Support the Ratz
Fuel the Fleet.
The MudRatz is a 100% volunteer-run organization. Every donation directly supports the next generation of world-class sailors.
Online Donation
Support our programs instantly. Your contributions help cover travel, maintenance, and high-performance coaching.
By Cheque
Checks can be mailed to:
MudRatz Inc.
PO Box 293
Stonington, CT 06378
Boat Donations
We are currently looking for coach boats, Optis, 420s, and Offshore vessels to expand our fleet.
Donor Trust
MudRatz Inc. is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit. We believe in total transparency for our donors and partners.
- View Official 501(c)3 Status Document (PDF)
- Founded 2013. Entirely volunteer-run: no salaries, no office, no paid fundraising staff.
- Need our EIN for a matching-gift portal? Email us and we will send it straight back.
Many employers match charitable gifts, which is the cheapest way to double what you give.
We are currently looking for coach boats, Optis, 420s, and Offshore vessels to expand our fleet.
Nine keelboats have been donated to the program since 2013, and almost the entire fleet arrived that way. Boats that fit the program go sailing with kids on them rather than straight to auction. Read our story to see where the last ones ended up.
- Coach boats & RIBsOur highest ongoing need. 15 to 25 feet with a running outboard, for safety and coaching.
- OptimistsRace-ready or close to it, complete with spars, sail, foils and a dolly.
- 420sSailable hulls with rig and sails. Our largest team, and the most wear.
- Sportboats & one-designsMelges, Etchells, J/105s, J/22s, Sonars. The bridge from dinghy to keelboat racing.
- Offshore vesselsRoughly 30 to 50 feet, capable of overnight passages.
- Trailers, engines and gearOutboards, sails, safety equipment and electronics, useful on their own.
Tell us about her
Make, model, year, where she sits and honest condition. Photos help.
We evaluate
A coach or board member reviews her against program needs, usually within a few days.
Transfer
We coordinate survey, haul-out, transport and title. You sign the title over.
Paperwork
A written acknowledgement, and Form 1098-C once the disposition is determined.
What you can actually deduct
- MudRatz Inc. is a registered 501(c)3. Contributions are generally tax-deductible to the extent the law allows. Our determination letter is published in full, and we will send our EIN on request.
- If we sell the boat, your deduction is generally capped at the gross sale proceeds. Boats fall under the IRS qualified-vehicle rules, and that cap applies regardless of what an appraisal or listing price says.
- If we put the boat into program use, fair market value may apply instead. The rules allow a fair-market-value deduction where the charity makes significant intervening use of the vessel or materially improves it. Because MudRatz is a working sailing program rather than an auction house, boats we sail genuinely can fall into this category. We cannot promise it in advance.
- Deductions above $5,000 generally require a qualified written appraisal obtained by you, within the IRS timing window.
- We issue Form 1098-C once the disposition of the vessel is determined.
MudRatz is a volunteer-run sailing program, not a tax advisor, and nothing here is tax advice. We will never quote you a deduction figure. Please talk to your own accountant about how a vessel donation applies to your situation.
For brokers and dealers
Sound hull, tired cosmetics, two price cuts already, and an owner done paying for a slip on something nobody is coming to see. A donation clears the boat and gives your client a defensible outcome.
- We pay referral compensation to brokers on completed donations. Tell us about the boat and we will put the terms in writing before anyone commits to anything.
- We handle survey coordination, haul-out, transport and the title work.
- Broker and owner references available on request.
Does the boat have to be in good condition?
No. Some of the best boats in the fleet arrived tired. What we cannot take is a vessel where disposal costs more than she is worth to the program. Tell us honestly what is wrong and we will answer honestly.
What if my boat is not on your list?
Ask anyway. The list covers what we need most, not everything we can use. Boats outside the range can still support MudRatz through sale, and we will tell you upfront which route yours is likely to take, because it affects your deduction.
Do you take boats outside New England?
Yes. Distance affects transport cost, so location is a factor rather than a barrier. Tell us where she is.
Can I see the boat sailing afterwards?
Yes, and we would like you to. Donors are welcome at practices and regattas, and fleet boats turn up regularly on @ratzracing.
Tell us about your boat
Six quick fields. Send us the basics and we will come back to you with any questions.