How the car donation process works
Start with the 2-minute donation form or a call
Your Melbourne car donation begins when you complete the quick online form or call Heritage for the Blind. You will be asked for basic contact information, the vehicle’s location, and a few details such as year, make, model, condition, mileage, and whether you have the title. The form is designed to take about two minutes, and there is no obligation to move forward until your questions are answered. Coastal Wheels can help with cars, trucks, vans, SUVs, and many vehicles that no longer run.
A coordinator calls within 1-2 business hours
After your request is received, a donation coordinator typically calls back within 1-2 business hours. This is your chance to confirm the vehicle details, ask questions about the title, and choose a pickup window that works for you. If the vehicle is at your home, office, mechanic, apartment complex, storage lot, or a family member’s property in the Melbourne area, the coordinator will note those details. The goal is to make pickup easy, clear, and convenient before anything is scheduled.
Free pickup is scheduled in Melbourne and the Space Coast
A licensed tow truck is scheduled to come to the vehicle’s location at no cost to you. In most metro areas, pickup is available the same day or the next business day, depending on tow availability and your schedule. Coastal Wheels helps arrange pickups throughout Melbourne, West Melbourne, Palm Bay, Satellite Beach, Indian Harbour Beach, Rockledge, Cocoa, and nearby Space Coast communities. Before pickup, remove personal belongings, have the title ready, and take off the license plate if required for your Florida registration situation.
You sign the title over at pickup
When the tow truck arrives, the driver will confirm the vehicle and collect the signed title. This is usually the only paperwork you need to complete at pickup. If the vehicle is not running, has a dead battery, or is parked in a driveway, lot, or garage area with access, let the coordinator know in advance so the tow company can prepare. You do not pay the tow driver, and you do not have to deliver the vehicle anywhere. Heritage for the Blind handles the donation transfer process.
The vehicle is sold through an auction or parts reseller
After pickup, the vehicle is transported to an auction or, when appropriate, a parts reseller. The goal is to turn the donated vehicle into support for Heritage for the Blind’s mission. Sale proceeds benefit Heritage for the Blind, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, EIN 58-2164446, helping fund services for people who are blind or visually impaired. Heritage also connects people with resources such as SSI, LIHEAP, Medicare Extra Help, Section 8, and other benefit programs; donors who want to check eligibility can visit nhftb.org/finder.
Your tax receipt is mailed after the vehicle sells
Once the vehicle is sold, your tax receipt is mailed to you. For vehicles that sell for more than $500, Heritage for the Blind provides IRS Form 1098-C. For vehicles that sell for $500 or less, you receive a written acknowledgment. The full timeline from your first form or call to the mailed receipt is typically 2-6 weeks, depending on pickup timing, transport, sale processing, and mail delivery. You should keep the receipt with your tax records and consult a tax advisor about your specific deduction.
Key facts about car donation
There is no cost to the donor at any step, including towing, scheduling, and donation processing.
Most Melbourne-area pickups can be scheduled same-day or next business day, based on tow availability.
You usually sign the title at pickup while the licensed tow driver collects the vehicle.
Vehicles are generally sold through auction or parts resale to support Heritage for the Blind’s mission.
IRS Form 1098-C is mailed for vehicles selling over $500; written acknowledgment is mailed for $500 or less.
The complete process typically takes 2-6 weeks from donation request to mailed tax receipt.