Donate a Vehicle

How do I donate my vehicle?

  • It’s easy! You can donate to your nonprofit of choice by clicking on the Choose a Nonprofit option in the main navigation above. Then search for Salinas Valley Health Foundation and complete the online form.
  • You can also call 855-500-RIDE (7433) seven days a week during regular hours of operations, and the CARS Vehicle Donor Support Team will walk you through the donation form over the phone and then help you arrange for your free pick-up.

What are your Hours of Operation?

5:00 am - 9:00 pm (PT), Mon - Fri

5:00 am - 9:00 pm (PT), Saturday

5:00 am - 9:00 pm (PT), Sunday

What are the benefits of donating my vehicle to a nonprofit?

  • Donating is easy and the pick-up is free.
  • Donating skips the costs and hassles associated with selling a car, like paying for advertising and insurance, or for car repairs to keep your car in running condition while you wait for a buyer.
  • Donating avoids the costs associated with keeping a car, such as registration, insurance, car repairs, and more.
  • You can free up space at home and/or stop paying for extra parking.
  • It's better than a low trade-in offer.
  • Vehicle donations are tax-deductible, and you could reduce your taxable income when taxes are itemized.
  • Donating to a nonprofit feels good and makes a difference.

What do you do with donated vehicles?

  • Donated vehicles are sold through the used-car markets and provide crucial funding for nonprofit programs and services making an impact in communities all over the world. CARS works with a very large network of nationwide and independent suppliers to sell the vehicle and maximize donation proceeds. This includes analyzing vendor pricing and performance on a regular basis to improve the process and ensure the best possible return for our nonprofit partners and to maximize their donors' tax benefit. For unique or specialty items that have been donated, we may use other means to sell the vehicle to help ensure the maximum funds are received for each donation.

What type of paperwork will I need to donate my car?

  • You will need a current and clear title. Any lien holder listed on the title must be cleared and/or released by the bank. This law varies by state.

Do I need to provide my social security number to donate?

  • No, you do not need to provide your social security number to complete the donation process. However, because your vehicle has not sold at the time of the initial inquiry, our vehicle donor support representatives do ask for your social security number in the case your vehicle sells for over $500. Your social security number is needed to produce Copy B of form 1098-C, from which you will need to deduct the full value of your vehicle donation. Without this form, the most you may claim is $500.
  • If you are not interested in receiving a tax donation for your vehicle, or you are certain that it will not sell for over $500, then you may decline to give your social security number.

What types of vehicles do you accept?

  • All vehicles are considered! We strive to accept all types of donated vehicles (running or not) including cars, trucks, trailers, boats, RVs, motorcycles, campers, off-road vehicles, planes, heavy equipment, farm machinery, and most other motorized vehicles. To find out if we can accept your vehicle, please complete our secure online vehicle donation form, or call us toll-free at 855-500-RIDE (7433) during regular hours of operation.

Are there any costs?

  • There is no cost to the donor. All expenses are deducted from the gross sales price, and if the costs ever exceed the price, those costs are covered by CARS (Charitable Adult Rides & Services).

When can I schedule my pick-up?

  • When you are contacted by the towing/vendor company, you will most likely be given a time period to choose from for your pick-up window. These windows are based on your needs as a donor and what fits the realities of the traffic and volume in the geographic area of the vehicle.

How long is the entire process from the vehicle pick-up to when the nonprofit receives its funds?

  • The entire sale process can take approximately four to 12 weeks. The net cash proceeds from your generous vehicle donation are sent to your selected nonprofit within five business days upon the receipt of the sale proceeds from CARS auction or direct buy vendors.