How the car donation process works
Start with the 2-minute form or a quick call
Begin by completing the short Rev Up Hope online donation form or by calling Heritage for the Blind directly. You will share basic details: your name, contact information, California pickup location, vehicle year, make, model, general condition, and whether you have the title. You do not need to know the vehicle value or arrange transportation yourself. Cars, trucks, vans, SUVs, and many other vehicles may be accepted, even if they do not run. Once your information is submitted, Heritage for the Blind, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, EIN 58-2164446, begins coordinating the next step.
A coordinator calls back within 1-2 business hours
After your form is received, a donation coordinator typically calls within 1-2 business hours to confirm your vehicle details and answer questions. This is the best time to discuss access instructions, gated communities, apartment parking, repair shops, storage yards, or tight California street parking. The coordinator will help schedule a free pickup time that works for you. In many metro areas, including Los Angeles County, the Bay Area, San Diego, Orange County, Sacramento, and the Inland Empire, same-day or next-business-day pickup may be available depending on tow capacity.
Your free tow is scheduled at your California location
A licensed tow truck comes to the pickup address you choose, with no towing fee, service charge, or hidden cost to you. Pickup can often happen at a home driveway in Pasadena, an office lot in Irvine, a mechanic in Fresno, a curbside spot in Oakland, or a relative’s property in Bakersfield. Please remove personal belongings, license plates if instructed, and any toll transponders. Have the title and a valid photo ID ready. At pickup, you sign the title over, and the driver provides any immediate pickup paperwork available.
The vehicle goes to auction or a parts reseller
Once the tow is complete, your donated vehicle is transported through the vehicle processing network. Depending on its age, mileage, condition, and market demand, it may be sent to auction or to a parts reseller. You do not need to clean, repair, smog, advertise, negotiate, or meet buyers. Rev Up Hope and Heritage for the Blind handle the logistics after pickup. The goal is to convert the donated vehicle into charitable proceeds as efficiently as possible, while keeping the donor experience simple from start to finish.
Proceeds support Heritage for the Blind’s mission
After the vehicle is sold, the sale proceeds benefit Heritage for the Blind, a real 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, EIN 58-2164446. Heritage for the Blind supports services for people who are blind or visually impaired and also helps connect individuals with benefit information. If you or someone you know wants to check eligibility for programs such as SSI, LIHEAP, Medicare Extra Help, Section 8, and related assistance, visit nhftb.org/finder. Your California car donation helps turn an unwanted vehicle into support for a mission-focused nonprofit.
Your tax receipt is mailed after the vehicle sells
The full donation timeline is typically 2-6 weeks from submission to mailed tax documentation, depending on pickup scheduling, sale timing, and mail delivery. After the vehicle sells, Heritage for the Blind mails your tax receipt. For vehicles that sell for more than $500, you receive IRS Form 1098-C. For vehicles that sell for $500 or under, you receive a written acknowledgment. Keep this paperwork with your tax records and speak with a tax advisor about your personal deduction. You pay nothing for the tow or processing.
Key facts about car donation
Most California metro pickups can be scheduled for same-day or next-business-day service, based on local tow availability.
There is no cost to the donor: no towing fee, pickup fee, processing fee, or auction fee.
You sign the vehicle title over at pickup, so have the title and photo ID ready.
Tax paperwork is mailed after sale: Form 1098-C over $500, written acknowledgment at $500 or under.
Heritage for the Blind is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, EIN 58-2164446.
The entire start-to-receipt process usually takes about 2-6 weeks from donation submission.