As business owners who are often pillars of their communities, dealers are big on giving back. But it's sometimes hard to find the time to coordinate all of their charitable contributions. Dealers who are NADA Charitable Foundation ambassadors learn that letting someone else take care of that kind of detailed work is a good business move.
That’s where the National Automobile Dealers Charitable Foundation (NADCF) Ambassadors Program can help.
“Automobile dealers are very generous people. They’re also very busy people,” says Alan Starling, former NADA chairman and current chairman of the Ambassadors Program. “This program is a neat way for a busy person to have all the details handled for him.”
Thanks to the more than 440 individuals and associations that have become NADCF Ambassadors, the Foundation contributed a total of $116,000 to eligible organizations last year. More than $780,000 in grants will have been given in the name of Foundation Ambassadors by the end of 2007.
To be an Ambassador, a dealer, company, association or individual makes a tax-deductible pledge of $10,000 to the Foundation. Upon completion of the pledge, that money is then given to charities of your choice in increments of at least $1,000 every three years in perpetuity. The program has come a long way since it was created in 1978, says NADCF Chairman Bob Mallon. But there’s still more to be done. He sees a potential for close to 4,000 Ambassadors, but his initial goal is 500. “I think the industry could support that easily,” Mallon says.
Three new Ambassadors are helping the Foundation reach that goal.
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Alicia Ragsdale, wife of Carl Ragsdale, retired vice president of dealership operations for NADA, was recently honored by her husband to become an Ambassador. Mr. Ragsdale says he chose to recognize his wife with an Ambassador donation because, “being an Ambassador comes naturally to Alicia. Contributing her time and talent to her church, her community, and for the last nine years to the NADA family, is just part of her character. This is one small way I can honor her generous spirit.” |
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Bob Weaver, executive vice president of the Tennessee Automotive Association, received the honor from Steve West, owner of West Chevrolet Inc., Alcoa, Tenn. West, a former NADA director who also served as the association’s secretary, chose to recognize Weaver because “Bob is a giver of himself and always tries to help others. The Ambassador donation in Bob’s name is a small way to continue his legacy of selflessness.”
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Gary Reynolds, owner of Reynolds Garage & Marine Inc. of Lyme, Conn., also recently became an Ambassador. Reynolds holds a Subaru franchise and represents the interests of auto dealers for the state of Connecticut on the NADA board of directors. |
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Each Ambassador receives a beautifully crafted crystal obelisk. |
Of course, dealers and others are not just becoming Ambassadors because it’s easy. The program gives Ambassadors the unique opportunity to select the beneficiaries of their donation, which often fosters lasting relationships between the dealer and his or her charity of choice.
NADA Director Wade Walker has given $30,000 to the Foundation. Much of his generosity comes from knowing he is helping young children with cancer enjoy some rare playtime at Camp Ta-Kum-Ta in Colchester, Vt.
“They don’t really get to play when they have a disease like cancer,” Walker says. “So what we try to do is bring them to camp to play.”
As an Ambassador of Distinction, Walker has gone above and beyond the program’s requirements, donating three times the required amount, which allows him to present grants to a charity of his choice forever. He says the program is ideal for dealers who want to give back to their community but don’t have the time to coordinate the effort. “It’s fabulous because I don’t have to worry about it,” he says.
In addition to being hassle-free, the program:
- Allows dealers, companies, associations and individuals to remember deceased loved ones by creating an Ambassadorship in their name;
- Joins an industry-wide effort to donate time and money to public or private colleges and universities, secondary schools, institutions involved in economic education and emergency medical organizations;
- Honors individuals and groups that have gone above and beyond the program’s requirements by naming them Ambassadors of Distinction;
- Allows donors to spread their contributions around to different charities of their choosing and be present at the check presentation.
For more information about the Ambassadors Program or donating, contact Deborah Dorsey at ddorsey@nada.org or (800) 252-6232 ext. 7233, or dial direct: (703) 821-7233. Click here for an online application.
- Laura Withers can be reached at lawithers@nada.org