Places Where I Can Donate My Car in Northern California

If you have a car that's no longer running or one that's in fine shape but simply not worth the trouble of selling, consider donating it. Many Northern California groups use donated cars to fund their missions. You can choose to help a wide variety of causes, from public television to people struggling with cancer to kids living with disabilities. If you've got a car that's not worth much to you, it can make a significant difference to an important cause.

Types

Northern California's many charities provide myriad opportunities for car donation. If you're a big fan of public radio and TV, KQED, based in San Francisco, is the premiere public broadcast station in the area, and its website provides a full page that describes the process to donate your car (see Resources below). For animal lovers, Tony La Russa's Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF) accepts vehicle donations (see Resources below). You can also choose a charity that helps raise funds to assist breast cancer patients or consider making Easter Seals your car donation beneficiary. Or, if you prefer to make a national impact with a local donation, the ACLU accepts donations of vehicles through Car Program LLC.

Effects

KQED uses a private auction to make use of the vehicle and the funds support broadcasting quality educational programs. The proceeds from the sale of an auctioned vehicle donated to ARF are used to rescue dogs and cats throughout Northern California as well as bring pet programs to at-risk youth.

If you donate to Cars for Breast Cancer, you'll help those struggling with breast cancer cover their basic living expenses. With breast cancer rates skyrocketing, especially in the North Bay counties of Marin, Sonoma and Napa, according to the Marin County Department of Health and Human Services, this organization is a particularly worthy recipient. And in Northern California, a donation to Easter Seals helps enable summer camps and early intervention programs for children struggling with disabilities.

A donation to the ACLU helps support its mission of protecting civil liberties throughout the nation.

Benefits

Most charities in Northern California handle the transfer of title and other paperwork on your behalf, making it a relatively painless transaction. Most charities include the paperwork to begin the process directly on their website.

A car donation to a qualified non-profit organization can be deductible from your taxes. In addition, by donating to KQED, you will receive a free year of membership or, if you're already a member, a thank you gift.

Considerations

Your car need not be in running condition to be donated and most charities will tow non-operational vehicles. However, ARF requires that your vehicle be registered and located in California for it be accepted as a donation.

Warning

Be wary of car donation operations that appear to be working on behalf of a charitable organization. Many of the car donation operations charge a hefty fee to the charitable organization, so the charity receives little, if any, benefit from the car's sale at auction or salvage fee. Research any potential beneficiary to understand clearly how much it receives from the donation of a car.

Resources

• KQED donation page
• ARF
• Cars for breast cancer's site