How the car donation process works
You start with a simple New Jersey donation request
Begin by telling Revive the Ride about your car, truck, van, SUV, motorcycle or other vehicle. You will share basic details such as the year, make, model, location and whether it starts. Donors across New Jersey, from Hoboken and Montclair to Hamilton, Camden and Atlantic City, can request free tow pickup. You do not need to know the vehicle’s final destination before donating. The goal at this stage is to collect enough information to schedule pickup and prepare the vehicle for the best available sale path after it is received.
Free towing is scheduled at a convenient location
Once your donation is accepted, a licensed towing provider arranges free pickup at your home, office, repair shop, storage lot or another accessible location. This can be especially helpful if the vehicle is sitting in a driveway in Clifton, a garage in Princeton or a parking space in North Bergen. You do not pay for the tow. At pickup, the vehicle is transferred into the donation process so it can be evaluated and sold to generate proceeds for Heritage for the Blind, EIN 58-2164446.
The vehicle is assessed after pickup
After pickup, the vehicle is reviewed for condition, mileage, drivability, market interest and likely resale value. This assessment helps determine the most practical way to turn the donation into revenue for Heritage for the Blind. A clean, running sedan with reasonable mileage may have a different path than a non-running truck with body damage or an older vehicle with major mechanical issues. The decision is not based on guesswork. It is based on which sale channel is expected to create the strongest return from the donated vehicle.
Running, resalable vehicles typically go to auction
If your donated car runs and appears to be in resalable condition, it will typically be offered through a public or dealer auction. Auctions allow buyers to compete for vehicles based on demand, condition and local market value. This is often the best path for cars that can still be driven, repaired affordably or resold by a licensed buyer. The gross sale price from the auction becomes the basis for your tax deduction when the vehicle sells for more than $500, and you receive IRS Form 1098-C.
Non-running or high-mileage vehicles usually go to salvage
If your vehicle does not run, has severe mechanical problems, is very high mileage or would cost too much to prepare for auction, it is typically sold to a licensed salvage or parts buyer. That does not mean the donation has failed. Older vehicles, accident-damaged cars and cars with missing or worn components can still produce proceeds through parts, recyclable materials or salvage resale. This path helps turn an unwanted vehicle into charitable revenue instead of letting it continue taking up space in your driveway or lot.
Proceeds support blind and visually impaired people
After the vehicle is sold, the proceeds go directly to Heritage for the Blind, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, EIN 58-2164446. Those proceeds are revenue that helps fund services for people who are blind or visually impaired. Heritage also helps connect people with benefit resources, and donors or families who want to check eligibility for programs such as SSI, LIHEAP, Medicare Extra Help or Section 8 can visit nhftb.org/finder. Your unused vehicle becomes practical support for a mission that reaches beyond the car itself.
Key facts about car donation
Free towing is available throughout New Jersey for accepted vehicle donations through Revive the Ride.
Running vehicles in resalable condition typically go to public or dealer auction.
Non-running, damaged or high-mileage vehicles typically sell to licensed salvage or parts buyers.
Sale proceeds go directly to Heritage for the Blind, a 501(c)(3), EIN 58-2164446.
For vehicles selling over $500, donors receive IRS Form 1098-C for the gross sale price.
Your car is not automatically given to a family; it is sold to fund Heritage services.