The charitable work in auto retail during the holidays continues, this time with a food drive and efforts to provide those in need with winter coats.
Starting with the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association, the group kicked off its campaign to help the Operation Warm organization last week and anticipates raising more than $100,000 in pledges as part of these efforts to provide children with new warm coats.
The kickoff was held at East Hills Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram in Greenvale, N.Y.
“Each year, local franchised new car dealers come together to donate warmth with brand-new winter coats for children throughout New York City, Westchester, Long Island, and the Lower Hudson Valley,” GNYADA president Mark Schienberg said in a news release.
“Participating dealers raise money from each car sold in their dealership, as well as donate thousands of dollars more,” he said.
At Carvana, the online retailer has launched its annual Happy Haulerdays campaign, where this year it is collecting canned food and non-perishables at its Car Vending Machines throughout the U.S. through Monday.
Carvana is partnering with food banks as part of this campaign.
“Carvana is dedicated to serving our local communities,” said Allison Andrews, Carvana’s brand manager for activation and community, in a news release.
“We believe in treating people better, and the holidays can trigger financial stress and food insecurity for those struggling,” Andrews said. We are excited to promote our Happy Haulerdays campaign at our Car Vending Machine locations this year, and to give back more to families in need this holiday season.”
The company is accepting all types of non-perishable goods. The items most needed include peanut butter, canned soups/chilis, canned meat and shelf stable pasta and sauces.
Enterprise Holdings is making quite a financial commitment to addressing social and racial equity gaps facing youth and families in communities across the globe.
Through the Enterprise Holdings Foundation, the company that operates the Enterprise, National and Alamo rental car brands is awarding its inaugural local Enterprise Holdings ROAD Forward grants to nearly 700 nonprofit organizations.
According to a news release, the grants total more than $7 million.
The company highlighted that this announcement is another step in the ROAD Forward initiative to allocate $35 million over five years to more than 70 global Enterprise operating teams to drive local impact, as part of its five-year, $55 million commitment.
The company explained the grant program empowers Enterprise Holdings’ more than 80,000 employees to take the lead on identifying local organizations best equipped to drive change in their own communities, across three key areas:
— Early childhood development
— Youth health and wellness
— Career and college preparation
“A commitment to the communities where we operate has been fundamental to our company since its founding in 1957,” Enterprise Holdings Foundation president Carolyn Kindle Betz said in the news release.
“ROAD Forward’s local grants will support the many outstanding organizations that are leading efforts to advance equity in their communities — and ultimately strengthen the areas where our employees live and work, one neighborhood at a time,” Kindle Betz continued.
Notable recipients of the grants, nominated by Enterprise employees, include:
— Brotherhood Crusade, a 50-year-old grassroots organization working to improve quality of life and serve unmet needs of low-income, underserved, underrepresented and disenfranchised individuals in South Los Angeles, including health disparities and poverty-associated public health conditions. The nonprofit has provided human and social services to more than 100,000 South Los Angeles residents.
— Young Men United, a nonprofit in Baltimore with a mission to close gaps in racial education and earning by helping 25,000 young men of color over 10 years to increase post-secondary attainment and workforce preparedness. The organization provides participants with mentoring opportunities, guidance throughout the college search and application process, financial and educational support, and internships and job experiences.
— Youth Opportunities Unlimited, an organization based in Cleveland focused on helping local youth become economically self-sufficient through mentorship, skills and credentials training, career exploration, and internship and job searches. Since its founding nearly 40 years ago, the nonprofit has helped more than 160,000 teens and young adults obtain jobs and internships.
More than 60 of the local grants will support renowned nonprofit organizations and communities where the company operates in Europe. This includes support of 17 national organizations across the continent, such as National Literacy Trust (U.K.), The Girls’ Network (U.K.), Children’s Books Ireland (Ireland), Children for a better World e.V. (Germany), Sport dans la Ville (France) and Fundación MAPFRE (Spain), among others.
Enterprise Holdings first announced the ROAD Forward commitment in November. The initiative focuses on respect, opportunity, achievement and diversity (ROAD) for youth and families in the three previously mentioned areas:
—Early childhood development: The foundation for future success is built on access to preschool, pre-K, kindergarten and other opportunities for introducing learning and literacy.
“We believe in laying the building blocks of empowerment through early development and education to generate enthusiasm for life-long learning,” company officials said.
—Youth health and wellness: Health disparities are unfortunate symptoms of racial and socioeconomic inequality.
“We’re supporting the creation of opportunities to engage in positive behaviors that nurture physical and mental well-being,” company officials said. “This enables self-sufficiency and closes the gap in healthy outcomes among our youth.”
—Career and college preparation: The transition from childhood to adulthood is a crucial time for establishing a productive and healthy life.
“We’re investing in programs and organizations that provide college admissions and financial aid guidance, exposure and access to employers, career development coaching, skills training and interview preparation,” company officials said. “Equal access to these critical resources promotes long-term financial stability and mobility.”
In addition to $35 million in local-market grants, the commitment includes $20 million across four renowned nonprofit organizations — The Obama Foundation’s My Brother’s Keeper Alliance, UNCF, Girls Inc. and Parents as Teachers — to support young people in underserved communities.
“ROAD Forward demonstrates our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in our communities,” Enterprise Holdings chief diversity officer Errin Braddock said. “This is a companywide priority, and through this initiative, as well as efforts inside our own walls, we are doing the work that is necessary to help our communities advance lasting change.”
In conjunction with the ROAD Forward initiative, the company highlighted its foundation invested an additional $40 million in November into Enterprise Fill Your Tank, a six-year, $60 million program launched in 2016 to address food insecurity.
The additional investment will extend the program for another four years with funds being distributed among food banks and charities throughout North America and Europe, according to Enterprise Holdings.
For more information about Enterprise Holdings’ philanthropic initiatives, visit this website.
Citing research showing that children growing up in homes without books are less likely to complete a basic education, Manheim said two of its locations hosted a book drive for an organization that collects books for Houston’s at-risk children.
Manheim Houston and Manheim Texas Hobby recently joined forces on a book drive to benefit Books Between Kids. That non-profit organization collects gently used books and distributes them to children so they can build their own home libraries.
Employees donating books participated in a drawing for company-sponsored points that could be redeemed for merchandise. Manheim Texas Hobby lot operations dealer services coordinator Erick Serrano did well in the competition, gathering 340 books from family members, friends and neighbors.
But Houston’s economically-disadvantaged children were the main winner of the book drive, Manheim said. The two Manheim locations donated approximately 500 books to Books Between Kids.
“Supporting the communities we serve is in our company’s DNA,” said Manheim general manager Darren Slack, who oversees Manheim Texas Hobby and Manheim Houston, in a news release.
Slack also said, “Our team members never cease to amaze me with their spirit of giving back, and I’m so proud of their efforts to continuously help those less fortunate.”
Digital license plate developer ReviverMX recently began supporting educational initiatives with the Madison Education Foundation offering Reviver’s Rplate digital license plate for sale to help support the All in for Arizona Schools initiative.
On Wednesday, ReviverMX’s charitable involvement continued. The company will help with fundraising for breast cancer organization Susan G. Komen.
Through a new agreement, funds raised through sales of a specialty Rplate displaying the Susan G. Komen’s Running Ribbon and select banner messages will help the organization’s work toward helping save lives from breast cancer.
The Komen Rplates will initially be available only in California and Arizona. Reviver said, however, that as it continues to expand into more states, Komen Rplate sales will also expand across the United States.
Reviver said that through its affinity program, organizations such as Komen can customize the Rplate for supporters to demonstrate their loyalty to a cause.
Reviver founder and CSO Neville Boston said his company was happy to help Susan G. Komen pursue its mission.
“They have transformed the way the world views breast cancer and have been a mobilizing force in creating a global community of passionate support for their mission,” Boston said in a news release. "Allowing the expressive attributes of our Rplates to help build participation in their mission, is something we can all feel very good about.”
Susan G. Komen Los Angeles County executive director Mark Pilon said Reviver and the Rplate are a welcomed addition to its ongoing campaign and will help the organization continue investments in research and patient support.
“We look forward to seeing our custom Rplates on supporters’ vehicles in California and Arizona right away, and on more vehicles across the country as more states adopt Reviver’s digital license plates as a 21st century standard.”
Reviver's Rplate and Rplate Pro are currently available for vehicles registered in California and Arizona and on commercial vehicles in Texas. Eleven other states are actively engaged in adopting Reviver plates, and Reviver is working toward availability in the remaining 36 states.
The company is currently selling Rplates through channels such as automotive dealerships, affinity groups such as Susan G. Komen, professional sports teams and college alumni associations and small- to medium-sized commercial fleets.
Kelley Blue Book’s parent company Cox Enterprises recently expanded its longstanding relationship supporting Girls Inc., a nonprofit that inspires girls to be strong, smart, and bold.
To celebrate Women’s History Month, Kelley Blue Book worked with Charitable Adult Rides & Services — or CARS — to launch a campaign helping Girls Inc. and other nonprofits making a difference in the lives of girls and women.
Consumers, from now through the end of March, can donate a vehicle past its prime to Girls Inc. or other nonprofits.
Those vehicles will turn into funds for programs that promote girl power.
Consumers can choose to donate almost any type of vehicle, such as cars, trucks, boats, RVs or other vehicles.
CARS seeks to accept every vehicle donation regardless of condition and offers free pick-up and towing. Kelley Blue Book and CARS have raised more than $3.2 million for nonprofits nationwide since they first partnered in 2017.
Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book senior vice president Jessica Stafford said that with vehicle donation, people can easily give to an organization.
“It's a win-win opportunity, especially for people offloading an older vehicle with little value left who may not want to hassle with trying to sell it on their own,” Stafford said in a news release.
Stafford also said, “Beyond the tax benefits and ease of the process of donating a used vehicle through CARS, people can feel good about giving to worthy nonprofit organizations like Girls Inc. that make a difference in the lives of girls and families in their community and beyond.”
Cox Enterprises’ recent expansion of its relationship supporting Girls Inc. includes a national partnership, as Cox said the nonprofit's mission aligns well with Cox’s values to support inclusion, diversity, and promotion of women.
Girls Inc.’s mission also aligns with Cox’s focus on STEM-related causes.
Through year-round programming, experiences and activities that allow girls to explore, ask questions, persist, and solve problems, Girls Inc. encourages STEM learning.
Girls interact with those pursuing STEM careers and go on to view those careers as exciting and realistic options for themselves, according to CARS.
As of 2020, Cox is national sponsor of STEM and college and career readiness for Girls Inc.
Information is available on how to donate a vehicle to benefit Girls Inc. or another organization.
Kia has produced Super Bowl advertisements for 10 years.
But rather than advertise in Super Bowl LV on Feb. 7, Kia will “Accelerate the Good.”
The automaker will continue that program, which it started in 2019 with the Great Unknowns Scholarship to help young people in need participate in higher education.
The start of the pandemic last year did not stop Kia’s charitable work.
The company made two separate $1 million donations to organizations that support America’s homeless youth population.
Kia said it will help even more young people impacted by the pandemic, with plans to provide full details on its latest initiative on Thursday.
A new Enterprise Holdings initiative will address three social and racial equity gaps that the company says need urgent attention: early childhood development, youth health and wellness, and career and college preparation.
Through the Enterprise Holdings Foundation, Enterprise Holdings says it is boosting its focus on diversity, equity and inclusion. The company will do that through a new five-year, $55 million commitment to organizations that advance social and racial equity around the world.
The company says the new initiative, Enterprise Holdings ROAD Forward, will increase respect, opportunity, achievement and diversity — or ROAD — for youth and families.
Enterprise Holdings Foundation president Carolyn Kindle Betz said diversity, inclusion and strengthening the communities where the company operates have been part of its guiding principles for more than 60 years.
“The Enterprise Holdings ROAD Forward initiative will open new doors for individuals in our communities who are disproportionately affected by lack of access to resources in the areas of education, health and wellness,” Betz said in a news release.
The foundation, working with the Enterprise Holdings ROAD Forward initiative, is pledging an additional $65 million into Enterprise Fill Your Tank. That program started in 2016 and has contributed more than $50 million to address food insecurity in local communities. Enterprise said that issue often disproportionally affects people of color.
The company is pledging the $65 million to extend the program for five more years, and those funds will continue to be distributed annually among Feeding America, Food Banks Canada and The Global FoodBanking Network. The funding will also go toward additional local food banks and pantries in the communities Enterprise serves.
Betz said hunger is another obstacle to success for too many young people of color. The company expanded its existing Fill Your Tank commitment as a natural complement to the ROAD Forward initiative. Betz said.
“Our decision to extend Fill Your Tank and launch ROAD Forward was also inspired by our employees, who often ask the Foundation to support causes they are passionate about,” Betz said.
The company, as part of the Enterprise Holdings ROAD Forward initiative’s commitment to young people of color in underserved communities, will work with four nonprofit organizations. Those are the Obama Foundation’s My Brother’s Keeper Alliance, UNCF, Girls Inc. and Parents as Teachers.
Areas of support
The initiative, through those partnerships, could help local youth and families in areas such as early childhood development, youth health and wellness and career and college preparation.
Regarding early childhood development, with support for Parents as Teachers, the organization will be able to broaden the reach of its early childhood education programs, which could help better connect with the needs of Black, Brown and Native American children.
Top objectives of the partnership include refining its curriculum for diverse audiences, creating professional development sessions, subsidizing cultural adaptations of existing programs, translating program materials into Somali, Spanish and other languages, and underwriting new data equity research.
In the area of youth health and wellness, support for My Brother’s Keeper Alliance, or MBK, will advance its mission to build safe and supportive communities for boys and young men of color. Objectives include supporting the 19 MBK Impact and Seed Communities in documenting and disseminating best practices, lessons learned, and inspirational stories from youth and community leaders.
Launching the MBK Framework to Affect Systems Change, is another objective that could help MBK communities better define, document and increase their impact.
Also in the area of youth health and wellness, support for Girls Inc. will help continue that group’s mission to help girls grow up “strong, smart, and bold.” The support will fund work to assess and refine the organization’s social and emotional learning frameworks that address racial injustice and inequities.
Then, plans are to use education, training and mentorship through affiliate programs to put the updated framework into action.
Regarding career and college preparation, Enterprise through UNCF will support more than 70 scholarships for first-generation Black college students. According to Enterprise, that will cover often-unmet needs that can create barriers to college completion or successful career transitions. Enterprise said scholarships will support non-tuition-related student needs such as emergency expenses, stipends to support extracurricular professional development and educational loan repayment.
“We are grateful for Enterprise acting with intention to address the systemic barriers that deny dreams for far too many of our kids,” said My Brother’s Keeper Alliance executive director Michael D. Smith.
Smith continued, “Enterprise’s support will help accelerate impact in MBK Communities to reduce youth violence, grow effective mentorship programs, and measurably improve the lives of boys and young men of color.”
Parents as Teachers president and chief executive officer Constance Gully said the organization was honored to serve as Enterprise’s early childhood development partner on the ROAD Forward initiative.
“Working with parents directly during the most vulnerable stages of their child’s early development has a direct effect on reducing the educational disparities that can later result in income and health gaps,” Gully said.
Gully continued, “This generous investment in the work of Parents as Teachers will provide vital resources to reach and more effectively meet the needs of the thousands of Black, Brown, and Native American families we partner with across all 50 states.”
Girls Inc. president and chief executive officer Stephanie Hull said providing girls with social and emotional support is important to their well-being and helps them lead healthy and fulfilling lives.
“During these unprecedented times, the need is even greater, especially for girls of color and those from underserved communities,” Hull said. “We are grateful to Enterprise for their partnership and investment in the work Girls Inc. is doing to further strengthen our capacity to provide girls with the experiences and mentorship that enable them to thrive.”
UNCF president and chief executive officer Michael Lomax said that with the new scholarship program, UNCF can continue to help more students of color get into college and graduate.
“That is especially important now as we all face rising racial injustice and a health pandemic that’s affecting our communities quite severely,” Lomax said. “Thank you, Enterprise, and we look forward to working with your team to build better futures for many others.”
A 'continuous journey'
Over the next five years, the Enterprise Holdings ROAD Forward initiative will allocate funds to its more than 70 global operating teams. That could help employees take the lead in identifying important issues related to the program’s three focus areas in their communities and supporting local organizations that are best equipped to address them.
“These actions are the next steps in what will be a continuous journey to elevate our focus on equality and diversity – and to continue breathing inclusivity in everything we do,” said Enterprise Holdings president and chief executive officer Chrissy Taylor. “It mirrors our internal efforts to advance social and racial equity within our very own walls — from our mentorship programs, to introducing new training and development and diversity councils, to forums that drive honest dialogue on these critical issues.”
Enterprise founder, Jack Taylor, started the foundation in 1982 to give back to the communities that drove Enterprise’s growth. The foundation and the Taylor family have since contributed more than $1.4 billion to local nonprofits, focusing on community improvement, education and environmental stewardship. Enterprise employees contribute their time and skills to national and local organizations in the cities and neighborhoods they serve.
More information is available about Enterprise Holdings’ philanthropic initiatives.
AutoNation will “adopt” 50 local families through a new program in which it will ask the public to drop off unwrapped toys at any AutoNation store in Miami-Dade and Broward counties.
The program is called Adopt a Family 4 the Holidays, and AutoNation is partnering in the program with Neighbors 4 Neighbors, an organization that says it connects people in need with people who can help.
AutoNation chief customer experience officer Marc Cannon said South Florida is home to AutoNation’s corporate headquarters, 31 AutoNation locations and thousands of associates who Cannon said care about helping the community.
“We are looking forward to providing deserving families with the resources they may need for joyful holiday celebrations,” Cannon said in a news release.
Neighbors 4 Neighbors executive director Katy Meagher said the organization has been serving people since 1992.
“We are so grateful for outstanding community partners like AutoNation,” Meagher said.
From Monday through Dec. 6, people can drop off new unwrapped toys
AutoNation says it has long supported communities. One of the most notable programs: DRV PNK. That program has raised more than $25 million toward a cure for cancer.
The company said the new partnership aligns with its ONE AutoNation initiative, supporting underserved communities and providing the company an opportunity to help families that might be experiencing hardships during the holidays.
TrueCar this past May launched TrueCar Military, a dedicated vehicle purchase program providing exclusive military incentives and exclusive benefits to those who have served in the U.S. armed forces and their families.
Among the current TrueCar Military benefits is up to $4,000 in military Incentives on select makes and models.
On Tuesday, TrueCar said it has teamed up with Audi to provide preferred pricing and exclusive incentives to verified TrueCar Military car shoppers on new Audi cars and SUVs.
With the TrueCar Military Auto Member offer, verified TrueCar Military members can receive a $750 to $1,000 additional incentive (bonus cash) on select new 2020 and 2021 models. The offer is valid at any Audi dealership nationwide.
The offer is available through TrueCar Military until Jan. 4.
Audi of America senior vice president Thiemo Rusch said Audi USA was proud to support the U.S. military through its participation in the program.
“Whether it is their first time in an Audi or if they are already part of the Audi family, we are thrilled to make this offer available to U.S. military members and their families,” Rusch said in a news release.
To activate the offer, the eligible shopper must generate an Audi 8-digit alpha-numeric authorization number for purchase under the eligible shopper's name. The authorization number is not transferrable, and only one VIN per Audi authorization number is allowed. Shoppers must bring a physical copy of the offer form and a driver’s license to redeem this offer at an Audi dealership.
In addition to up to $4,000 in military Incentives on select makes and models, additional current TrueCar Military benefits include:
— Dealer discounts on new and used vehicles
— Up to $4,000 worth of benefits for repair and auto deductible reimbursement
— Dedicated military customer service hotline
— A limited-time offer $200 Sam’s Club Gift Card through Oct. 13
TrueCar senior vice president Valeri Tompkins describes TrueCar’s private targeted incentive program as an “efficient and brand positive way for automakers to reach specific audience segments with a targeted value proposition.”
She said the company is excited to partner with Audi for offering special pricing and exclusive incentives to U.S. military members and their families.
“This a great way for the U.S. military audience to discover the Audi brand while taking advantage of special prices across their premium lineup and enrich our current TrueCar Military benefits to deliver further added value,” Tompkins said.
Since Kelley Blue Book partnered with Charitable Adult Rides & Services, or CARS, in 2017, visitors to KBB.com have helped raise $2.5 million for 945 different non-profits.
That includes St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, which has so far received nearly $1 million in total revenue through KBB.com.
Now, Kelley Blue Book is expanding on its commitment to help owners gift their vehicle for a good cause through CARS, a non-profit organization that manages vehicle donation programs for North American and Canadian nonprofits and public media stations.
Car owners with a vehicle past its prime and an interest in contributing to a charitable cause can get help from Kelley Blue Book to do that.
Consumers visiting KBB.com can choose to donate almost any vehicle to a nonprofit, and Kelley Blue Book through Sept. 30 will donate an incremental $100 to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital for every car donated, up to 250 vehicles.
Raising an additional $25,000 to support lifesaving research and treatments is the goal.
People can also make a monetary donation to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
Honoring children fighting pediatric cancer, the third-annual fundraising campaign runs through the rest of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in September.
Kelley Blue Book vice president of product Michael Wulf said owners might choose to donate their vehicle for various reasons.
“If there isn’t value left in an old vehicle, and the owner doesn't want to go through the hassle of trying to sell it for little return, donating the vehicle to a charity offers tax benefits while supporting a good cause,” Wulf said in a news release. “It's a win-win to get your used car off your driveway and an opportunity to positively impact your community.”
