Donate Books

FOR LOCAL DROP OFF OF BOOKS AT OUR WAREHOUSE. Book drop off hours are every Wednesday from 10 am-3 pm and 1st and 3rd Saturdays of each month from 9am-noon at Books For Africa's Warehouse at 715 E. Minnehaha Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55106 USA

FOR SHIPPING OF BOOKS UNDER 450 POUNDS. The cost of shipping your books, as well as the fair market value of the books, is tax deductible. BFA will send a letter of acknowledgment, but will not assign a dollar value to books. If you are unable to bring your books to our warehouse, please ship them to us. Example rate: You are permitted to use Media Mail rate to send us your book donations. As of 2007, this rate is $19.09 per 50 pounds.

Please see Book Donation Guidelines

FOR SHIPMENTS OF BOOKS OVER 450 POUNDS. Contact Twin Modal for a trucking quote, prior to contacting Twin Modal please have the following information available:

1. Pickup Location
a. Address & telephone from which the boxes are to be picked up by the carrier.
b. Is this a non-commercial address? (Adds to the cost of shipping)
c. Is this a business address open from 8AM to 5PM Monday to Friday?
2. Number of boxes-label each with Books For Africa.
3. Total Estimated Weight of the Shipment
a. You can use your bathroom scale to estimate the weight of the boxes.
b. If the boxes are on a pallet, please add 50 lbs per pallet. (The shipment will be weighed by the carrier and any additional charges due to an increase in actual versus estimated weight will be charged to your credit card)
4. A credit card payment is required to pay Twin Modal for the cost of your shipment.

For 450 pounds and more, to obtain a rate quote or to set up your books to be trucked to BFA simply email Laura at LTLCentral@twinmodal.com and identify Books For Africa with the information in 1-3 as the Twin Modal account.

Basic Information needed to arrange for carrier pickup:

Pickup location:

Name, Address, City, State, Zip, Phone number and contact name, fax number or email address would also be needed to get the bill of lading to the pickup point. If this is not available, Twin Modal can fax the bill of lading to the carriers facility at the origin.

Delivery location:

Name, Address, City, State, Zip (which in most cases will be the St Paul Warehouse: 715 East Minnehaha Ave., St Paul, MN 55106)

Description of commodity being shipped:

Books, Class 65

Number of Handling Units:

Number of cartons if loose (each carton must have label on it showing from/to information)

Number of skids if palletized (shrink wrapped skid can have single label)

Total Weight of the shipment:

(estimate if no scale available, carrier will verify and correct if necessary)

Credit Card payment information

If You Are a Publisher

IRS special tax incentive rule known as section 170(e)(3) allows manufacturers and distributors to make donations of equipment and/or inventory to nonprofit tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organizations at a considerable tax advantage. Gifts can usually be deducted at cost plus one-half the difference between the cost (basis) and the fair market value (FMV). Deductions are limited to 10% of the company’s taxable income each year; excess donations may be carried forward.