How the car donation process works
You schedule a free Maryland pickup
Start by telling Chesapeake Chariots basic details about your vehicle: year, make, model, location, title status, and whether it runs. Free towing is available across Maryland, including Baltimore neighborhoods, Montgomery County suburbs, Anne Arundel County, Prince George’s County, Howard County, and the Eastern Shore. You do not need to drive the car anywhere or pay for hauling. Once your pickup is scheduled, a towing partner comes to the address you provide, collects the vehicle and keys, and begins the next step: a condition review after pickup.
The vehicle is assessed after pickup
After your donated car is collected, it is assessed for condition, drivability, mileage, age, repair needs, and resale potential. This review helps determine which selling path is most likely to create value for Heritage for the Blind. A clean, running commuter car from Columbia may be treated differently than a high-mileage van in Dundalk or a non-running SUV in Hagerstown. The goal is not to promise a specific outcome before inspection. The goal is to place the vehicle where it can produce the strongest reasonable proceeds for the charity.
Running, resalable vehicles usually go to auction
If your donated car runs and appears to be in resalable condition, it typically goes to a public or dealer auction. At auction, licensed buyers, dealers, and other bidders may compete to purchase the vehicle. This is common for cars, trucks, vans, and SUVs that still have transportation value, even if they are older or need some work. Chesapeake Chariots does not need your vehicle to be perfect. If it can attract resale interest, auction may be the best route to turn your Maryland donation into proceeds for Heritage for the Blind.
Non-running or high-mileage vehicles may be sold for parts
If the vehicle does not run, has major mechanical issues, severe damage, very high mileage, or is not practical to resell as transportation, it is typically directed to licensed salvage or parts buyers. That may mean the buyer uses usable components, recycles materials, or dismantles the vehicle according to applicable rules. This path can still create charitable value. A car sitting in a driveway in Glen Burnie, Laurel, Waldorf, or Salisbury may no longer be useful to you, but it can still generate proceeds that support Heritage for the Blind.
Sale proceeds fund Heritage for the Blind services
Once the vehicle is sold, the sale proceeds become revenue for Heritage for the Blind, a recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit, EIN 58-2164446. Those funds help support services and outreach for people who are blind or visually impaired. Heritage also connects people with benefit information and resources, including SSI, LIHEAP, Medicare Extra Help, Section 8, and related programs. Donors or families who want to check possible benefit eligibility can visit nhftb.org/finder. Your donation turns an unwanted vehicle into practical mission funding.
You receive the proper tax documentation
After the vehicle is sold, you receive documentation for your records. If your donated vehicle sells for more than $500, the IRS generally allows a deduction equal to the gross sale price, and Heritage for the Blind provides IRS Form 1098-C. For vehicles that sell for $500 or less, different IRS rules may apply. Chesapeake Chariots cannot provide personal tax advice, so it is wise to speak with a tax professional if you have questions. The key point: your Maryland donation is processed with the documentation donors need.
Key facts about car donation
Free towing is available for Maryland donors, including many city, suburban, rural, and Eastern Shore locations.
Vehicles are assessed after pickup to choose the most appropriate resale, auction, salvage, or parts-sale path.
Running vehicles in resalable condition typically go to public or dealer auction for competitive bidding.
Non-running, damaged, or high-mileage vehicles typically go to licensed salvage or parts buyers.
Sale proceeds go directly to Heritage for the Blind, a 501(c)(3), EIN 58-2164446.
For vehicles sold over $500, donors receive IRS Form 1098-C showing the gross sale price.