Donate
Why Give to the Museum?
The Museum earns approximately 50% of its operating budget, or $500,000 annually. The additional 50% required to run our basic programs and to keep the doors open to the public 362 days a year must come from fundraising sources. Plus, any projects, improvements, or heavy repairs must be supported over and above the program and operating funds. Every gift of support, regardless of the size, is deeply appreciated.
The generosity of museum donors is essential to daily operations and programs. Check with your employer to see if it will match your donation to double the impact!
Give to a Specific Fund
Support the Museum by giving to the Annual Fund, which goes towards programming, caring for the collection, maintaining operations, and general support of the Museum.
GiveCare and feeding of the Collection - Supports the purchase, restoration, purchase of replacement parts and perishables, labor, maintenance, equipment, and supplies to preserve, conserve, maintain, track, and handle artifacts accessioned into the collection
GiveProvides essential support to Museum gallery spaces, exhibits, equipment repair or replacement, insurance, transportation costs, and program supplies
GiveA rich and expanding collection of historic and contemporary automotive related documents and photographs for research and display. These holdings total approximately 70,000 and counting. This fund allows us to maintain and expand the collection
GivePlanned Donation
Make a lasting impact and leave your legacy by including the Museum in your estate planning. There are several gift arrangements to choose from that would let you provide for your family and support the Museum. You may see the fruits of your lifetime.
- Bequest Language
- Popular ways to give include cash, appreciated securities and life insurance
- Gifts that provide you income
- Legacy Circle – formally recognizes friends of the Museum who, by making planned gifts to the Museum, express their commitments to safeguard a vital cultural resource for generations to come.
Archive Digitization and Access Project
This project ensures preservation of delicate archival materials and collections that are important to our national automotive heritage and to allow greater access for research and learning. The archive contains some of the most important automotive materials in the world including many rare, one-of-a-kind, and irreplaceable items depicting our nation’s automotive heritage and its social impact.
In Memory/Honor Of…
Remember a special person by expressing sympathy with a memorial gift. Your kindness will be acknowledged to the family with a special letter when contact information is provided. Enter this contact information in the order note at the checkout. All gift amounts are confidential unless requested otherwise and they are tax deductible to the extent of the law.
Honor someone on their birthday, anniversary, or other special occasion. Your gift will be acknowledged with a special letter when contact information is provided. Enter this contact information in the order note at the checkout. All gift amounts are confidential unless requested otherwise and they are tax deductible to the extent of the law.
Automobile Donations
Donate to the Collectors: the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum may accept donation of vehicles of every year, make, or model. Automobiles have been given to the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum since its inception in 1974. Automobiles of every description are received by the museum from donors. Seventy percent of the current exhibited collection is composed of donations to the museum. Other automobiles exhibited are privately owned automobiles on loan.
Leave your legacy where it will live on in history
This museum will be here at this very site hundreds of years from today, representing our nation’s automotive heritage, here’s why:
- It is the only automobile museum in an automobile company’s original international headquarters building – where the history happened.
- It is a National Historic Landmark – the highest designation in the country.
- It is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums – less than 5% of the nation’s museums, of any type, have earned accreditation.
You and your legacy can be part of history through an automobile donation. Upon gifting an automobile to the collection, you may wish to consider a tax deductible cash donation to endow its expenses such as maintenance and insurance.
Gifts to the Archival Collection
The archives collect books, factory literature, original photographs, sales materials, correspondence, and periodicals related to Auburns, Cords, and Duesenbergs as well as the larger automotive industry including automobiles of special interest. Please contact the museum to learn more about donating to the archives.
Gifts of Artifacts
The small artifact collection contains items relevant to the activities of the Auburn Automobile Company, and Duesenberg, Inc. its automobiles, and its associates. Many small artifacts are used in the Museum’s exhibits. Please contact the museum to learn more about donating to the archives.
Cars 4 Cash
Make room in Your Garage!
Donate any make or model vehicle to the Museum, with its approval, and your directives as the donor to sell it to support the museum programs and operations.
This allows automobiles of every year, make and model to benefit the Museum. It is a good option to help clear an estate or to make room in the garage. Revenue is generated through equal opportunity public sale of the vehicle(s).
The Museum itself sells these automobiles. Therefore, funds generated are likely higher than those generated by charities using a third party to sell.
Beyond the Classroom
The museum’s education programs include everything from self-guided or docent -led tours to Beyond the Classroom Study Trips and outreach to schools. Lectures, seminars and learning activities are offered throughout the year. The research archives handle over 1,000 requests annually from all over the world
Museum Self-Managed Endowment
Permanently restricted fund. A percentage of earned revenue is available each year, as approved by the Board of Trustees
Community Foundation Dekalb County Endowment
Permanently restricted fund. The Museum’s endowment fund includes donor restricted funds. A percent of earned revenue is available to the Museum each year upon request
Support the Museum When You Shop
The museum participates in programs that support non-for-profit charities. Just select Auburn Automotive Heritage, Inc. or Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum when shopping online through these sites:
- Amazon Smile is a program where Amazon donates .5% of the purchaser price of eligible products to charitable organizers selected by customers.
- The official Museum Store. Your Purchase from the official Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum Store supports its Educational Programs.