Drift Creek Nature Center

Vehicle Donation Program

Turn your car into an experience! Help us further a worthy mission with your vehicle.
Volunteers, together with Speed’s Towing, handle all the details of your donation, with no extra cost to you. Here is how you get started:

How do I donate my vehicle to Drift Creek Nature Center?
Send an email regarding vehicle donation, (attention Anna Williams), including your phone number to donations@driftcreek.org. Anna will contact you by phone as soon as possible to collect information about your vehicle and its location. The specifics you will need to gather include your vehicle’s year/make/model, VIN number if available and plate number.

The information about your vehicle will be forwarded to Speed’s Towing who will then contact you within a couple days to arrange for the pick up of your vehicle at a time that works for you.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Can I donate my car if it is not running?
Yes, but the car must be towable and contain an engine. Note: cars that are in extremely poor condition and also more than 30 miles from Portland may cost more to tow than the value of the vehicle and the DCNC may not receive any dollars from the vehicle.

Do I have to be with the vehicle at the time it is picked up?
No, special arrangements can be made when you talk to the towing company.

What documents do I need?
The signed title is needed (pink slip). If this is not available, a print-out needs to be obtained from the DMV.

What does Drift Creek Nature Center do with the donated vehicles?
The vehicles will be sold at auction. The valuable funds from your donation are used to maintain our learning resources and to develop the center’s programs and information center.

Will I receive a receipt for my donation?
Yes, you will receive a receipt at the time of pick-up and also after the sale of the vehicle. The initial voucher will note your name, the year, make and model and the condition of the vehicle you are donating. A final receipt will be mailed to you within 30 days of the sale. The gross proceeds received from the sale of your vehicle will be listed on this copy. The final receipt will be the one that reflects your charitable contribution.

Is my donation tax deductible?
You may claim vehicle donations if you itemize your taxes even though there have been recent IRS updates to the rules. Usually you will receive a minimum receipt of $500. To help you determine the exact amount you can claim, you may want to visit the webpage at http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p4303.pdf to view IRS publication 4303, “A Donors Guide to Vehicle Donations.” Otherwise, contact your tax advisor who will be able to help you with this information.

What kind of vehicle can I donate?
Any motor vehicle manufactured primarily for use on public streets, roads, and highways; a boat; or an airplane. Donating cars that are part of inventory at a dealership has to be done another way.

How much money will DCNC receive from my donation?
It will vary. Some cars will bring more than expected, and some less and there is a towing and administrative cost that is deducted from the sale. The towing cost is higher if the vehicle is towed more than 30 miles to downtown Portland. In 2006 of all the cars donated in Oregon with the help of Speed’s Towing, the average sale at auction was $588.00 with 75% of that going directly to the charities.