How the car donation process works
You donate and schedule a free Metro Detroit pickup
Start by telling MotorCity Wheels about your car, truck, SUV, van, or other vehicle. You do not need to know its exact value, and it does not have to be in perfect shape. Free towing is available throughout Detroit and Metro Detroit, including neighborhoods like Rosedale Park, Indian Village, Southwest Detroit, and suburbs such as Royal Oak, Sterling Heights, Westland, and Grosse Pointe. A towing partner will coordinate a convenient pickup time, collect the vehicle, and begin the transfer process so the donation can move toward sale.
The vehicle is assessed after pickup
After the vehicle is picked up, it is assessed to determine the most practical sale path. The review looks at basic factors like whether it runs, overall condition, mileage, age, title status, visible damage, and likely resale demand. This is where the decision starts: a drivable vehicle in resalable condition may be routed differently than a non-running car that has been sitting through several Michigan winters. The purpose is simple and donor-focused: choose the route most likely to create proceeds for Heritage for the Blind.
Running, resalable vehicles typically go to auction
If your donated vehicle runs and appears resalable, it typically goes to a public or dealer auction. Auction buyers may include dealers, independent buyers, wholesalers, or others looking for repairable or retail-ready vehicles. MotorCity cars that still have useful life, from a commuter sedan in Hamtramck to an SUV in Troy, often fit this route. The vehicle is sold, and the gross sale price becomes the basis for your charitable tax deduction when the sale is over $500 and reported to you on IRS Form 1098-C.
Non-running or high-mileage vehicles may be sold for parts or salvage
Not every donated car is a good auction candidate. If a vehicle has major mechanical problems, heavy body damage, very high mileage, missing key components, or cannot be started, it is typically sold to a licensed salvage or parts buyer. That does not mean the donation is wasted. Usable parts, recyclable materials, and salvage value can still generate proceeds. For donors with an older car in a driveway in Dearborn Heights, Roseville, Taylor, or Farmington Hills, this can be a clean, simple way to remove the vehicle and support a meaningful mission.
Proceeds go to Heritage for the Blind and support its mission
Once the vehicle is sold, the sale proceeds go directly to Heritage for the Blind, a recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit with EIN 58-2164446. Those proceeds are revenue for Heritage for the Blind and help fund services for Americans who are blind or visually impaired. The standard donation process is designed to convert vehicles into funding, not to promise that a specific car will be given to a specific family. If you also want to check benefit eligibility, Heritage connects people with programs such as SSI, LIHEAP, Medicare Extra Help, Section 8, and more at nhftb.org/finder.
Key facts about car donation
Free towing is available across Metro Detroit, from Detroit neighborhoods to nearby suburbs and downriver communities.
Vehicles are assessed after pickup so the sale route can maximize proceeds for Heritage for the Blind.
Running cars in resalable condition typically go to public or dealer auction where buyers compete.
Non-running, damaged, or high-mileage vehicles typically go to licensed salvage or parts buyers who recover value.
For sales over $500, donors receive IRS Form 1098-C showing the gross sale price for taxes.
Heritage for the Blind is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, EIN 58-2164446, supporting blind and visually impaired people.