How the car donation process works
You start with a simple donation request
Tell Tulsa Auto Bridge about your car, truck, van, SUV, motorcycle, or other vehicle. We will ask for basic details such as the year, make, model, mileage, condition, location, and whether it starts. You do not have to know what the vehicle is worth or where it should be sold. Donors across the Tulsa Metro, from Downtown Tulsa and Brookside to Claremore and Glenpool, can begin the process with a few straightforward details. Your donation is connected to Heritage for the Blind, EIN 58-2164446, a qualified 501(c)(3) charity.
Free towing is scheduled around your location
Once your donation is accepted, a pickup is arranged at no cost to you. The tow can usually be scheduled from a home, apartment complex, business, repair shop, storage location, or driveway, as long as the vehicle can be safely accessed. This free tow is available throughout much of the Tulsa Metro, including neighborhoods and suburbs such as South Tulsa, Kendall-Whittier, Broken Arrow, Jenks, Owasso, Bixby, Sapulpa, and Sand Springs. You remove your personal belongings, have the title ready, and the vehicle is picked up for processing.
The vehicle is assessed after pickup
After pickup, the vehicle is reviewed to determine the best way to turn it into charitable revenue. This assessment may consider whether it runs, overall condition, mileage, age, repair needs, body damage, and resale demand. Tulsa Auto Bridge does not promise that every vehicle will be repaired, given to a family, or sold in a specific way. Instead, each vehicle is placed where it is expected to produce the strongest practical return for Heritage for the Blind, EIN 58-2164446, while keeping the process efficient for the donor.
Running vehicles typically go to auction
If your donated vehicle runs and is in resalable condition, it will typically be sent to a public or dealer auction. Auction buyers may include dealers, wholesalers, independent buyers, or others looking for used vehicles. This route is often the most practical way to convert a usable donated car into funds. Your vehicle is not sitting unused in a lot; it is being placed into a marketplace where buyers can bid. The gross sale price is then used to determine your tax documentation when the vehicle sells for more than $500.
Non-running vehicles may be sold for salvage or parts
Not every donated vehicle is ready for the road, and that is okay. Cars with major mechanical issues, accident damage, missing components, very high mileage, or repair costs that exceed likely resale value are typically sold to licensed salvage or parts buyers. These buyers may recycle usable parts, recover materials, or purchase the vehicle for scrap value. Even if your old car in Tulsa no longer starts, leaks fluids, or has been sitting for months, it may still generate proceeds that support Heritage for the Blind’s mission.
Proceeds support blind and visually impaired people
After the vehicle is sold, the proceeds go directly to Heritage for the Blind, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, EIN 58-2164446. Those sale proceeds are charitable revenue that helps fund services for people who are blind or visually impaired. Instead of trying to sell the vehicle yourself, negotiating with buyers, or paying for repairs, you can donate it and help create funding for a mission that matters. For vehicles that sell for more than $500, you receive IRS Form 1098-C showing the gross sale price for your tax records.
Key facts about car donation
Your Tulsa Metro vehicle is assessed after pickup to choose the most practical resale path.
Running vehicles in resalable condition typically go to 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, a 501(c)(3), EIN 58-2164446.
For vehicles sold over $500, donors receive IRS Form 1098-C showing the gross sale price.
Towing is free for accepted vehicle donations throughout the Tulsa Metro service area.