California Car Donations

Are you looking to donate a car in California? Congratulations! You've come to the right place. Donating your car in California is a simple process that can significantly benefit the charity of your choice. On top of donating to your favorite cause, Cars2Charities also provides free towing to donors, and maximizes the value of your car donation- which benefits both our donors and our charities. 

Why Donate a Car in California 

According to the U.S Department of Transportation, there are 17,977,605 private, commercial, and publicly owned vehicles in the state of California.

Some of these cars are drivable while others are not. Some of these cars are parked in a back lot or stuck sitting in your driveway. And some require way more work than they're actually worth. In any of these cases, we can clear your driveway and turn a non-running car into a donation for charity!

In most cases, we accept donations of all types of vehicles, whether they are running or not. We process all makes and models of: cars, trucks, motorcycles, vans, RVs, boats, golf carts, and more!

The Car Donation Experts 

Cars2Charities is a family and female owned Los Angeles based commercial fundraiser and is registered with the appropriate business and governmental entities. 

Cars2Charities is designed to provide donors with a simple, fast, and secure way to donate their vehicles to nonprofit organizations. Because most charities are not able to process their own vehicle donations, we take care of the scheduling, pick up, sale, and paperwork for each donation on their behalf. 

We help donors by making car donations safe, easy, and ideal by offering them the chance to maximize their tax deductions. 

We also help charities by facilitating a lucrative source of supplementary and additional income to support their worthy causes. We want to help as many individuals, families, animals, causes, and communities as we possibly can by using our 45 collective years of knowledge about car donations and the used car industry. 

In addition to effectively handling car donations within the USA, it is our mission to spread love, kindness, and generosity to others.

How to Donate a Car in California

With more than 30 years of experience, Cars2Charities has the expertise in making vehicle donations easier than ever. Cars2Charities is designed to provide donors with a simple, fast, and secure way to donate their vehicles to nonprofit organizations. 

Step by Step

1. You’ll start the process of donating your car by collecting both your California car registration and title. If you have misplaced your title or registration, don’t worry! We can help. Please find your vehicle's identification number (VIN) and together we can determine which supplementary paperwork you will need to complete at the time of pick up. 

2. Next, you can either give us a phone call, or complete an online donation request form. Both will collect information regarding your car donation- the vehicle's color, mileage, VIN, and location.   

3. After, we collect your vehicle's donation, we will assess if this car qualifies for our California car donation program. Don’t let this scare you! We typically take most vehicles unless the car has substantial damage (there's no value in these cars)! Once we determine that your vehicle qualifies, we will agree on a pick-up date, time, and location- this is usually 24-72hrs after the initial contact. 

4. Once we confirm the pick-up date and time, we will send you an email that gives you step by step instructions, including how to sign a California car title, how to submit the release of liability, and how to file for a charitable tax deduction. In California the license plate stays with the vehicle, so don't worry about remove it before the pick-up. 

5. Before arriving, our tow truck driver will call you one hour before arriving. This will give you time to collect paperwork and prepare the vehicle for towing.  At the time of the pick-up, make sure your title is signed and clear of any lien holdings. You will hand over the title and registration to the tow truck driver. 

6. At this point, we will handle the rest! Once your car donation is complete, the charity will receive the proceeds, and you will receive proper forms and instructions to claim your tax deduction. 

California Charities 

When you donate your car to charity, you have control over deciding which charity benefits from your donation. Cars2Charities works with hundreds of California based animal rescues, veterans' charities, environmental causes, children's charities, and human services. 

Animal Rescues 

Kitten Rescue (L.A.) is a non-profit, volunteer-run organization devoted to finding loving homes for unwanted, homeless cats and kittens. They rescue cats and kittens from the streets of Los Angeles and from City Shelter euthanasia. Since their start in 1997, they have grown into one of the largest, most well-respected animal welfare groups in Los Angeles.

Charities like California Wildlife Center, Boston Buddies of Southern California, and California Wolf Center help and rescues animals throughout California. 

Health and Medical 

Childhood Leukemia Foundation provides families with car and treatment. A car donation to Alzheimer's Los Angeles helps improve the lives of local families affected by Alzheimer’s and dementia by increasing awareness, delivering effective programs and services, providing compassionate support, and advocating for quality care and a cure. 

Arthritis Foundation is the Champion of Yes. They lead the fight for the arthritis community through life-changing information and resources, access to optimal care, advancements in science and community connections. Their goal is to chart a winning course and make each day another stride towards a cure.

Breast cancer research charities aims to revise forms of treatment, discover effective methods of prevention, and ultimately find a cure. Although awareness is essential, these organizations priorities conducting lifesaving research and finding medical breakthroughs. 

A car donation to Teen Cancer America improves the experience, outcomes, and survival of teens and young adults with cancer by providing facilities and programs designed especially for them in hospitals throughout the USA.

Veterans Charities 

Support the Enlisted Project (STEP) aims to build financial self-sufficiency among junior active duty enlisted service members and recently discharged enlisted Veterans and their families in Southern California facing financial crisis through counseling, education and grants. STEP’s vision is to change the lives of military families and Veterans that we serve by helping them achieve financial self-sufficiency.

USO San Diego strengthens America’s military service members by keeping them connected to family, home and country, throughout their service to the nation.  

Wounded Warrior Project honors and empowers those who protect our freedom and safety. The proceeds that your donation generates directly supports courageous men and women in uniform. WWP provides help and comfort to service members who’ve incurred a physical or mental injury from their military service since. 

Environmental Causes 

The Living Desert's mission is desert conservation through preservation, education and appreciation. 

Oceanic Society aims to increase the number of people taking action for ocean conservation in the following focus areas. Their current target audience is the nature-based tourism industry and the tens of millions of travelers that it serves each year, and they are simultaneously working to expand their programs and partnerships to reach a broader range of consumer audiences.

Founded at its grassroots in the United States in 1951, The Nature Conservancy has grown to become one of the most effective and wide-reaching environmental organizations in the world. Thanks to more than a million members and the dedicated efforts of our diverse staff and more than 400 scientists, we impact conservation in 79 countries and territories across six continents. Their mission is to conserve the land and waters on which all life depends. Our vision is a world where the diversity of life thrives, and people act to conserve nature for its own sake and its ability to fulfill our needs and enrich our lives.

Children's Charities 

A Place Called Home provides a safe, nurturing environment with proven programs in arts, education and wellness for the young people in South Central Los Angeles to help them improve their economic conditions and develop healthy, fulfilling and purposeful lives. 

Los Angeles Children’s Hospital is a powerful institution treating pediatric pain, an experience that impacts everyone involved. The support of seasoned experts with a bounty of tenderness is vital. That’s what families have come to expect from this incredible institution. It’s ironic to think that a hundred-year-old hospital – where doctors used to visit on horseback – can be supported by something as modern as your car donation. But it can.

Human Services 

Homeboy Industries provides hope, training, and support to formerly gang-involved and previously incarcerated men and women allowing them to redirect their lives and become contributing members of our community.

To check out more charities to donate to, view our complete list. Not seeing the one you're interested in? Give us a call, we'll take care of it.