If you live in Motor City and want to donate a car to help your neighbors, not just some huge car processor, then this is a good list to bookmark or print out. All the charities listed here are either based in Detroit, serve Detroit (the radio station), or have chapters that operate and serve in Detroit. These organizations also all have 503(c)(3) status according to the Internal Revenue Service, so any donation to them can be deducted on your income tax return, provided you itemize your deductions.



These charities have also all been reviewed by the charity evaluator Charity Navigator, and have earned ratings based on that website's star system, with 4 being exceptionally good, and zero being the worst. I have included charities down to two stars on this page.

Take note that if you can find a charity that will NOT sell your car at auction (which is what most of the big car donation processors will do), but will instead either
1) use your car themselves,
2) give your car to a needy person or 3) make substantial improvements to the car (or whatever vehicle you're donating)

then you can usually deduct the full Kelly Blue Book value of the vehicle, not just whatever the charity ends up getting from the auctioned car (which can be 60% of the Blue Book Value. And, as always, check with your tax preparer to make sure vehicle donation is a good idea for you. Finally, never hand the title to your car over to anyone without filling out the name and address or the new owner, in this case the charity. Otherwise its like you are giving them a blank check.

Gleaners Community Food Bank of Southeastern Michigan
2131 Beaufait, Detroit, MI 48207
866-GLEANER ext. 242
http://www.gcfb.org/site/PageServer?pagename=pg_donatefunds
A foodbank that accepts in-kind donations. They might not take your car, but it is worth a call to see if they might. If they do take your car, they will probably actually use it, which means you will qualify for a much larger tax break.


Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Detroit
3000 Gratiot Avenue, Detroit, Michigan 48207
1-877-788-4623 to donate
http://www.svdpdet.org/vehicle.html
Has a car donation program. 3 star charity.


Covenant House Michigan
2959 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd., Detroit, MI 48208
(313) 463-2000
http://www.covenanthousemi.org/wanna-help/donate
Accepts gifts in kind. Your car or other vehicle will have to be in good running condition to be helpful to them. 3 star charity.


WTVS Detroit Public Television
1 Clover Court, Wixom, MI 48393
(248) 305-3900 for offices | (866) 282-7327 to donate
http://www.dptv.org/support/other.shtml
Has a vehicle donation program. 2 star charity.


YouthVille Detroit
7375 Woodward Avenue, Suite 2800, Detroit, MI 48202
313-309-1403
http://youthvilledetroit.org/donate/other.html
Accepts gifts in kind. 2 star charity.


United Way for Southeastern Michigan
660 Woodward Ave., Ste. 300, Detroit, MI 48226
313-226-9200
http://www.uwsem.org/give/giftsinkind.html
Accepts gifts in kind. 2 star charity.


Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute
4100 John R, Detroit, Michigan 48201
(800) KARMANOS (1-800-527-6266)
http://www.karmanos.org/app.asp?id=1023&ssec=2
Accepts gifts in kind. 2 star charity.