CARS
CARS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit social enterprise that operates a turn-key vehicle donation platform, connecting individual donors with 9,500+ nonprofit partners and 530+ public media stations across the U.S. and Canada via a 400+ vendor network, retaining a transaction spread on processed donations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2003
- HeadquartersSan Diego, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What CARS does
CARS (Charitable Adult Rides & Services, Inc.) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit social enterprise founded in 2003 in San Diego, California, that operates a turn-key vehicle donation platform connecting individual donors with nonprofit beneficiaries. The organization processes donations of cars, trucks, boats, RVs, motorcycles, planes, and heavy equipment through a proprietary NAV Donation Database integrated with a network of 400+ towing and auction vendors operating across all 50 U.S. states and Canada. Donors receive free towing, full title and DMV transfer handling, and IRS Form 1098-C documentation, with net sale proceeds remitted to the donor's chosen nonprofit within five business days. CARS serves 9,500+ nonprofit partners and 530+ public media stations (NPR/PBS), and has returned more than $600 million to partners over its 20-year operating history.
The business model is transaction-based: CARS deducts towing, auction, and administrative costs from gross vehicle sale proceeds and retains the spread as its revenue stream, while donors pay nothing. The platform is differentiated by a 70+ person omni-channel donor support operation (phone, email, chat, SMS, seven days a week), a marketing content library of 600-900+ customizable co-brandable materials, and ACH disbursements to nonprofits twice weekly. Go-to-market is anchored by partner referrals through co-branded donation pages, supplemented by content marketing (ContentDepot library for public media), digital retargeting, and earned-media trust signals including ISO 9001 certification (since 2018) and the 2024 BBB Torch Award for Ethics. The organization has begun adjacent expansion through 2025 partnerships with DonateStock (stock gifting) and Phobio for Good (electronics donations) to diversify beyond vehicle processing.
Recent strategic activity includes product-line expansion into non-vehicle donation categories and the integration of CAR TALK VDS/V-DAC into the platform. CARS reinvests a portion of proceeds into community programs, including the On the Go transportation service for seniors operated through Jewish Family Service of San Diego, the founding affiliate. Leadership includes CEO Howard Pearl and Senior VP of On the Go Kelly Earnheart, supported by a Board of Directors comprising Marie Raftery (Co-Chair), Jamie Carr (Secretary), Sheldon Derezin (Treasurer), and additional directors. The organization is independently governed with no venture capital, private equity, or parent-company ownership disclosed.
CARS firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CARS
- Legal name
- Charitable Adult Rides & Services, Inc.
- Website
- https://careasy.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2003
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- CARS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit social enterprise that operates a turn-key vehicle donation platform, connecting individual donors with 9,500+ nonprofit partners and 530+ public media stations across the U.S. and Canada via a 400+ vendor network, retaining a transaction spread on processed donations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
CARS industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Vehicle Donation Processing Services
- NAICS
- Passenger Car Rental and Leasing (53211)
- SIC
- Services-Auto Rental & Leasing (No Drivers) (7510)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Donation Pickup & Reuse Hauling (HSAKALAI)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- End-of-Life Vehicle (ELV) Recycling, Dismantling & Parts Recovery (TLABAKAI)
Keywords
Where CARS is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Diego
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
CARS business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Vehicle Donation Transaction Processing: CARS deducts all expenses (towing, auction, administrative costs) from the gross vehicle sales price. If costs exceed the sale price, CARS covers the difference. The net proceeds are remitted to the donor's chosen nonprofit, typically within five business days of receiving sale proceeds. CARS also reinvests in community programs such as On the Go transportation for seniors.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Free vehicle donation for donors — no fees charged at any point |
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
CARS product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CARS operates a vehicle donation platform that processes donated vehicles on behalf of nonprofit partners. The organization manages the full donation lifecycle — donor acquisition, vehicle pickup through a vendor network, title transfer, sale at auction, and remittance of net proceeds to charities. CARS serves more than 9,500 nonprofit organizations through 400+ towing and auction vendors nationwide.
Product overview
CARS (Charitable Adult Rides & Services) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit social enterprise operating primarily as a vehicle donation platform. The core product is the Vehicle Donation Program, which enables donors to contribute vehicles to a network of 10,000+ nonprofit partners across the U.S. and Canada. Supporting services include the Real Estate Donation Program for property contributions, the Public Media Vehicle Donation Program serving 530+ stations with dedicated content tools, and the proprietary CARS Way Solution offering vendor management, marketing support, and donor care infrastructure. The platform is complemented by self-service tools (Donor Stories, Title Support, State Notification) and a Partner Services suite featuring a NAV database, ACH payments, and account management. CARS reinvests in the community through On the Go transportation services for seniors.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- CARS Causes: A program that channels vehicle donations to support emergency relief efforts, including the American Red Cross for LA Wildfires recovery.
Products and services
- Vehicle Donation Program
- Real Estate Donation Program
- CARS Way Vehicle Donation Solution
- Public Media Vehicle Donation Program
Quantifiable outcome
- $600+ million returned to nonprofits since 2003
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use CARS
Customer profileNamed customers18 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
CARS technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature3 records
CARS partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- Phobio for GoodcoreCARS and Phobio for Good partnered to launch a program enabling nonprofits to raise funds through electronics donations. The program leverages CARS's network of over 10,000 nonprofits and aims to access the $64 billion used electronics market. CARS brings its nonprofit partner network and donor relationships; Phobio provides its trade-in platform for electronics.
- DonateStockcoreCARS partnered with DonateStock, the industry's leading stock gifting platform, to help nonprofit partners accept stock gifts. The partnership enables donors to give appreciated stocks online without paperwork, with DonateStock processing, reconciling, and acknowledging gifts. This expands CARS partners' non-cash giving options beyond vehicles to include stock donations.
- Kelley Blue BooksupportingCARS displays the Kelley Blue Book logo as a 'Proud Partner' on its homepage. The partnership leverages KBB's trusted vehicle valuation brand to build donor confidence in the vehicle donation process and tax deduction calculations.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
CARS competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Cars2Charities: Vehicle donation service that processes cars, trucks, boats, RVs, and motorcycles for nonprofits nationwide. Directly comparable business model to CARS — handles pickup, sale, title transfer, and tax documentation on behalf of partner charities.
- Vehicles for Change: Nonprofit that accepts and processes donated vehicles — also a CARS partner. Operates a vehicle donation program with similar logistics (pickup, sale, proceeds to charity) but is smaller in scale and primarily focused on family economic mobility through car ownership.
- Wheels For Wishes: Vehicle donation program benefiting Make-A-Wish chapters nationwide. Competes with CARS in the charity vehicle donation category with comparable pickup/tax processing services but with a single-cause focus.
- DonateCars.com: Online vehicle donation platform supporting multiple nonprofit partners with free nationwide towing and tax-deductible donation processing. Closely mirrors CARS's core vehicle donation service model and nonprofit partner network structure.
- Car Donation Foundation: Vehicle donation processing charity that accepts cars, trucks, boats, motorcycles, and RVs and distributes proceeds to multiple nonprofits. Operates a parallel model to CARS with similar pickup, sale, and remittance infrastructure.
- Kars4Kids: One of the largest vehicle donation processing charities in the US, operating as a 501(c)(3) that supports Jewish education. Directly competes with CARS for donor vehicles and nonprofit partnerships, with comparable nationwide pickup and processing infrastructure.
- Habitat for Humanity Cars for Homes: Habitat for Humanity's branded vehicle donation program — a competing nonprofit-vehicle-donation channel. While CARS may handle some Habitat vehicles through partnership, Cars for Homes operates its own donor-facing infrastructure in the same category.
Broad incumbents
- Goodwill Industries International: Major nonprofit operator that runs a vehicle donation program as part of a broader retail and workforce services portfolio. Overlaps with CARS in vehicle donation processing but operates at much larger scale across multiple charitable verticals.
Emerging players
- Phobio: Trade-in platform for consumer electronics that partnered with CARS (via Phobio for Good) in 2025 to enable electronics donation fundraising for nonprofits. Adjacent to CARS's core vehicle business and a potential competitor in the broader 'non-cash asset donation' category CARS is expanding into.
- DonateStock: Stock gifting platform partnered with CARS (announced 2025) that processes, reconciles, and acknowledges stock donations to nonprofits. While CARS integrates DonateStock's capabilities, it represents a parallel emerging donation infrastructure that nonprofits could access independently.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
CARS social profiles
Digital presenceCARS compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
CARS financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CARS leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles16 records
CARS funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CARS M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about CARS
What does CARS do?
CARS operates a vehicle donation platform that processes donated vehicles on behalf of nonprofit partners. The organization manages the full donation lifecycle — donor acquisition, vehicle pickup through a vendor network, title transfer, sale at auction, and remittance of net proceeds to charities. CARS serves more than 9,500 nonprofit organizations through 400+ towing and auction vendors nationwide.
Is CARS a public or private company?
CARS is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was CARS founded?
CARS was founded in 2003. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is CARS based?
CARS is headquartered in San Diego, United States, in the North America region.
How does CARS make money?
One revenue line is on record: vehicle Donation Transaction Processing.
Who are CARS's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Cars2Charities, Vehicles for Change, Wheels For Wishes, DonateCars.com, Car Donation Foundation, Kars4Kids and Habitat for Humanity Cars for Homes. Goodwill Industries International is listed as a broad incumbent. Emerging players are Phobio and DonateStock.
Does CARS have an API?
No public API is recorded for CARS.
What industry is CARS in?
CARS's product category is Vehicle Donation Processing Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HSAKALAI, Donation Pickup & Reuse Hauling, with a secondary code of TLABAKAI, End-of-Life Vehicle (ELV) Recycling, Dismantling & Parts Recovery. Its NAICS code is 53211 and its SIC code is 7510.