How the car donation process works
You Start With a Simple Donation Request
When you contact Twin City Wheels, you provide basic details about your vehicle, including the year, make, model, location, title status, mileage, and whether it runs. Donors from Minneapolis neighborhoods like Uptown, Northeast, Powderhorn, Linden Hills, and Phillips can usually arrange free towing, as can donors across the Twin Cities suburbs such as Edina, Richfield, Brooklyn Park, Roseville, and Maple Grove. You do not need to know the vehicle’s market value. The post-pickup assessment helps determine the best sale path.
Your Vehicle Is Picked Up at No Cost
After your donation is scheduled, a licensed towing provider contacts you to arrange a convenient pickup time. Free tow service is available for many vehicles throughout the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metro, including homes, apartments, repair shops, storage lots, and workplaces. You should remove personal items and have the title ready when required by Minnesota vehicle transfer rules. Once the vehicle is picked up, it is moved into the remarketing process so it can be evaluated and sold for the benefit of Heritage for the Blind.
Running Cars Usually Go to Auction
If your donated car starts, drives, and appears to be in resalable condition, it typically goes to a public or dealer auction. That may include sedans, SUVs, vans, trucks, and other vehicles with enough resale potential to attract buyers. The vehicle is not kept by Twin City Wheels, and Heritage for the Blind does not use it as a program vehicle. Instead, the auction sale converts the car into nonprofit revenue. The gross sale proceeds go directly to Heritage for the Blind to help fund services for blind and visually impaired people.
Non-Running or High-Mileage Vehicles May Be Sold for Parts
Not every donated vehicle is auction-ready. If your car has major mechanical issues, accident damage, very high mileage, missing components, or has been sitting through too many Minneapolis winters, it may be sold to a licensed salvage or parts buyer. This does not mean the donation failed. It means the vehicle is being handled in the most practical way to create value. Parts, scrap, and salvage buyers can still generate proceeds, and those proceeds support Heritage for the Blind’s mission.
Proceeds Fund Heritage for the Blind Services
After the vehicle sells, the sale proceeds are revenue for Heritage for the Blind, a recognized 501(c)(3) charitable organization, EIN 58-2164446. Heritage for the Blind serves people who are blind or visually impaired and also helps connect individuals with benefits and support resources. Donors or community members who want to check eligibility for programs such as SSI, LIHEAP, Medicare Extra Help, Section 8, and related assistance can visit nhftb.org/finder. Your unwanted vehicle becomes funding that helps keep this mission moving.
You Receive the Proper Tax Documentation
Your tax deduction is based on what the vehicle sells for, not on a guessed value. If your donated vehicle sells for more than $500, Heritage for the Blind provides IRS Form 1098-C showing the gross sale price, which is generally the amount you may claim if you itemize. For vehicles that sell for $500 or less, IRS rules are different. Twin City Wheels cannot provide tax advice, so donors should consult a qualified tax professional about their specific situation.
Key facts about car donation
Free towing is available for many donated vehicles throughout Minneapolis and the broader Twin Cities metro.
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.
Heritage for the Blind is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, EIN 58-2164446.
For vehicles sold over $500, donors receive IRS Form 1098-C with the gross sale price.
Sale proceeds go directly to Heritage for the Blind as revenue supporting its charitable mission.