Vehicle Donations

Turn Your Wheels Into Change

Donate your car, truck, or boat to Catholic Charities Dallas. We’ll handle the free towing, maximize your tax deduction, and use the proceeds to support families across North Texas.

How Vehicle Donations Fuel Our Mission

When you donate a vehicle to Catholic Charities Dallas, your gift travels much further than a driveway. The net cash proceeds from the sale of your car, truck, or boat directly fund the essential programs individuals and families rely on every day. By turning an unused asset into a charitable contribution, you help expand local access to critical services, including food assistance, housing stability, children’s programs, and senior care. Vehicle donations drive our mission forward, bringing vital hope to neighbors in need.

Turn Your Vehicle Into Change in 3 Easy Steps

We partner with CARS (Charitable Adult Rides & Services) to make the donation process seamless, secure, and entirely free. Use the online form below or call 855-500-7433 to get started.

1

Submit Your Details

Provide your contact info and vehicle logistics via our secure intake form below to clear your vehicle for pick-up.

2

Schedule Free Towing

A licensed tow operator will reach out within 2-3 business days to arrange a fast, convenient pick-up at zero cost to you.

3

Receive Your Tax Receipt

Once sold, CARS returns the net proceeds to fund our missions and sends your official IRS tax documentation straight to you.

Ready to Donate Your Vehicle?

Complete the secure form below to begin your donation. Our partners at CARS accept all types of vehicles, running or not, anywhere in the United States. This maximizes your tax deduction while driving our mission forward.

If you prefer to speak with a representative directly, you can also initiate your donation by calling CARS at 855-500-7433. Please have your vehicle’s title handy to help speed up the intake process!

Vehicle Donations Strengthen Our Missions

When you donate an unused asset, the sale proceeds go directly toward driving forward the essential local programs our neighbors rely on every day.

Educational Services Learning & Literacy

Educational Services

Vehicle donation proceeds support critical learning and language opportunities that equip children and adults with long-term skills.

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Senior Services Dignity & Independence

Senior Services

Your gift helps fund local senior center programs, wellness checks, and resources that preserve independence and community connection.

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Homelessness and Housing Housing Stability

Homelessness & Housing

Net proceeds help expand housing support, permanent supportive housing resources, and stability services for vulnerable individuals.

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Pregnancy, Parenting, and Adoption Family Support

Pregnancy, Parenting, & Adoption

Donations fund vital material assistance, professional parent education, and compassionate guidance during foundational life moments.

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Next Gen Wealth Academy Financial Empowerment

Next Gen Wealth Academy

Your vehicle contribution powers targeted financial education, career coaching, and technical tools tailored for economic mobility.

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Disaster Preparedness and Relief Services Emergency Support

Disaster Preparedness & Relief Services

Proceeds enhance regional capacity to provide urgent material relief, programmatic stability, and crisis recovery during local hardships.

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Refugee Services Resettlement & Support

Refugee Services

Vehicle donations help displaced families smoothly transition into North Texas with essential housing setup and employment assistance.

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Immigration Legal Services Legal Guidance

Immigration Legal Services

Your donation expands direct community access to professional legal consultations and trusted guidance for complex documentation processes.

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Hunger Services Food Assistance

Hunger Services

Net sale proceeds keep local mobile pantries stocked and operational, distributing critical fresh nutrition to families facing tight budgets.

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Children’s Services Child & Family Care

Children’s Services

Gifts support dedicated educational programs, structured summer camps, and clinical care systems built to uplift vulnerable youth.

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Community Health Clinic Accessible Health Care

Community Health Clinic

Donation proceeds enable vulnerable community members to easily connect with accessible diagnostic screenings and compassionate local healthcare.

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Frequently Asked Questions

To learn more about the CARS donation process, please select a phase below to find relevant requirements, logistics, and tax guidelines.

  • Donating is easy and the pick-up is free.
  • Donating skips the costs and hassles associated with selling a car, like paying for advertising and insurance, or for car repairs to keep your car in running condition while you wait for a buyer.
  • Donating avoids the costs associated with keeping a car, such as registration, insurance, car repairs, and more.
  • You can free up space at home and/or stop paying for extra parking.
  • It’s better than a low trade-in offer.
  • Vehicle donations are tax-deductible, and you could reduce your taxable income when taxes are itemized.
  • Donating to a nonprofit feels good and makes a difference.
All vehicles are considered (running or not – cars, trucks, trailers, boats, RVs, motorcycles, campers, farm machinery, and more)! To find out if CARS can accept your vehicle, please complete their secure online vehicle donation form, or call them during regular hours of operation.
You will need a current and clear title. Any lien holder listed on the title must be cleared and/or released by the bank. This law varies by state.
There is no cost to the donor. All expenses are deducted from the gross sales price, and if the costs ever exceed the price, those costs are covered by the vehicle donation program provider CARS (Charitable Adult Rides & Services).
When you are contacted by the towing/vendor company, you will most likely be given a time period to choose from for your pick-up window. These windows are based on your needs as a donor and what fits the realities of the traffic and volume in the geographic area of the vehicle.
The entire sale process can take approximately four to 12 weeks. The net cash proceeds from your generous vehicle donation are sent to our nonprofit within five business days upon the receipt of the sale proceeds from the auction or direct buy vendors.
Yes! They can provide convenient pick-up and towing for vehicle donations just about anywhere in all 50 states.
Yes! CARS can accept most vehicles, running or not. However, it must be in one piece and towable, have an engine, and be tow truck accessible.
Vehicle donations considered accessible for safe towing are typically parked in the front driveway, in front of the home or apartment building, or on the street and without any other vehicles or other items blocking the intended donation. The tow operators typically cannot access areas that do not have a direct path to the vehicle backyards and back alleyways, nor underground structures or other. Usually, all four tires should be inflated as well. We strive to consider every vehicle donation, so if you’re not sure whether or not your vehicle is accessible for safe towing, please let us know and we will do our best to support you.
No. Vehicle Donors do not pay for towing; it’s free! The vehicles are picked up at no charge to you.
A CARS vendor representative for your donation will be calling/texting and/or emailing you using the information you provided on the donation form for scheduling.
Please remove all personal belongings from the vehicle and have the title ready at the time of the pick-up (unless otherwise directed). The tow operator will pick up the title, keys and vehicle. Please wait to mark the title; the tow vendor will assist you in signing the title. In most cases, the tow operator will also provide a donation receipt. Should you not receive a receipt, please give our Donor Support Team a call and we will get one out to you.
This depends on the state in which your vehicle is registered. In some states, you are required to surrender or return the license plates after donating. If your state requires you to remove the plates before donating your vehicle, please do what you can to remove your own plates. CARS cannot guarantee the driver will be able to assist you with plate removal. To find out what’s expected for your state, give the CARS Vehicle Donor Support Team a call and they’ll walk you through it.
You may ask the representative scheduling your vehicle pick-up with the vendor about this option.
Whether or not you need notarization depends on the state that holds your vehicle title. Currently, the CARS vehicle donation program is currently aware that notarization is a requirement for the following states: Arizona, Kentucky, Louisiana, Montana, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Wyoming.
Depending on the registered state of the vehicle, the next step for you after your vehicle is picked up is to notify the state about your recent vehicle donation and that you are no longer in possession of the vehicle. Please only notify your state after the vehicle is picked up.
State notification releases a donor from liability over the vehicle, including registration fees and from having to keep the vehicle insured. State notification is a way for the state to create a record that the owner is no longer in possession of the vehicle. The steps needed to release your liability of a donated vehicle vary by state.
Only cancel your vehicle’s insurance AFTER you have notified the state that you’ve donated your vehicle. If your state requires notification, please be aware that you should never cancel your insurance prior to reporting to the state you are no longer in possession of the vehicle.
After CARS picks up the vehicle, they take full responsibility. In the rare event that you receive any notification of a lien sale, DMV actions, infractions, evasions or other activity related to your donated vehicle, please contact us immediately for assistance. Please note that you are liable for all fines/fees related to your vehicle prior to the pickup. To get answers for your specific DMV questions, please refer to the DMV in your state for clear instructions.
The title transfer is different in each state. The CARS vehicle donation program and their vendors/auction yards will help you take the correct steps to ensure that your title paperwork is transferred correctly at the time of your vehicle pick-up.
Please wait to mark the title until after you have discussed it with the tow vendor as they will assist you in showing you the correct location in which to sign the title.
The purchaser of your donated vehicle is not the charity. It will either be the vendor or Charitable Adult Rides & Services.
If the word “and/or” is not listed between the names of the parties/owners, then all parties will need to sign the title.
We are available seven days a week. Please call our donation number above or email donorsupport@careasy.org.
Once your vehicle sells, the CARS Vehicle Donor Support Team will either email and/or mail a thank-you letter on behalf of the nonprofit receiving your donation, which serves as a copy of your tax receipt. Please note that if your vehicle sells for more than $500 and your tax identification number has been provided, an IRS Form 1098-C, ‘Contributions of Motor Vehicles, Boats, and Airplanes’, will be mailed to you within 30 days of the sale stating the amount of gross proceeds received from your donation.
The CARS vehicle donation program works with more than 400 vendors throughout the country to sell vehicles. Every donation is personally reviewed to determine the most effective sales process. In most markets, they have the flexibility of multiple sales outlets to route vehicles to the right buyer. Vehicles may be sold through the auction, to a private buyer, or to a salvage yard. The CARS expansive network of vendors allows them to be more competitive with your inventory as well as leverage their volume to increase prices, providing the nonprofit with maximum returns and maximizing the donor’s tax benefit.
The entire sale process can take approximately four to 12 weeks. However, there are times the sale process can exceed 12 weeks. This occurs if CARS is holding onto the vehicle for a better sales price, etc.
Yes; vehicle donations are tax-deductible. Individual tax situations vary. For specific tax-related questions, please consult your tax advisor or refer to IRS Publication 4303.

Most vehicles are sold through local wholesale auctions, and we work to get the highest return per vehicle for you and for our nonprofit. According to the IRS Guidelines, donors may claim fair market value for their vehicle donation up to the actual sale value. If a vehicle is sold for more than $500, the maximum amount of your deduction will be the sales price of the vehicle which will be listed on your IRS Form 1098-C.

A special rule may apply if the donated vehicle sells for $500 or less. In this case, a deduction for the lesser of the vehicle’s fair market value on the date of the contribution may be claimed, or $500, provided you have written acknowledgment (i.e. the initial donation receipt or the thank-you letter you receive once the donation process is complete).

Please call during regular hours of operation, or email donorsupport@careasy.org, and CARS will be happy to help you.

In most cases, donors will receive an initial donation receipt from the tow driver at the time of the vehicle pick-up. This initial acknowledgement will indicate the donor’s name as well as the year, make, model and condition of the donated vehicle. Should you not receive a receipt, please give our donor support team a call and we will get one out to you.

Donors will also be mailed a thank-you letter on behalf of the receiving nonprofit within 30 days of the sale of the vehicle, which serves as a tax receipt. This will be the donor’s final tax document if their vehicle sells for $500 or less.

If the vehicle sells for more than $500 and the donor has provided their tax identification number, CARS will also mail an IRS Form 1098-C, ‘Contributions of Motor Vehicles, Boats, and Airplanes’, to the donor within 30 days of the sale stating the amount of gross proceeds received from their donation.

CARS would be happy to help you. Please call them during regular hours of operation, or you may email donorsupport@careasy.org, and simply let us know you need a replacement.
Notice: Catholic Charities Dallas is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and donations may be tax-deductible as allowed by law. EIN#: 75-2745221.

For more information about corporate giving, stock gifts, bequests, wire transfers, and other ways to give, please contact Kelly Noonan, knoonan@ccdallas.org or 469-801-8132.