Harvard "Pete" Palmer, Jr.

Harvard E. "Pete" Palmer Jr. is a prominent national authority on promotion and operation of car donation programs for charitable causes. He is "arguably one of the individuals with the broadest knowledge of the far-flung vehicle donation industry."

Lobbying actions on behalf of industry

In 1998, Palmer joined with other California car donation industry leaders to promote state legislation designed to bring about more transparent donation reporting. Five years later, the General Accounting Office interviewed Palmer regarding the federal regulatory legislation that became part of the Jobs Bill 2004. He was instrumental in forming an industry lobby about that bill. Though that lobby disbanded in 2005, Palmer has helped bring together a new, politically oriented coalition of charities, call centers, auctions, and others to address difficulties associated with the car donation aspects of the Jobs Bill. That work continues today.

In 2009, Palmer and some charities lobbied against extension of the federal government's "Cash for Clunkers" program, which had hurt donations for charitable purposes. Palmer's work with nonprofit organizations has raised over $60 million with 800,000 donations for about 400 worthy causes in North America. Such charities include the Polly Klaas Foundation; the Red Cross and the National Kidney Foundation; Many such organizations operate online and by toll-free telephone. They take care of nationwide soliciting and advertising, picking up the vehicle and minor reconditioning, DMV title paperwork, auctioning donated cars, accounting, designation of a donatee charity, and payment to the charity. The charity gets cash, while the donor takes a tax deduction for the donation. (Under current rules, donors can deduct up to $500 from their federal taxes without proof of value.) Vehicles accepted include cars, trucks, boats, vans, RVs, trailers, motorcycles, and even airplanes and real estate.