyers, sellers, and renters have been looking to the resale market for their services and products. But whats are the advantages  and disadvantages of this growing market?

The first and most obvious disadvantage is the commission charged for going through a company that specialized in timeshare resales.  Still, the fee may possibly just be worth it when you consider the advantages the companies may offer.  A specialized company  will also have a network of possible buyers already in place, negating the need for you to advertise yourself.  Most companies will also take care of negotiating, paperwork, and closing affairs. If you are buying or renting a timeshare, you will get better deals going through a resale company than buying directly.  Resorts use high-pressure top-dollar salesmen that don't show up in resales, leading to a more thorough knowledge of your purchase for a much more reasonable price.

So, all-in-all, resale companies are the way to go, whether you are buying, selling, or renting your timeshare.

So you bought a timeshare, but now your kids are grown, or the thought of staying home this year just sounds a lot better than the stress of traveling.  You need to get rid of your timeshare, but whats the best way?  The answers between now, and several years ago, are actually quite different.

A few years ago, before the widespread use of the Internet, you would have probably paid a few hundred dollars to run an ad in the newspaper that may or may not have done anything at all towards a sale.  After that failed, you would have gone to a local real estate agent, who really had no interest in your timeshare or the market to sell it. 

The Internet has made selling and donating timeshares a much more viable option. Now, add two more choices to your list.  You can use a broker to get professional assistance in selling your timeshare.  Many times people really like having someone who's licensed  in real estate, and are willing to pay the commission to get it.

The second option is vastly more popular.  You can sell the timeshare yourself through a timeshare company.  This method requires much caution—anybody can make a website.  Once you have confirmed that it is indeed a valid Internet business, you need to think about two things.  First, that your timeshare will get lots of exposure, and second, that you have priced it reasonably.  A very low-priced timeshare will never sell on a website no-one visits, and a very expensive one will not sell no matter how many people see it if they can get equal quality for less money. The Internet has made timeshare resales much more convenient and feasible.  Watch out for bad web sites, and happy hunting!

Barbara Corcoran, a real-estate authority, spoke on timeshare resales in an interview on NBC's The Today Show. According to her, timeshares claim some unique characteristics when compared to the rest of the real-estate business. Selling a timeshare is similar to selling a car.  It involves giving away discounted vacations and free gifts to promote the sale to a single buyer. This can result in a rise in the selling price. Most real-estate is not like this.  It's strange, but not necessarily bad.  Even if the initial cost is inflated,  subsequent years are locked-in at the same price.  Large families can avoid the added expense of booking multiple hotel rooms, restaurant prices are eliminated by units with kitchens and dining areas, and the overpriced entertainment whiling vacationing is decreased by owners using the extra activities and facilities provided by the different resorts.

The best place to buy, sell, or rent a timeshare is online.  Still, sellers ought to be wary, selling does not happen overnight.  Timeshares at an older resort or at a less-popular vacation spot will take longer, as will timeshares being sold in the off-season. Potential buyers should also realize that a timeshare is not a financial investment. To go back to the analogy of selling a car, the value of a timeshare depreciates over time and nearly always sells for less than the original purchase price.

Owners of timeshares will tell you that the benefits of timeshare ownership is not necessarily monetary, but instead, it makes planning a vacation infinitely easier.  Ownership also encourages  annual weekly vacations for relaxation—usually necessary with the rest of the year dedicated to a career.  Timeshares aren't your typical real-estate purchase, but they do come with some beneficial lifestyle changes. For more information on how you could take advantage of purchasing our donated timehare properties at a below resale value, contact our marketing coordinator at estanley@idonate.com

Information taken from: Timeshares Daily Staff, “Real Estate Odd Duck is a Golden Goose Called Timeshare Resales”  Timeshares Daily. (www.timesharesdaily.com)