How to Get a Free Donated Car

Get a free donated car from charity.

If you have fallen on hard times, you may be able to get a free car from charity. Lots of people donate their used cars, and there exist car charities that provide free cars to people in need. It's not particularly easy to find such car charities, however, because a lot of donated cars are sold at auctions with money being used for other charitable causes. Moreover, this has become a big for profit business for middlemen who advertise charitable car donations, yet keep most of the profits after auctioning the cars, only giving as little as ten percent to charities.
If you find yourself in a dire need for a car, read on to find out how you can go about getting a car from charity.

Instructions

1. Don't be sure that you don't qualify for a free car. There exist various charity organizations that provide free cars to battered women, families that are transitioning from public assistance, individuals who can't afford transportation to work, military families, people with disabilities, etc.
   It pays to apply, because the worst that can happen - you'll hear a "no".

2. Do some research online. Look for organizations that take car donations, and check to see if those organizations actually give some of those cars away. It's impossible to list all of them as there are lots, but if you type something like "donate a car" in Google you will get lots of hits. If you are not sure if an organization that accepts car donations provides free cars, call them and ask. A lot of these outfits are for profit businesses, however, acting as middlemen for charities, so they will say "no". Do not get discouraged if they say no, just call the next one. It will take some perseverance on your part, but the more research you do, the more likely you are to succeed.
   Check for links of some organizations that do provide free cars under resources at the bottom of this page.

3. Contact your local Goodwill office. Check the Goodwill Industries website for the local office (link available under resources below). If you are employed and have a hard time getting to work, you may qualify for their "Wheels to Work" program. Which means a free car to go to work!

4. Go to your local church and ask for assistance there. They may be able to put you in contact with local charities that provide free cars to people in need.
   Some of the church members might have a car they are planning on donating. In order for them to get a tax deduction, a transaction would have to be arranged through a local nonprofit organization and the details of what's required would depend on the procedures of that organization. If the car is not worth very much, the owner might be willing to gift it to you directly - it would involve transferring the title of the car to you, handled through the DMV of your state.

5. Be persistent and keep looking. While it's not that easy to get a donated car for free, it certainly is possible. Apply to as many places as you can. Each organization will have a different application procedure, but all of them will require quite a bit of documentation. Be prepared to prove your need for a free car, and verify your income.
   Best of luck!

Resources

• Charity Car Donation Gift
• 1-800-Charity Cars
• GoodWill Industries