Car Donation FAQ

Cars Helping Kids is a vehicle-donation program of Fainting Goat Foundation, a Georgia 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Gainesville, GA. We accept donated vehicles nationwide, sell them, and use the proceeds to fund programs for kids in North Georgia — backpacks, weekend food bags, after-school tutoring, and holiday assistance.

The vehicle-donation program is operated by Fainting Goat Foundation, a registered Georgia nonprofit corporation. The foundation focuses on direct services to children and families in Hall County and surrounding North Georgia communities.

Yes. Fainting Goat Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) public charity. You can verify our exempt status on the IRS Tax-Exempt Organization Search at apps.irs.gov/app/eos/.

The vehicle donation program operates under Fainting Goat Foundation's tax-exempt status and is overseen by its board of directors. Reach out via 770-871-9422 for foundation history details.

Headquartered in Gainesville, Georgia. Our towing partner network operates in all 50 US states for vehicle pickup.

Cars, trucks, SUVs, vans, motorcycles, RVs, motorhomes, travel trailers, boats (with or without trailer), jet skis, ATVs, and dirt bikes. Running or not, with or without a clean title in most states. We rarely turn down a complete vehicle.

Yes. Non-running cars are loaded by flatbed using a winch — they don't need to roll under their own power. Dead battery, blown engine, transmission failure, sitting for years: all routine for us. See /donate-non-running-car for details.

Yes — post-accident, flood-damaged, hail-damaged, fire-damaged (if chassis is intact), and salvage-title vehicles are all accepted. See /donate-damaged-car for specifics.

Yes — Class A, B, and C motorhomes; travel trailers; fifth wheels; pop-up campers. Call 770-871-9422 to confirm scheduling and route the right partner.

Yes, up to about Class 6 (26,000 GVWR). Larger commercial vehicles we handle case by case — call 770-871-9422 with year/make/model.

Yes — and for higher-value classics, our consignment program (/consignment) sometimes pays you more than a straight donation. We'll run the comparison honestly during intake.

Yes — sailboats, pontoons, runabouts, fishing boats, jet skis. With or without trailer. See /donate-boat for details.

Yes — cruisers, sport bikes, dual-sports, dirt bikes, scooters, mopeds. See /donate-motorcycle.

Free. Zero dollars from you. The towing partner covers the cost as part of their compensation from the eventual sale.

Most metro pickups happen within 24–48 hours of submission. Rural areas: 3–5 business days as the partner truck runs a route. Same-day is occasionally possible if a truck is already nearby.

Driveways, curbside, storage yards, body-shop lots, marinas, fields, behind sheds — anywhere a flatbed can reach. We pre-screen for access constraints during intake.

Usually no. As long as the keys (or absence thereof) and the signed title are coordinated, you don't need to be present. The driver calls 30 minutes before arrival.

Sometimes in metro areas. Mention your scheduling constraint during intake and we'll route accordingly.

Mention it during intake and we route the right truck — medium-duty flatbed vs. heavy wrecker vs. low-clearance rollback.

The driver arrives, does a 30-second walk-around, has you sign the title, gives you a paper receipt, and loads up. The whole pickup takes 10–15 minutes.

Yes — all partners are licensed and insured in their operating states. The driver carries proper credentials, paperwork, and the donor receipt for you.

Yes — donations to Cars Helping Kids (via Fainting Goat Foundation) are tax-deductible to the maximum amount allowed by law. We send an IRS Form 1098-C after the vehicle sells.

Per IRS Publication 4303: if your vehicle sells for more than $500, your deduction equals the gross sale price. If it sells for $500 or less, you can claim its fair market value up to $500 without further documentation. You must itemize on Schedule A to claim either path.

In the tax year you transferred the title — even if the vehicle sells the following year. The 1098-C documents the sale price.

Fair market value (KBB, Edmunds, NADA estimates) is what the IRS used to allow as the deduction. Since 2005, the deduction is the actual sale price the charity receives — unless the sale is $500 or less, in which case the $500 small-donation floor rule applies.

Yes — the vehicle deduction is only useful if you itemize on Schedule A. Standard deduction filers don't benefit from charitable contributions, including vehicle donations.

Most states that conform to federal itemization rules grant additional state-tax savings. Florida, Texas, Tennessee, Washington, and a few others have no state income tax — your benefit is federal only there.

You file IRS Form 8283 Section B with your tax return. The 1098-C plus our supporting sale documentation is sufficient — no separate appraisal required for straight donations.

Within 30 days of the vehicle's sale. Most vehicles sell within 60 days of pickup, so most donors have their 1098-C in hand within 90 days.

Use the receipt lookup at /receipt with your name and reference number to retrieve, print, or re-send your tax receipt anytime.

Sign the title in the 'Transfer of Title by Seller' or 'Assignment' section (varies by state), complete the odometer disclosure, and hand it to the towing partner at pickup. We'll guide you through your specific state's process.

In most states we can still proceed — duplicate-title processes exist in every state and many allow expedited applications. Call 770-871-9422 with your state and the situation.

Yes, in most states. Remove plates before pickup and return them to your state DMV per local rules. The driver will remind you at pickup.

After pickup is confirmed, yes. Notify your insurance company and the state DMV of the donation. Some states require a 'notice of sale' or 'release of liability' form — we'll tell you which applies.

Vehicles with active liens cannot be sold by the charity. The lien must be paid off and the lender must release the title before donation.

We provide a written acknowledgement of the donation. The actual title-transfer paperwork (signing the title over to the charity) is yours to complete at pickup. We guide you through every state's specific process.

Yes — vehicles inherited from an estate are commonly donated. The executor or named beneficiary signs the title transfer. Estate-specific situations sometimes need additional documentation; call 770-871-9422 to walk through.

Only the legal owner (titleholder) can donate the vehicle. If you transferred it to someone else, they'd be the donor of record.

Yes. Business-titled vehicles are donated the same way as personal vehicles. The authorized officer signs the title transfer. Fleet pickups (multiple vehicles in one location) can be coordinated by calling 770-871-9422.

We only pick up vehicles physically located within the 50 US states. International-titled vehicles or vehicles abroad are outside our service area.

Net proceeds go into the foundation's general program fund, which supports backpacks, food bags, tutoring, and holiday help in North Georgia. We can't direct specific donations to specific program lines.