How the car donation process works
You Start the Donation and Choose a Pickup Window
Begin by sharing basic vehicle details with Bluegrass Wheels, including the year, make, model, condition, title status, and where the vehicle is located in the Lexington Metro area. Pickup is available throughout Lexington neighborhoods such as Chevy Chase, Hamburg, Beaumont, Kenwick, and Masterson Station, as well as nearby communities like Nicholasville, Georgetown, Versailles, and Richmond. Once your donation is accepted, a towing partner contacts you to schedule a free tow at a convenient time. You do not have to repair, wash, or move the vehicle before pickup.
Your Vehicle Is Picked Up at No Cost
On pickup day, the tow provider collects your vehicle from your home, workplace, apartment lot, repair shop, or another accessible location. The tow is free, and the vehicle does not need to be running as long as it can be safely reached and loaded. You will typically hand over the signed title and any required paperwork at pickup, depending on Kentucky requirements and your vehicle situation. This step moves the car into the donation processing system so it can be evaluated and sold for the benefit of Heritage for the Blind.
The Vehicle Is Assessed After Pickup
After pickup, the vehicle is reviewed for condition, mileage, age, drivability, market demand, and resale potential. This assessment helps determine the most appropriate sales path. A clean, running sedan from Beaumont may be handled differently than a non-running truck in Nicholasville or a high-mileage SUV near Hamburg. The goal is not to keep the vehicle indefinitely or make promises about a specific use. The goal is to convert the donated asset into the best available sale proceeds for Heritage for the Blind, EIN 58-2164446.
Running Vehicles Typically Go to Auction
If your donated car runs and appears to be in resalable condition, it will typically be sent to a public or dealer auction. At auction, buyers compete based on the vehicle’s age, mileage, condition, local market demand, and repair needs. This is often the most efficient way to turn a usable donated vehicle into charitable revenue. Heritage for the Blind does not rely on guessed values for these vehicles; the actual sale price determines the revenue received and, for qualifying sales over $500, the tax deduction amount reported to you.
Non-Running Vehicles Usually Go to Salvage or Parts Buyers
If your vehicle is not running, has significant damage, has very high mileage, or would cost too much to prepare for resale, it will typically be sold to a licensed salvage or parts buyer. That can include cars with mechanical failure, worn-out work vehicles, flood or collision damage, or vehicles that have been sitting for a long time. Even when a vehicle cannot reasonably be resold as transportation, its parts, metal, and components may still have value. Those proceeds still go directly to Heritage for the Blind to support its mission.
Proceeds Support the Heritage for the Blind Mission
After the vehicle sells, the gross sale proceeds become revenue for Heritage for the Blind, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, EIN 58-2164446. Those proceeds help fund services for Americans who are blind or visually impaired. If your vehicle sells for more than $500, you receive IRS Form 1098-C showing the gross sale price, which is generally the amount used for your charitable tax deduction if you itemize. Donors who want to check benefit eligibility can also visit nhftb.org/finder, where Heritage connects people with programs such as SSI, LIHEAP, Medicare Extra Help, and Section 8.
Key facts about car donation
Every donated vehicle is assessed after pickup to determine the most practical sales path.
Running vehicles in resalable condition typically go to a public or dealer auction.
Non-running, damaged, or high-mileage vehicles typically go to licensed salvage or parts buyers.
Sale proceeds go directly to Heritage for the Blind, 501(c)(3), EIN 58-2164446.
For vehicles selling over $500, donors receive IRS Form 1098-C showing the gross sale price.
Free towing is available across Lexington Metro and many nearby Central Kentucky communities.