Kars4Kids was founded in 1995 by Eliyohu Mintz and his father, Rabbi Chaim Mintz.
The company operates a non-profit organization that accepts used cars as donations and then resells the vehicles for cash.
The company states that its mission is “to fund educational, developmental and recreational programs for low-income youth” through programs largely facilitated by its sister charity Oorah, which focuses on Jewish children and families.
Although not heavily advertised, the company also accepts real estate, yachts, boats, and motorhomes. On average, the company receives about 40,000 cars each year.
Kars4Kids offers financial assistance to students to help pay for private school tuition and testing for GED. The organization also sponsors a youth program known as Chillzone, an after-school program teaching Jewish culture and moral values.
Kars4Kids also sponsors the summer camp TheZone, which operates Jewish sleepaway camps.
They also offer small grants to other nonprofit organizations, such as Girls on the Run International. In 2016, Kars4Kids donated $5,000 to this organization.
In 2011, the company donated hundreds of coats to give away in the city of Newark, New Jersey.
The company faces frequent criticism for not disclosing its religious roots. The company never mentions Jewish children or any religion in its advertisements.
In 2017, a Minnesota Judge discovered that less than 1% of donations actually reach children in Minnesota.
Kars4Kids maintains a corporate office in Lakewood, New Jersey.
