The 10 Best Car Donation Charities in 2024

Vehicles Accepted: Cars, trucks, motorcycles, RVs, boats, vans, jet skis and trailers.

Reasons to Pick:

• Direct Impact on Children: Make-A-Wish grants wishes to children with critical illnesses and bringing them a moment of hope and happiness during a challenging time. Your car donation directly contributes to fulfilling these wishes.
• Reputable Charity: Make-A-Wish is a highly respected organization with a proven track record. They are transparent about their finances and have a long history of fulfilling wishes. You can be confident that your donation is going towards a good cause.
• Easy Donation Process: Donating your car to Make-A-Wish is hassle-free. They offer free towing or pick-up of your vehicle, regardless of its condition.
• Tax Benefits: Donating a car to Make-A-Wish is typically tax-deductible in the United States. You can claim a fair market value deduction on your taxes.
• Supports Local Communities: Make-A-Wish has local chapters across the country. Your car donation benefits children in your community.
• Environmentally Friendly: Donating your car ensures that it is recycled or disposed of responsibly, preventing harmful materials from entering landfills.
• Creates Space: Get rid of an unwanted car and free up space in your driveway or garage.
• Fast and Convenient: The donation process is quick and easy. You can often complete it online or over the phone.
• Multiple Wish Options: Make-A-Wish grants a variety of wishes, from meeting a favorite celebrity to going on a dream vacation. Your donation helps to fund these diverse experiences.

Vehicles Accepted: Cars, trucks, motorcycles, boats, RVs, farm and construction equipments.

Reasons to Pick:

• Supports Affordable Housing: Your car donation directly helps Habitat for Humanity build and repair homes for families in need. This gives them a safe and stable place to live, which can have a ripple effect on their entire lives.
• Straightforward Donation Process: Habitat for Humanity makes donating your car easy. They handle all the towing arrangements and paperwork, making it an easy experience for you.
• Tax Deductible Contribution: Donating a car to a qualified charity like Habitat for Humanity can be tax-deductible in the United States. You can claim a fair market value deduction on your taxes, which can save you money.
• Supports a Reputable Charity: Habitat for Humanity is a well-respected organization with a long history of helping families achieve the dream of homeownership. You can be confident that your donation will be used effectively.
• Multiple Donation Options: Habitat for Humanity accepts a wide variety of vehicles, including cars, trucks, SUVs, motorcycles, and even boats (in some locations). They can also accept running or non-running vehicles.
• Free Towing: No need to worry about how to get your car to the donation center. Habitat for Humanity will arrange for free towing from a convenient location.
• Fast and Easy Donation: The donation process can often be completed in a matter of days. You can usually initiate the donation online and schedule a pick-up time that works for you.

Vehicles Accepted: Cars, trucks, motorcycles, boats and RVs.

Reasons to Pick:

• Direct Impact on Families with Sick Children: RMHC is a well-established charity with a clear mission: to keep families close to their sick children. Your car donation helps fund programs that provide families with a comfortable and supportive place to stay near the hospital, reducing stress during a difficult time.
• Multiple Ways Donations are Used: Proceeds from your vehicle go towards essential services for families, such as providing private rooms, meals, and emotional support. This can significantly ease the burden on families facing a child's illness.
• Convenience and Potential Tax Benefits: RMHC handles everything – towing your car for free and processing the donation. You may also be eligible for a tax deduction on your next tax return.
• Reputable Charity: RMHC is a globally recognized organization with a long history of helping families. You can be confident that your donation will be used effectively to support their mission.
• Overall Impact: Donating a car to RMHC is a way to turn an unused vehicle into something that directly benefits families in need. It's a chance to make a positive difference during a challenging time.

Vehicles Accepted: Cars [of any condition], Trucks, SUVs, Motorcycles, Boats, and RVs [Recreational Vehicles].

Reasons to Pick:

• Established Reputation: The Salvation Army has been around for over 150 years, and they have a proven track record of using donations effectively.
• Wide Range of Programs: Your car donation will support their many social service programs, including shelter for the homeless, addiction recovery, disaster relief, and job training.
• Convenience and Ease: The Salvation Army makes car donation easy. They typically handle pick-up and towing for free, and the donation process is straightforward.
• Tax Deductible Donation: Donating your car to the Salvation Army allows you to claim a tax deduction on your income taxes, potentially saving you money.
• Alignment with Values: If you align with the Salvation Army's Christian mission of helping others, choosing them can be a way to support a cause you care about.

Vehicles Accepted: Cars, trucks, SUVs, boats, motorcycles, trailers, RVs, golf carts, motorized equipment and more.

Reasons to Pick: 

• Supporting a reputable charity: Goodwill is a well-established organization with a long history of helping people in need. You can be confident that your donation will go towards a good cause.
• Helping people with disabilities and veterans: The proceeds from your car donation will be used to fund programs that help people with disabilities and veterans find jobs and become self-sufficient.
• Easy and convenient donation process: Donating your car to Goodwill is a hassle-free experience. They will handle everything for you, from towing your car to providing you with the paperwork you need for your tax deduction.
• Potential tax benefits: Depending on the value of your car, you may be able to claim a tax deduction for your donation.
• Feel-good factor: You'll be getting rid of an unwanted car while also helping those in need. It's a win-win situation!

Vehicles Accepted: Cars, trucks, motorcycles, boats, RVs, snowmobiles, jet skis, tractors, farm equipment, and heavy equipment.

Reasons to Pick: 

• Reputable Organization: The Red Cross is a well-established and trusted charity with a long history of helping people in need. Donating to them ensures your car goes towards a legitimate cause.
• Mission Alignment: Their mission focuses on preventing and alleviating human suffering during emergencies. If you want your car to contribute to disaster relief efforts, the Red Cross is a good fit.
• Convenience: The donation process is easy and hassle-free. They often arrange for free towing of your vehicle. You can save time and effort of selling it by yourself.
• Tax Benefits: In the US, you may be eligible for a tax deduction on the fair market value of your car.
• Clearance and Space: Donating frees up space in your driveway or garage and eliminates the ongoing costs of ownership, like registration and insurance.

Vehicles Accepted: Cars, trucks, motorcycles, RVs, boats, ATVs and more.

Reasons to Pick:

• Supports veterans: The proceeds from your donation go towards programs that help veterans, which can be a cause you care about.
• Easy donation process: Vehicles for Veterans offers a hassle-free way to donate your car. They will handle the towing and paperwork for you.
• Tax deductible: Since Vehicles for Veterans is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, donating your car to them may qualify you for a tax deduction.
• Accepts most vehicles: They accept a wide variety of vehicles, including cars, trucks, motorcycles, RVs, and even boats, in any condition, running or not.

Vehicles Accepted: Cars, trucks, boats, planes, motorcycles and more.

Reasons to Pick:

• Direct Impact: CCI is a highly rated charity, and their mission is to provide service dogs to people with disabilities, free of charge. Donating your car directly supports this cause.
• Convenience: CCI offers a hassle-free car donation program. They accept various vehicles in any condition, including running or non-running cars, trucks, boats, and even motorcycles. They will also arrange for pick-up and towing of the vehicle at no cost to you.
• Potential Tax Benefits: Donating a car to a qualified charity like CCI may allow you to claim a tax deduction on your next tax return. It's always wise to consult with a tax advisor to confirm this benefit applies to you.

Vehicles Accepted: Car, Trucks, other vehicles on case-by-case basis include motorcycles, boats, snowmobiles, trailers, and even RVs.

Reasons to Pick: 

• Support a cause you care about: Special Olympics is a well-respected organization that provides year-round sports training and competition for people with intellectual disabilities. Donating your car helps fund these programs and creates opportunities for athletes to develop physical fitness, gain confidence, and experience the joy of competition.
• Make a big impact: Your car donation can turn into significant support for Special Olympics. They efficiently sell donated vehicles and use the proceeds to directly fund their programs.
• Convenient and hassle-free: Special Olympics handles all the towing and paperwork for your car donation. You simply schedule a pick-up and receive a tax deduction for the fair market value of your vehicle.
• Transparent and accountable: Special Olympics is a reputable charity with a high rating from organizations like Charity Navigator. You can be confident that your donation will be used effectively.
• Multiple car types accepted: Many car donation charities only accept running vehicles, but Special Olympics often accepts cars in any condition, including those that don't run. This means you can organize your garage and make a positive impact at the same time.

Vehicles Accepted: Cars, Trucks, SUVs, Vans, Motorcycles, Boats, RVs, Snowmobiles, and Trailers.

Reasons to Pick: 

• Supports a Reputable Organization: The American Cancer Society is a leading organization in the fight against cancer. They fund research, provide patient support services, and advocate for public health policies that can help prevent cancer. Donating to them ensures your contribution goes towards a well-established charity.
• Easy Donation Process: The ACS makes donating your car a hassle-free experience. You can initiate the process online or by phone, and they’ll handle scheduling a free pick-up of your vehicle.
• Accept Various Vehicles: They accept a wide range of vehicles, including cars, trucks, SUVs, motorcycles, RVs, and even boats in some cases.
• Potential Tax Deduction: Donating a car to a qualified charity like ACS may allow you to claim a tax deduction on your next tax return.

Content Sources:

• CarDonationWizard
• Money
• USAToday
• Forbes