Free Cars for Nonprofits: 3 Reasons Toyota's '100 Cars for Good' is Leading the Way
The voting for "100 Cars for Good" starts today. As a program that exemplifies successful collaboration, meaningful contributions, and effective brand alignment - its worth voting for.
Like the communities they serve, many non-profits struggle with a variety of issues that make day-to-day operations difficult. They lack resources, they lack time - and they often feel unseen by society.
One resource that is scarce for both low-income communities and non-profits is local transportation. For the fortunate ones who live in enlightened cities like Portland, Oregon, public transportation is free in city centers and ample even to the outside edges. In other cities, like Indianapolis, Indiana, transportation is all but non-existent. Poor people in urban Indy are likely to be stuck walking.
In my experience with small non-profits, transportation is always a major issue not only for those being served, but also for staff. Materials need to be moved, groceries delivered, appointments made, people moved from one shelter to another. Reliable transportation is essential.
Needless to say, when car manufacturers step up with offers to provide free cars for non-profits - everyone sits up to take notice.
FORD: The People's Fleet
Ford has launched The People’s Fleet™ for non-profits in LA. The company has offered four non-profit organizations a 2012 Ford Focus to use for 3 months. But that’s not all. They are also providing a team of filmmakers and a ‘platform for financial empowerment’ for the same time period.
The idea is, while Ford is meeting the non-profit’s transportation needs, they will also capture and share the organization’s stories. Ultimately, this will raise awareness for the non-profit, their cause - and for Ford.
If you’d like to learn more, you can check out their page and watch a video. (It’s a bit difficult to find many details on the program from the site, but still - it’s a cool video.)
TOYOTA: 100 Cars For Good
Toyota USA is launching (today!) their "100 Cars For Good” program. This is a national (not regional) program in which Toyota will donate 100 cars over 100 days to 100 deserving nonprofit organizations. The non-profits will keep the cars.
In addition, Toyota is asking the general public to help them determine who should receive the cars. For this purpose, they’ve set up a Toyota USA Facebook page where you can go and vote for your favorite non-profit.
Each day, beginning May 9th, for 100 days, 5 different nonprofit organizations will need your votes to win the cars. But don’t worry, everybody wins in this contest: the four runner-up organizations (each day) will be given consolation prizes of $1000.
If you’re interested, you can go to the Toyota USA Facebook page and cast your vote today. You’ll find an online profile which may include a video showcasing how the organization plans to use a new Toyota vehicle to do good in their local community.
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