How to Determine a Fair Value for a Vehicle Donation
- 1). Pick up a copy of your local newspaper to look in the classified ads for vehicles similar to the one you are donating. If you can find any vehicles that are similar, including in similar condition, you can use that asking price as the fair market value.
- 2). Use an online value guide, such as Kelley Blue Book or NADA Guides (see Resources), to check the private party value of the car you are donating. Select any special options, such as a towing package, that you may have on the vehicle to get the most accurate quote.
- 3). Check the sales price for similar vehicles in a similar condition on Cars.com or the Auto Trader website (see Resources). Look in any local auto sales papers in your community to see what the prices are for similar vehicles.