Aircraft donation is all this program does. An aircraft is a titled asset with a federal registry record, and it needs people who handle the inspection, the move, the title search and the FAA filing as routine work. Below is what happens to a donated aircraft, who stands behind the program, and what we will not claim.
What our aircraft donation program does
Aircraft arrive in every condition, from airworthy singles to projects in crates. Each one is assessed for the outcome that produces the most value, and there are three.
- Sold to fly again. Sound aircraft go to buyers through the usual channels, and the proceeds fund charitable programs.
- Retained for charitable use. Airframes better suited to teaching go to maintenance and technical programs as training platforms.
- Recovered for components. Damaged or mandate-grounded airframes are dismantled and the serviceable parts returned to the supply chain.
The choice is made on the merits of the aircraft, and the donor is told the likely answer before signing, because it decides how the deduction is substantiated. Whichever route an aircraft takes, the value it releases goes to the causes below.
Who runs the program
Contributions to a 501(c)(3) are deductible to the extent allowed by law, which depends on your own circumstances rather than on us. Our roots go back to 2005 — about two decades of charitable work — under earlier names, which is why you will see the EIN paired with a more recent registration date.
Where the proceeds go
Giving Center provides resources directly to individuals and to organizations seeking support: supplies, transportation, housing, tutoring and other educational necessities. It also funds other tax-exempt nonprofits that promote education and serve underprivileged youth and impoverished families. The organization exists to fill the gaps left by programs that are already overburdened, and it receives hundreds of requests for help every week.
An aircraft is an unusually large gift, so it is worth being specific about what the proceeds reach. These are the cause areas donations support across the charitable network. Hover, tap or tab to a card for the detail.
As a matter of principle, Giving Center supports only programs that promote diversity and inclusion. Programs that do not meet that standard are not part of the charitable family. Much of the work is carried by volunteers and affiliates, which is what allows a larger share of each donation to reach the need it was given for.
What a donor gets from us
- An honest assessment on the first call, including when a sale would serve you better.
- The title and lien search, and pursuit of any release needed, at our cost.
- Pickup and transport anywhere in the 50 states and worldwide, by air or by road, including disassembly.
- Preparation and recording of the FAA transfer filing.
- A written acknowledgment of the donation, Form 1098-C within 30 days of a sale, and our signature on Form 8283 Section B where your claim requires it.
What we do not cover is a qualified appraisal, which the IRS requires to be independent of the recipient charity. That is the donor’s expense and the donor’s choice of appraiser, and the reasoning is on the appraisal page.
Transparency
A tax-exempt organization’s annual return is a public document. Giving Center’s filings can be looked up through the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search using the EIN above, which is the primary source and better than anything we could tell you about ourselves.
We do not publish review scores or star ratings on this site, and we do not solicit them. If you want an independent read on the organization, the IRS record and our own willingness to answer questions on the phone are what we would point you to.
What we do not claim
A certain amount of charity marketing is invented, and aircraft donors tend to be the kind of people who notice.
- We do not publish an aircraft-received count, because a number without an audit behind it means nothing.
- We do not promise a specific dollar deduction before an aircraft is sold or appraised. Nobody can.
- We do not say a donation is free of cost to the donor without qualifying it, because an appraisal, where one is required, is the donor’s expense.
- We do not claim a founding year the EIN does not support.
If you ask us something we do not know, the answer will be that we do not know it.
Related reading
Ask us anything before you commit
A phone call costs you nothing and settles most of what donors want to know about who is receiving the aircraft.