How the car donation process works
You start the donation and schedule a free Pittsburgh pickup
Once you begin your Steel City Wheels donation, you provide basic details about the vehicle: year, make, model, mileage, title status, condition, and where it is located. Free towing is available throughout the Pittsburgh Metro, including city neighborhoods and surrounding Allegheny County suburbs. You do not need to guess the vehicle’s value or decide where it should be sold. After your information is confirmed, a local towing provider arranges a pickup time that works for you. The vehicle can often be picked up from a home, workplace, repair shop, apartment lot, or storage location.
After pickup, the vehicle is assessed for the best sale path
After your donated car is picked up, it is assessed based on condition, drivability, mileage, age, market demand, and repair potential. This evaluation helps determine the most responsible way to convert the vehicle into funding for Heritage for the Blind, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with EIN 58-2164446. A clean, running car in resalable condition may have a different path than a high-mileage vehicle with major mechanical issues. The purpose is not to overcomplicate the process for you; it is to find the channel most likely to produce proceeds for the charity.
Running, resalable vehicles typically go to auction
If your car runs and is in condition that buyers may want, it typically goes to a public or dealer auction. That might include cars, trucks, SUVs, vans, motorcycles, or other eligible vehicles donated from Pittsburgh-area communities such as Bethel Park, Fox Chapel, Robinson Township, or McKeesport. Auction buyers determine the final sale price through the bidding process. Steel City Wheels does not promise a specific sale amount, but the aim is straightforward: sell the donated vehicle efficiently and direct the gross proceeds to Heritage for the Blind to support services for people who are blind or visually impaired.
Non-running or high-mileage vehicles may be sold for salvage or parts
Not every donated vehicle is ready for the road, and that is okay. If your vehicle does not run, has very high mileage, has collision damage, or would cost too much to repair, it typically goes to a licensed salvage or parts buyer. In that case, the vehicle may be dismantled, recycled, or used for parts according to the buyer’s process and applicable rules. Even a car that has been sitting in a driveway in Beechview, Dormont, West Mifflin, or Greensburg may still create value. The sale proceeds become revenue for Heritage for the Blind.
Proceeds fund Heritage for the Blind services, and you receive tax paperwork
After the vehicle sells, the proceeds go directly to Heritage for the Blind, EIN 58-2164446, to help fund services for blind and visually impaired Americans. If your vehicle sells for more than $500, you receive IRS Form 1098-C showing the gross sale price, which is generally the amount used for your charitable tax deduction. Keep the form with your tax records and speak with a tax professional if you have deduction questions. If you or someone you know may need benefit support, Heritage also offers a benefits finder at nhftb.org/finder for programs such as SSI, LIHEAP, Medicare Extra Help, and Section 8.
Key facts about car donation
Free towing is available across the Pittsburgh Metro for eligible car donations through Steel City Wheels.
Running vehicles in resalable condition typically go to public or dealer auction after assessment.
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 selling over $500, donors receive IRS Form 1098-C with the gross sale price.
Your donated car is usually converted into mission funding, not assigned to a specific family.