How the car donation process works
You start with a simple donation request
Tell Lancaster Motor Gifts about your car, truck, van, SUV, or other vehicle, including where it is located in Lancaster County and whether it runs. You do not need to know its market value or repair history in detail. Basic information helps schedule free towing and prepares the receiving team to evaluate the vehicle properly. Donors from Lancaster city, Manheim Township, East Petersburg, Willow Street, and surrounding areas can begin the process quickly and ask questions before committing.
Your vehicle is picked up at no cost
Once your donation is scheduled, a towing partner arranges pickup at a convenient Lancaster County location, such as your home, apartment lot, workplace, repair shop, or storage property. The tow is free to you. You will sign over the title according to Pennsylvania requirements, and you should remove personal items and license plates before pickup. The goal is to make donating easier than selling privately, especially if the vehicle is older, not running, or no longer worth repairing.
The vehicle is assessed after pickup
After pickup, the vehicle is reviewed for condition, mileage, age, drivability, title status, and resale potential. This assessment determines the route most likely to create value for Heritage for the Blind. A clean, running car in resalable condition is usually handled differently from a non-running, damaged, or very high-mileage vehicle. The process is practical, not emotional: the vehicle is directed to the channel that is expected to return the strongest sale proceeds for the charity.
Running vehicles usually go to auction
If your donated vehicle runs and appears to be in resalable condition, it typically goes to a public or dealer auction. Auction buyers may include dealers, wholesalers, mechanics, or private buyers depending on the auction format and vehicle condition. Lancaster Motor Gifts does not promise that a car will be placed with a specific family or individual. Instead, the standard model is to sell the vehicle and turn the sale proceeds into charitable revenue for Heritage for the Blind, EIN 58-2164446.
Non-running vehicles may be sold for salvage or parts
If your car does not run, has major mechanical problems, is accident-damaged, or has very high mileage, it typically goes to licensed salvage or parts buyers. These buyers may recycle usable components, scrap metal, or other materials according to their business practices and applicable rules. Even a vehicle that seems beyond repair can still create proceeds. That means an old minivan in Leola, a worn-out sedan in Columbia, or a broken-down truck in Mount Joy can still help support the mission.
Proceeds support services for blind and visually impaired people
After the vehicle is sold, the sale proceeds become revenue for Heritage for the Blind, a 501(c)(3) charity, EIN 58-2164446. Those funds help support services for people who are blind or visually impaired. Heritage also helps connect eligible individuals with benefit resources such as SSI, LIHEAP, Medicare Extra Help, Section 8, and other assistance programs; donors or community members can learn more at nhftb.org/finder. Your unused vehicle becomes a practical way to support accessibility, independence, and care.
Key facts about car donation
Free towing is available for donors throughout Lancaster County and nearby Pennsylvania communities.
Running, resalable vehicles typically go to public or dealer auction after pickup and assessment.
Non-running or high-mileage vehicles are typically sold to licensed salvage or parts buyers.
Heritage for the Blind is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, EIN 58-2164446.
For vehicles sold over $500, donors receive IRS Form 1098-C showing the gross sale price.
The standard process converts donated vehicles into sale proceeds, rather than directly giving cars to families.