FAQs

There's a A BIG difference. Belonging to the V-8 CLUB does NOT automatically make you a member of the FOUNDATION. The Early Ford V-8 Foundation is an educational 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and thus money and goods donated to the Foundation are tax-deductible. The Early Ford V-8 CLUB is not a 501(c)(3) organization. Many members of the Foundation are also members of the V-8 Club and own and enjoy the Early Ford V-8s, but that's where the similarity ends. The Foundation's purpose is to "Preserve 1932 - 1953 Ford History". We are doing that by collecting Ford memorabilia, vehicles, tools, parts and literature pertaining to this important Ford era and educating the public by making these items available for study in our museum.

DUES: Your membership dues go to our General Fund to help run the Foundation. Annual operating expenses of the Foundation include the newsletter, postage costs for fund-raising mailings, phone and internet costs, etc. BUILDING FUND: Money designated for the Building Fund can ONLY be used for expenses related to the Museum Building. Building Fund campaigns include the PAVE THE WAY brick program, with prices starting at $125. Our Corporate Member program can be found elsewhere on this website. There are NAMED programs also underway for Major Donors/Sponsors for specific areas of the Museum.

The Foundation will accept cash donations of ANY size. Every penny will be put to good use. Cash donations over $250 will receive an IRS form for tax purposes. Many people send in extra with their dues. The dues are currently $25. We are very happy to accept a $35 check or maybe a $50 check which includes a $25 donation. Any amount is appreciated. Cash donations are given recognition in the Foundation News, with your name, the amount you gave and the State you are from. Be sure to indicate if your donation is to go to the general fund or the building fund.

Sure. At the end of the calendar year, if your total donations amount to at least $250, we will send you an IRS form indicating your total contribution.

Buy a Brick from our Pave the Way campaign. For as little as $125, you can buy a 4X8 inch brick engraved with the name of a loved one and a brief message. These bricks will be used in various areas in and around the new museum in Auburn, Indiana.

Send us an email stating what it is you wish to donate, where it is located, its condition and any other pertinent information. Be sure to include your name, address and a phone number. We will review your email and get it to the proper person in the Foundation who will then contact you directly. Please be aware that we may not accept your donation if it is in poor condition or is something that is not related to what we wish to collect and display in our museum. If we do accept your donation, we will provide you with an IRS form in which you will enter the fair-market value of the item. Depending on that value, you may need to get an appraisal before taking the IRS deduction. We do not provide appraisals or opinions on what an item might be worth.

We urge anyone who wishes to donate vehicles to contact an estate planner in your area to help you prepare the proper paperwork in your Will to make it perfectly clear what it is you wish to donate. If not done properly, someone contesting your Will may result in your wishes not being met.

If you do not want your V-8 TIMES, vehicle manuals, and other collectible Ford material to end up on eBay or in a trash can, you need to be extremely specific in your Will that you want this important Ford V-8 historical material donated to the Early Ford V-8 Foundation Museum for preservation and research. If your wife or husband, and children or grandchildren are not interested nor care about your collectibles, be specific that you want those items to go to the Early Ford V-8 Foundation Museum. Personally we have seen precious items in trash cans, garage sales, etc. because the spouse and or children just did not care.

Yes, we can always use assistance in getting the word out about the Museum, our goals, etc. It is important that we grow our membership, especially now that we are building a new home. When the new museum is completed, we will be looking for volunteers to help move the numerous items we have into it and help staff it. We are always looking for volunteers with special talents, i.e. fund raising, publication designs, cataloging, etc. Contact us if you feel you have something to offer. The pay is lousy, but the satisfaction is great!

This should impress you: Auburn is home to the world class Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg museum; National Automotive and Truck Museum of the United States (NATMUS); Hoosier Air museum; the well-known and well-attended RM Sotheby Auctions; and the new Kruse Plaza/World-Wide Auctions. Auburn is a city big enough to attract these fine museums and auctions, but small enough to close down Main street every week during the summer for a cruise-in! Nearby is the $9 Million National Studebaker museum, the Garrett Railroad museum, the Mid-America Windmill Museum. The list goes on and on. Finally, these Museums are easy to get to. Ours is highly visible from I69, with the exit from the Interstate less than half a mile from our road! There are many reasonably priced hotels and restaurants conveniently located just minutes away.

We are located next to the Kruse Plaza, just off Interstate 69, in full view of the Interstate! A great location. We are also just across the road from RM Sotheby Auctions. All the other major attractions mentioned in the answer above are within an easy drive. We also own over 11 acres of land to allow for future expansion and large events. The term "Ideal Location" certainly applies here!

We get asked this question a Lot. NO! The FORD FOUNDATION is an entirely separate organization and not connected in any way with the Early Ford V-8 Foundation. Just an unfortunate similarity in organization names.