Donate Your Car for Charity in Cincinnati, Ohio

"Donate my car? Are you kidding?" Because a car is one of the most expensive assets purchased during a lifetime, donating a vehicle seems like a level of generosity only fathomable by, well, Oprah. If you've purchased your car and owned it for several years, how much will you get for that trade-in? A five hundred buck trade-in allowance for a well-maintained, carefully-driven car seems like a “donation” to me, especially when I’m exchanging it for a future of new car payments! Handing your keys to a charity can be just as easy and ripples a wider benefit.




Charitable organizations often accept used car donations for their own use, or to resell at auction and benefit from the proceeds. Like anything else, donating a car is much easier and less time-consuming than trying to sell it for cash on your own. So why not just donate it to charity and let them deal with it?  If you’re planning on trading in your car for a new one, the long-term, life-changing value your car will have as a donation can be far greater than whatever monetary value is offered by your dealership.




Think of how a car empowers you, every day. Even when public transportation is available, access to a car can open many roads that would otherwise be blocked. A student with a day job can make it to night class on time and arrive safely at home later that night. A working mother can be more flexible with child care arrangements. A new graduate can accept a job that might be outside the hours or route available by bus. A service organization can provide delivery services and transportation for seniors or the disabled, or on-site educational activities for at-risk children. The life possibilities your “old clunker” can create are limitless.




If you loathe car payments or the fact that a car is a depreciating asset, you might decide that buying a car at auction is an opportunity to “do well by doing good” – finding a great value while benefiting the community at the same time. At the very least, it’s recycling!