Kars4Kids
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1995
- HeadquartersLakewood, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
Kars4Kids firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Kars4Kids
- Legal name
- Kars4Kids Inc.
- Website
- https://kars4kids.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1995
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Kars4Kids is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lakewood
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Kars4Kids business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Marketing or Sales, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Vehicle Donation Processing: Kars4Kids accepts donations of cars, boats, RVs, motorcycles, aircraft, and real estate. Donated vehicles are sold at auction or for parts. Approximately 60% of gross proceeds fund educational programs for children through Kars4Kids and sister charity Oorah. Donors receive tax deduction receipts based on sale price or fair market value up to $500.
- Vacation Voucher Incentive: Boat donors receive a 3-day/2-night hotel stay voucher as thank-you gift (not available in Oregon). Requires $50 refundable deposit and activation within 30 days of issue date.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Vehicle donation - free to donors, organization generates revenue from sale of donated vehicles |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
Kars4Kids product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Kars4Kids is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity that accepts donated vehicles (cars, trucks, boats, RVs, motorcycles, aircraft) and real estate from individual donors nationwide, provides free 24-hour pickup, and issues tax-deductible receipts. Donated property is sold at auction, with approximately 60% of gross proceeds directed to youth educational and mentorship programs through the affiliated nonprofit Oorah. The organization also runs a Small Grants Program funding external education and youth-development nonprofits and a corporate matching gift program.
Product overview
Kars4Kids is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 22-374-6050) based in Lakewood, New Jersey, operating primarily as a vehicle donation charity. The core product is its Car Donation Program, which has collected over one million donations since inception. The platform operates as a multi-category donation service offering separate programs for cars, boats, real estate, airplanes, motorcycles, RVs, gift cards, and in-kind donations. Each donation category follows a similar process: a 2-minute online form submission, free pickup within 24 hours, and a tax-deductible receipt. The organization offers a Vacation Voucher incentive for boat donors and participates in corporate matching gift programs. The company maintains content platforms including the Kars4Kids Hub (automotive tips and donor stories) and a Parenting Blog (youth education content). A Small Grants Program extends the organization's impact by funding external nonprofits focused on education and youth development. The iconic '1-877-Kars4Kids' jingle, launched on TV in 2014 and first sung in 1998, has become a cultural touchstone with over 112K yearly radio plays.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Car Donation Program Primary vehicle donation service accepting cars, trucks, vans, and SUVs in any condition (running or not); 2-minute online form, free pickup within 24 hours, and tax-deductible receipt issued to donors across all 50 US states.
- Boat Donation Donation service for boats, jet skis, and other watercraft with free pickup and a vacation voucher incentive for donors (not available in Oregon).
- Real Estate Donation Donation program accepting houses, land, buildings, and mobile homes, with dedicated broker resources and donor case studies for property donations.
- Airplane/Aircraft Donation Donation service for airplanes and aircraft, including how-to-donate guidance and FAQ resources for individual aircraft owners.
- RV Donation Donation program for recreational vehicles including motorhomes and related vehicles, with detailed online form options.
- In-Kind Donations Program accepting various in-kind donations such as food donations as an alternative way to support the charity beyond vehicles.
- Kars4Kids Small Grants Program Grant program providing strategic grants to nonprofits nationwide focused on education, youth development, and mentorship initiatives.
- Corporate Matching Gifts Program Corporate matching gift program enabling donors to double their impact when their employer (e.g., Microsoft, Merck, Hewlett Packard, Allstate, ADP) matches contributions to Kars4Kids.
Companies that use Kars4Kids
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Kars4Kids technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Kars4Kids partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Stevie T (Steve Terreberry)coreYouTuber and guitarist who previously gained millions of views roasting the original jingle served as creative collaborator and producer on reimagined jingle campaign. Tapped Tokyo Speirs of Walk Off The Earth to help transform the track into a polished modern rock production featuring real young musicians from a Toronto-area school of rock. Campaign launched nationwide May 3, 2026 across radio, television, and digital platforms.
- MicrosoftminorCorporate matching gift sponsor allowing employees to match donations to Kars4Kids through employer giving program.
- MerckminorCorporate matching gift sponsor allowing employees to match donations to Kars4Kids through employer giving program.
- Hewlett PackardminorCorporate matching gift sponsor allowing employees to match donations to Kars4Kids through employer giving program.
- AllstateminorCorporate matching gift sponsor allowing employees to match donations to Kars4Kids through employer giving program.
- ADPminorCorporate matching gift sponsor allowing employees to match donations to Kars4Kids through employer giving program.
- OorahcoreSister charity and primary beneficiary of Kars4Kids vehicle donation proceeds. Oorah is an Orthodox Jewish nonprofit focused on youth programs primarily in New York, New Jersey, and the Middle East. Kars4Kids sends approximately $45 million annually to Oorah. Approximately 60% of funds support Orthodox Jewish programs through parent organization Oorah.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Kars4Kids competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Wheels For Wishes: Direct competitor in the vehicle-donation charity space, benefiting Make-A-Wish Foundation. Operates a similar donate-car-to-charity model across the US, processing vehicles via auction and providing tax-deductible receipts. The most direct comparison point for Kars4Kids' program-spend ratio (32% vs Kars4Kids' 60%).
- Cars for Charity / Vehicles for Charity: Nonprofit vehicle-donation program that auctions donated vehicles to fund member charities. Operates with a similar 50-state towing partner network and offers tax deduction receipts, directly comparable to Kars4Kids' core car donation program.
- Vehicles for Veterans: Vehicle-donation charity whose proceeds fund veteran support programs. Operates the same donate-car, free-pickup, tax-receipt model nationwide and is among the most direct niche competitors in the vehicle-donation charity space.
- Donate Cars: Vehicle donation processing service that partners with multiple 501(c)(3) charities to accept car, truck, boat, and RV donations nationwide. Comparable in operational model (towing network, auction-based revenue, tax receipts) and is often used as an alternative fulfillment layer by smaller charities.
- Donate a Car 2 Charity: Vehicle donation intermediary that distributes proceeds to a network of vetted 501(c)(3) charities. Comparable in the operational model (towing network, tax receipts, nationwide coverage) and represents a structurally similar business.
- Purple Heart Car Donation: Vehicle-donation program supporting Purple Heart veterans. Uses the standard donate-car-to-charity mechanics (free pickup, auction, tax deduction), making it a direct functional peer in the vehicle-donation nonprofit category.
Broad incumbents
- The Salvation Army (vehicle donation program): Long-established broad nonprofit running a vehicle donation program for fundraising. Comparable in the vehicle-donation mechanics and nationwide 50-state pickup infrastructure, though operating at a vastly larger scale and with a wider mission.
- American Cancer Society (vehicle donation program): Major national health charity that runs a vehicle-donation program as one of many fundraising channels. Comparable in vehicle-donation mechanics and nationwide towing network, but the parent organization has a much broader mission and donor base.
- Habitat for Humanity ReStores (car donation program): Larger established nonprofit operating a car donation program among many other revenue streams (home builds, ReStores). Comparable because it accepts vehicle donations for auction/resale and issues tax-deductible receipts, but operates at much greater scale and brand recognition than Kars4Kids.
Emerging players
- Car Donation Wizard: Online vehicle-donation service that helps donors select among multiple charity partners and arranges free pickup. Comparable in the digital-first donor experience and nationwide logistics, though it operates as a multi-charity intermediary rather than a single-affiliated charity like Kars4Kids.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Kars4Kids social profiles
Digital presenceKars4Kids compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Kars4Kids financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Kars4Kids leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Kars4Kids funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Kars4Kids M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments1 record
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Kars4Kids
What does Kars4Kids do?
Kars4Kids is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity that accepts donated vehicles (cars, trucks, boats, RVs, motorcycles, aircraft) and real estate from individual donors nationwide, provides free 24-hour pickup, and issues tax-deductible receipts. Donated property is sold at auction, with approximately 60% of gross proceeds directed to youth educational and mentorship programs through the affiliated nonprofit Oorah. The organization also runs a Small Grants Program funding external education and youth-development nonprofits and a corporate matching gift program.
Is Kars4Kids a public or private company?
Kars4Kids is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Kars4Kids founded?
Kars4Kids was founded in 1995. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Kars4Kids based?
Kars4Kids is headquartered in Lakewood, United States, in the North America region.
How does Kars4Kids make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Vehicle Donation Processing is the primary driver. The others are vacation Voucher Incentive.
Who are Kars4Kids's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Wheels For Wishes, Cars for Charity / Vehicles for Charity, Vehicles for Veterans, Donate Cars, Donate a Car 2 Charity and Purple Heart Car Donation. Broad incumbents are The Salvation Army (vehicle donation program), American Cancer Society (vehicle donation program) and Habitat for Humanity ReStores (car donation program). Car Donation Wizard is listed as an emerging player.
Does Kars4Kids have an API?
No public API is recorded for Kars4Kids.