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A 501(c)(3) is the part of the Federal Tax Code that lists the criteria for tax-exempt charitable organizations. An organization must have 501(c)(3) status (be tax-exempt) in order to receive matching funds. While there are hundreds of thousands of eligible organizations in the United States, it is important to remember that not all 501(c)(3) organizations qualify for the program.

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You can make donations of cash, by check, by credit card, or stock/securities.

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All Associates can participate after they've been employed with CarMax for 30 days.

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Associates and their eligible dependents may request a maximum of $10,000 per calendar year in any combination of volunteer hours or cash donations made.

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Your request must be received within 6 months of the date you made the gift or volunteered your time or else your contribution will not be eligible for matching.

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The minimum cash donation is $25 with one exception. Donations to the American Red Cross Headquarters in Washington, DC require only a minimum gift of $5 and will be matched 2:1 on an ongoing basis. The minimum matching hours request is 8 hours.

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Each Associate and their eligible dependents may make up to 10 requests per calendar year in any combination of volunteer hours or cash donations. You are encouraged to log your volunteer hours on an ongoing basis, but Associates should combine larger numbers of hours to one organization into one matching request to avoid exceeding the 10 request maximum.

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Each gift you make counts separately and a new request must be submitted. Separate requests are required by audit regulations, and make record keeping easier.

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All matching requests must be entered into the online system. Paper applications are not accepted.

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All Associates and their eligible dependents can participate after they’ve been actively employed with CarMax for 30 days. After 30 days, Associates may enter requests for donations and volunteer hours dating from their hire date.

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  • Spouse / domestic partner
  • Children under age 26 and are of the following:
    • Your biological child
    • Your adopted child (or a child placed for adoption)
    • Your stepchild
    • Your foster child
    • Any other child for whom you have legal guardianship or who, by court order, are dependents for purposes of providing health care coverage and who are the tax dependent of the Associate for federal income tax purposes
    • The biological or adopted child(ren) of your Domestic Partner, provided you enroll your Domestic Partner for coverage and the child(ren) are the tax dependent of the Associate for federal income tax purposes

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  • Non-profit tax exempt organizations under section 501(c)(3) of the US Internal Revenue Code. While there are hundreds of thousands of eligible organizations in the United States, it is important to remember that not all 501(c)(3) organizations qualify for the program.
  • Public, nonprofit private and charter schools serving pre-K-12 grades, including tax-exempt school district foundations
  • Two-year or four-year, non-profit private or public colleges or universities that grant associate, bachelors, masters, or doctoral degrees.
  • Organizations must be U.S.-based and recognized by the IRS, but may provide service worldwide.

The following organizations are NOT eligible:
  • Religious organizations, unless the activities sponsored are non-sectarian, such as soup kitchens and shelters.
  • Private foundations
  • Donor advised funds
  • Community foundations
  • Charitable gift funds
  • United Way, or family funds
  • Service clubs, social groups, fraternal and labor organizations
  • Political organizations and lobbying groups
  • Business and industry associations
  • Government agencies

The one exception to these guidelines is the CarMax Associate Disaster Relief Fund. (Discuss Membership-based groups)


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You can make donations of cash, by check, by credit card, or stock/securities.

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Even if an organization is eligible, some gifts may not be.

These include:
  • Gifts made by or through Community Trusts or similar organizations, including Charitable Remainder Trusts, Donor Advised Funds, or Private Foundations
  • Gifts that provide a benefit, directly or indirectly, to the donor or the donor’s family or friends
  • Any part of a gift that is not tax-deductible to the donor
  • Fees for service or tuition payments
  • Membership fees for which benefits are received
  • Dues to alumni groups or similar groups
  • Gifts or payments for political or religious purposes
  • Subscription fees for publications
  • Insurance premiums
  • Bequests or life income trust arrangements
  • Gifts of real or personal property
  • Cumulative gifts from several individuals reported as one contribution

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  • Only actual time spent volunteering will be eligible for a match.
  • Anticipated volunteer service not yet performed is not eligible.
  • Political volunteer activities
  • Volunteer service performed at religious organizations.
  • Travel time to and from the volunteer activities is ineligible.
  • Volunteer hours fostering animals may not exceed 8 hours per day.

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Please consult with an attorney, accountant or other tax advisor if you aren’t sure about the deductibility of your donation.

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If your charity is not on the pre-approved list, you will be asked to nominate them by entering information such as the nonprofit name, address, and tax identification number. You will also be able to enter your matching gift request at this time. The organization will be reviewed and asked to supply documentation regarding their tax status. Once the organization is approved through the nomination process it will show up in the pre-approved list going forward.

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Once your request has been submitted, you will receive a confirmation email that your request was successfully entered. You don’t have to respond to this email unless you need to make corrections to your request. The Program Administrator verifies your eligibility, the organization’s eligibility, and contacts the organization to verify that you have made a gift or volunteered your time.

Once a nonprofit has provided the required documentation and confirmed the details of your matching gift request, the match will be paid according to the schedule below:

Associate Requests submitted and confirmed by the nonprofit by Payment date
March 1 March 31
June 1 June 30
September 1 September 30
December 1 December 31


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CarMax Associates are notified of ineligible requests via email.

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Email kmxfoundation@cybergrants.com or click the 'I still have a question' link below.


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