Are you ready to donate your unwanted car but don't know where to start? Many charities accept car donations. The hardest part is finding a legitimate charity that qualifies for the charitable contributions deduction, has a mission you believe in, and uses your donations effectively.

Here's a look at some of the most popular charities that gladly accept car donations.

Top 5 Car Donation Charities

1. Goodwill

You can't drop off a car at the Goodwill donation center, but the charity accepts donations of cars, RVs, boats, motorcycles and many other special vehicles. Goodwill will sell all donated cars and use the proceeds to support its professional services.
Goodwill Industries International has an A rating from CharityWatch, which says the organization spends 87% of its budget on programs relative to overhead and spends just $2 to raise a $100 contribution.
To get started, fill out the car donation form at GoodwillCarDonation.org or call 855-980-0171. The organization will schedule the pickup of the vehicle and send you a receipt.

2. Ronald McDonald House Charities

Your local Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) can accept donations of cars, trucks, boats, RVs and other vehicles. The organization sells the cars and uses the proceeds to help families in a home away from home when a seriously ill or injured child is hospitalized.
CharityWatch gives RMHC's national office an A grade. The watchdog says the organization uses 88% of its budget on programs compared to overhead, spending $9 to raise every $100 in contributions.
To donate a car to RMHC, call 855-227-7435 or visit the group's car donation website. Charitable Adult Rides & Services (CARS), the nonprofit organization that works with RMHC to donate cars, will pick up your car for free and send you the documentation needed to claim the charitable contribution on your taxes.

3. Habitat for Humanity

Habitat for Humanity accepts donations of cars, trucks, motorcycles, recreational vehicles, boats, snowmobiles, farm equipment and construction equipment. The cars are then sold or recycled to raise funds to support the charity's mission to build safe and affordable homes for families in need.

Watchdog CharityWatch gave Habitat for Humanity International a grade of B (on a scale of A+ to F) for financial practices. CharityWatch says the organization spends 73% of its budget on overhead-related programs and spends an average of $27 to raise $100 in contributions.

Guidestar, which conducts surveys of non-profit organizations, awarded Habitat a Gold Seal of Transparency in 2020. To donate a car to Habitat for Humanity, you can use the Car Donation Wizard website or call 877-277-4344 to provide information about your vehicle and schedule a pickup.

4. The Salvation Army

The Salvation Army accepts car donations at various locations. The organization sells donated cars to fund a variety of programs, including disaster relief, homeless shelters, food pantries, veterans services, job training and more.

The Salvation Army organization consists of four regions: Central, Eastern, Southern, and Western. All are rated B+ or better by CharityWatch.

The Salvation Army website can help you find car donation services in your area.

5. Canine Companions for Independence

provides service dogs to adults, children and veterans with disabilities and service dogs to professionals working in healthcare, criminal justice and education.

CharityWatch gave Canine Companions a B grade, saying it used 68% of its budget on programs and spent $20 on fundraising for every $100 in contributions.

The organization accepts donations of cars, trucks, boats, planes, motorcycles and other vehicles, whether they are running or not. You can start your donation on Website or by calling 866-398-4483.

Claim a tax deduction for donating a car

Before donating your car, it's a good idea to read the IRS guidelines for charitable donations to make sure you qualify for the deductions you expect. The following tips may help:

Plan your individual deposits. To get a tax break from donating a car, you need to itemize the deductions. And generally, your total itemized deductions—including out-of-pocket medical expenses, home mortgage interest, state and local taxes, and charitable deductions—must be more than the standard deduction available for your filing status. This is a difficult hurdle for many taxpayers, so you'll want to work with your tax advisor to crunch some numbers before donating to see if itemizing is worth it.
Get the proper paperwork together. The IRS has strict rules for documenting car donations, so you must obtain the proper paperwork to claim the deduction. Most charities sell donated cars and your deduction is limited to the proceeds from the sale. When a charity sells a car, it must send you a Form 1098-C confirming the date of sale and the price. For more details, see IRS Publication 4303, Donor's Guide to Vehicle Donations.

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Best 5 Car Donation Charities