Benefits of Donating
Online Donation Form
FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I contact Contribute A Car?

What type of vehicle can I donate?

Is my vehicle eligible for this donation program?

When will my vehicle be picked up?

How should I prepare my vehicle?

In what geographic areas do you pick up donated vehicles?

What happens to my vehicle after I donate it?

What do I do with my title?

What if I don't have a title?

What if I would like to donate a boat or other watercraft?

What type of receipt do I receive from New Hampshire Public Television?

How much of a tax deduction could I receive?

How do I contact Contribute A Car?

Our office is located at the studios of NHPTV in Durham. You can call us toll free at: 1-800-639-2721. Our email is or use our online donation form. We answer our phones live from approximately 9am to 5pm Monday through Friday.

What type of vehicle can I donate?

We accept most vehicles and vessels including but not limited to cars, trucks, motorcycles, boats and RVs. We will also consider other types of vehicles such as pop-up campers, trailers, ATVs, golf carts, snowmobiles and jet skis. Give us a call and let us know what you have!

Is my vehicle eligible for this donation program?

We accept most vehicles, running or not. We may not accept some older vehicles or very high mileage vehicles whose value would not offset the cost of towing.

In addition:

You must have a clear title to the vehicle; that is, it must be unencumbered by a lien.
We must be able to tow your vehicle.

To start the donation process, please complete and submit our online donation form or call us toll free at 1-800-639-2721.

When will my vehicle be picked up?

Your car will be picked up by a professionally licensed, bonded, and insured towing company within 5 to 7 days after we receive your title. We do not drive the vehicles. Vehicles are generally towed.

How should I prepare my vehicle?

You should remove your license plates from the vehicle and return them to your state's Department of Motor Vehicles, if required.
Please remove all personal possessions from your car.
In some cases, we may ask you to leave the title in the car or give it to the tow truck operator rather than mailing it to us.
We do not need the registration or insurance certificate.
All four tires must be inflated.
The vehicle should be intact with no major parts missing.
The vehicle must be in a location that is accessible to a tow truck.

In what geographic areas do you pick up donated vehicles?

We will generally pick up vehicles that are located in our broadcast coverage area. This includes all of New Hampshire, northeastern Massachusetts, eastern Vermont and southern Maine. Whether we pick up your car from some of these areas depends on whether the value of the car will offset the increased towing costs. Give us a call or fill out the online form and we'll let you know if we are interested.

What happens to my vehicle after I donate it?

New Hampshire Public Television does not sell your vehicle directly since we are not a dealer. Each vehicle is evaluated and sent to a vehicle auction, specialty wholesaler or retailer, recycler or otherwise sold. Money collected from the sale of your vehicle goes directly to New Hampshire Public Television.

What do I do with my title?

We ask that you sign the title over to:
New Hampshire Public Television.

Please do not sign the title over to NHPTV. New Hampshire Public Television is our name for legal purposes.

In most cases, we ask you to send your title to us before we pick up your vehicle. Titles should be mailed to:

New Hampshire Public Television
268 Mast Rd.
Durham, NH 03824
Attention: Contribute A Car

What if I don't have a title?

You will need to request a duplicate title from the New Hampshire Department of Motor Vehicles. This costs about $25.

What if I would like to donate a boat or other watercraft?

We do accept boat donations and donations of other types of watercraft and vessels. There are many different types of boats, so if you have any questions, just give us a call or use the online form and we will let you know if we are interested.

Usually, we require that the boat have a trailer so that we can tow it easily, but sometimes we will make an exception for larger boats. Boats under 3,000 pounds do not need titles, but a bill of sale or other paperwork proving ownership is helpful. Trailers require proof or ownership that can be either the registration, a title for larger trailers, or a bill of sale.

Boat valuations are available at http://buc.com/. We also work with marine appraisers if you need a formal valuation.

What type of receipt do I receive from New Hampshire Public Television?

We generally send two receipt letters. The first letter is an acknowledgement letter that you should receive within a week after the donation of your vehicle.

You will receive a second letter that serves as your tax receipt approximately 30 days after we receive your title. If you have any questions call us toll free at 1-800-639-2721.

How much of a tax deduction could I receive?

You might be surprised what your old car is worth! The IRS says you may use any widely used guidebook to determine value. The Web sites of Kelly Blue Book, NADA, and Edmunds give price quotes for used cars. Look up the value for your car and print the information for your records. Local libraries also have vehicle evaluation books for public use.

When determining the value of your car for the IRS, you should consider the condition of your car and subtract any items that detract from your car's value. You will need to show the IRS how you arrived at the value and that it was a reasonable valuation. Your tax consultant may assist you, but you, the donor, and not New Hampshire Public Television, are required by the IRS to be the sole party responsible for determining what the IRS calls the "fair market value" of your vehicle donation. You must take into full consideration its condition at the time of the donation. Before claiming your deduction, please consult the free IRS Publication 561 "Determining the Value of Donated Property."

The IRS requires an independent professional written appraisal on all non-cash donations where a deduction of $5,000 or more is claimed. If the fair market value of your vehicle is $5,000 or greater, you must file IRS Form 8283 with your tax return. You can obtain this form on the IRS forms site.

Thank you for your generous support.