I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. It is amazing how fast time flies. Christmas and 2025 are right around the corner. I, for one, cannot wait until summer already.

With 2024 coming to an end, it also marks the time when people start to think about where they may make some charitable donations before the tax year is over. In my experience of operating an automotive museum, there are three main reasons someone donates a substantial monetary amount or an artifact.

The first reason is that the donor wants to share their story with the museum’s visitors. Donating family heirloom vehicles or artifacts that are precious to the donor means a lot and the donor sees value in being able to share with people from all over the world. 

The second reason takes a special kind of person. This is one a donor donates just to help support the museum. It could be any monetary amount, or it could be something like a vehicle that is donated specifically for the museum to be able to sell and raise funds to help support the museum.

These kinds of donations are great because a museum can generate a lot of publicity from selling a donated vehicle, which compounds the impact it makes on the museum.

The third reason people donate significant amounts or high-dollar artifacts is simply for the tax benefits. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this and most of the time the donor really does want to help the museum, but at the same time, lowering their taxable income can be a huge financial win. This scenario is usually a win-win.

Choosing the right automotive museum to donate to can only be made by the donor. The museum does not have to be the closest one to you. I’ve actually gone from Georgia to California to drive back a donated vehicle to Miles Through Time Automotive Museum.

My one piece of advice for anyone considering donating anything substantial would be to fully understand why you are choosing to donate to a particular museum and will the museum be capable of meeting your expectations.

For example, if you donate your dad’s car because you want people to see it, will the museum have it on display or will it sit in their storage for three years and then sell it.

What kind of impact do you want to make on the museum with your donation? Some museums receive twice as many vehicle donations a year as Miles Through Time has received in 4 years. Granted, the specific museum I’m referring to has been around for many decades and is set up to store and sell donations annually, if they do not go on the display floor.

Some people want to donate to the biggest museums, just to be able to say they did. Or have the ability to say their car is at a specific museum, and that’s okay too. There are no right or wrong answers or reasons for any of this.

Just have a clear understanding of why you are doing what you are doing and make sure the museum you’ve chosen aligns with you. I hate hearing stories of people being upset because they had one expectation and that did not align with the museum’s abilities. 

In the end, automotive museums have to be able to change exhibits and sometimes raise funds. No matter what an automotive museum does with your donation, as long as it is actually a nonprofit, your donation will help support the museum no matter what. If the museum is not a nonprofit, you can’t expect anything, so also be aware of that.

The North Carolina Transportation Museum is a 60 acre complex with trains, cars, trucks, planes and motorcycles. I’ve had the privilege of visiting, and the original buildings are amazing.

The Panhandle Plains Historical Museum has a focus on the petrol aspect of the automotive industry. Plus, the museum is a full history museum, so there is way more than cars on display.

The CNY Living History Museum is actually three museums in one. You can visit Brockway Trucks, Homeville Museum (local history) and Tractors of Yesteryear.

Have a great week!

SCROLL DOWN TO CHECK OUT THIS WEEK’S 3 AUTOMOTIVE MUSEUMS.

Plan your next trip, discover your new favorite, or find the nearest museum

 Sean Mathis
 Creator of Automotive Museum Guide
Founder of Miles Through Time Automotive Museum

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P.S. Make sure you follow AMG on Facebook and join the FB Group to see what’s going on at all the museums.