Our story
Dave and Mary Kemnitz started Cars 2nd Chance in 2011 after learning how little of a donated car’s value actually reaches the charity. Fifteen years on, it is still run by Rotary volunteers with no paid staff.
Our mission
Cars 2nd Chance is about putting the proceeds of your vehicle donation to good use. Rotary volunteers manage the program — using their own time, energy and creativity — so that nearly every penny earned goes to charity rather than to overhead.
Making an impact is at the heart of what we do.
In 2011 Dave and Mary Kemnitz looked into vehicle donation and found something that bothered them: most car donation programs are for-profit businesses, and the charities named in the advertising often get pennies on the dollar for the vehicles donated in their name.
So they built the alternative. Cars 2nd Chance runs on volunteer labour, which is the whole reason the economics work differently here.
Meet Lovie
The red ’98 Volkswagen that I call Lovie was donated to us many years ago and towed to our shop. I walked past her many times a day as I went about my work. She was in sad condition — faded paint, worn seats, and an interior that had definitely seen better days.
For some reason, though, I was drawn to Lovie. I would stop and stare at her every day.
At the time, my vehicle lease was coming to an end, and it was time to purchase a new car. But I never seemed to find the time to go to a dealership. Meanwhile, Lovie went into the shop for a safety inspection so we could determine whether she could be reconditioned or should be sent to auction.
Mechanically, she passed the inspection with flying colors. Her exterior, however, was another story. We decided she should go to auction.
The tow truck was scheduled to pick her up. But on a whim, I decided to have her towed instead to a friend who owned a body shop. A month later, Lovie came home with beautiful new paint.
Of course, one thing led to another. We decided she needed new tires — and some fancy wheels. Then I found Hawaiian seat covers and plumeria flowers for her dashboard.
Lovie became my ride. I drove her for many years, and somewhere along the way, she became much more than just my car. She became the unofficial flagship of Cars 2nd Chance.
Everywhere Lovie went, she told a story. She was proof that a vehicle that might have been overlooked, discarded, or sent to auction could be given another opportunity.
Eventually, I sold Lovie because I knew I really needed a newer vehicle with today’s safety features. But I have never forgotten her.
Sometimes, all a car needs is a 2nd chance.
No paid staff
There is no call centre and no salaried staff. Rotarians handle intake, title paperwork, resale decisions and partner relationships themselves, which is why overhead stays close to zero and why a real person answers the phone. It also means the program can take the time to recondition and sell a vehicle retail when that earns more — a bigger result for the nonprofit, and a bigger deduction for the donor.
Rotary volunteers reviewing donations — Concord, California
How we got here
Dave and Mary Kemnitz start Cars 2nd Chance as a program within the Clayton Valley / Concord Sunrise Rotary Club.
Lamorinda Sunrise Rotary joins forces to operate the program alongside Clayton Valley, by which point it had already become a success.
Donors choose from 138 partner nonprofits — 57 of them Rotary clubs — or leave the choice to Rotary.
What that means in practice
Half the net proceeds go to the 501(c)(3) you name — from our partner list, or one you nominate. You can also send the whole gift to the two founding Rotary clubs.
Rotary volunteers run the program. No call centres, no salaries and no national advertising coming out of your car’s sale price before the charity sees it.
Each vehicle is assessed for the best resale route rather than sent straight to auction. A higher sale price means more for the nonprofit and a larger deduction for you.
Five minutes on the form, free towing, and a cause you chose gets the money.
Donate your car