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Step 1
Check out the charitable organization that you plan to donate your car to. You want to donate your car to a reputable charity that either serves the people of Alaska or is involved in a verifiable nationwide service. The Donate a Car website offers a list of charities that have been vetted to ensure the sale of your car will be used to help.
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Step 2
Review your tax situation. For tax purposes, you can take a charitable deduction if the charity meets certain requirements. Often, the IRS will allow you to deduct the value of the car up to $500. Be sure to check with a tax professional before seeking this deduction. You can also check the IRS website for the pamphlet, "A Donor's Guide to Car Donation."
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Step 3
Make sure that you have the title. According to the Donate a Car website, you don't necessarily need the car's registration, but you should have access to the car's title. Any maintenance paperwork would be helpful as well. The car will either be sold at auction or, if the value is not more than the towing service, sold for scrap.
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Step 4
Contact Donate a Car or one of the other car donation organizations like the Vehicle Donation Center to find out where your car can be picked up in Alaska. Additionally, Alaska has local charities that you can contact such as the Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium and the United Way of Southeast Alaska.
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Step 5
Schedule a pick-up through the car donation organization or with the charity itself. These organizations can normally schedule a pick up within a week. When your are scheduling the pick-up, make sure to find out if the company that you are using is a licensed, bonded and insured towing company.
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Step 6
Get a receipt from the charity or the car donation organization. After the car has been sold or scrapped, you should be given a receipt to use in your next income tax filing. If the value of the car was over $500, you should receive an IRS Form 1098-C from the charity.
