Car Donation Programs in Minnesota

Minnesota has miles of rural and suburban land with little public transportation. For many Minnesotans, a car is the only viable mode of transportation to and from work, school and shopping locations. Certain Minnesota-based nonprofit charities accept donations of inoperative and running vehicles. Many of these charities repair the donated cars and lease or sell them at affordable rates to needy members of the communities they serve.

Newgate Education Center

Newgate Education Center in downtown Minneapolis is a nonprofit organization that helps train low-income individuals in the Twin Cities metropolitan area for technical careers. The center has a car donation program where area residents can donate non-working vehicles. Unlike many nonprofits, which sell or lease donated cars for transportation, Newgate uses donated cars as teaching tools for its automotive repair job training program.

Minnesota Valley Action Council

The Minnesota Valley Action Council in Mankato helps families and individuals in Blue Earth and Nicollet counties with a variety of necessities, including transportation, food, heating and energy costs. The MVAC runs "Wheel Get There," a vehicle donation program offering low-cost cars and trucks to impoverished Mankato area residents. MVAC leases these vehicles out at low rates, and the organization occasionally offers low-cost vehicles for sale. The program accepts working and repairable vehicles for donation.

Courage Center

The Courage Center in Minneapolis is a nonprofit dedicated to helping adults with disabilities and medical conditions in the Twin Cities area. The nonprofit runs the Cars for Courage vehicle donation campaign. The donation program leases the cars out to the individuals it serves. Area residents can donate working or inoperable cars or boats to the program. The Courage Center will tow a vehicle to its facilities at no cost.

Donate Cars USA

Donate Car USA, also known as the The Vehicle Donation Processing Center, Inc., is a private organization that accepts donated cars and disburses them to charitable organizations. The organization will contact charitable agencies to transport cars from individuals homes and tow or transport them to charitable facilities. As of December 2010, the organization did not charge for its services. Minnesota vehicle owners can contact Donate Cars USA at 800-269-6814 for specific car donation instructions.