Learn More about Our New Partnering Program

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1 Cars 4 Causes 4864 Market Street Ventura, CA (800) c4c@cars4causes.net Cars Winter 2009/2010 Volume 17 Causes It feels good helping others! Who We Are Cars 4 Causes is a California non-profit public benefit corporation established in 1997 to raise money on behalf of schools, hospitals, religious institutions, social service agencies and other non-profit organizations. Our goal is to help our beneficiaries further their causes and continue with the good services they provide to the local community. Our founders have combined their knowledge of the car business with a desire to advance philanthropic causes. Cars 4 Causes is the charity that gives to charities, and helps to simplify the process of fund raising for worthy organizations through our vehicle donation program. The Charity That Gives To Charities Learn More about Our New Partnering Program Cars 4 Causes is uniting with other charities through our Charity Partner Program. The program works by providing contracted charities with a personalized Cars 4 Causes donation link at no cost to them. We add the donation link to our list of supported charities, and potential donors visit the webpage. They can then choose to select the partnered organization to receive the proceeds of their donation (70% of the net sale of the vehicle). The Charity Partner program helps generate more revenue for non-profits, and increases public awareness about them. It s ongoing and effortless, and it s a simple and easy way to bring in more proceeds to fund worthy causes. We do the work, and charities receive the benefits. An Update on the Car with Angel Wings Laura s husband had ALS (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also called Lou Gehrig s disease). As his disease progressed, he became increasingly housebound, so they bought a 2007 Honda Odyssey and had it outfitted with a chair lift. They put just 7,000 miles on the Honda before his death. Laura made just one stipulation when she donated the car to Cars 4 Causes. She wanted it to go to someone with ALS. It was given to Norris, whose wife, Loretta, told us that it made an enormous difference in his last two months of life, making it possible for him to get out of his house and enjoy a drive through the countryside. When he passed away, Loretta donated the van back to Cars 4 Causes, continuing the stipulation that it go to someone with ALS. It was given to Sherry, who had ALS, and said she would donate the van, which has been dubbed the car with angel wings, to someone with ALS when she passed away. When that day came, the van was donated back to Cars 4 Causes to continue its journey of helping people in need. The Honda Odyssey has now been delivered to Ronald, who also has ALS. He s using it to get him to work four days a week, and we hope he s going to be using it for a long, long time.

2 Winter 2009/2010 Volume 17 Page 2 Riding the Cash for Clunkers Wave It feels good helping others! This year has brought us all kinds of surprises. Some caused more commotion than others. The government-implemented Cash for Clunkers program (AKA the Car Allowance Rebate System, CARS) seemed to rock the boat the most. The media blitz surrounding Cash for Clunkers inspired many people to consider selling their old gas guzzlers in hopes of trading up for more fuel efficient models. As was anticipated, the program quickly gained momentum and caused a car-trading frenzy, the likes of which this country hadn t seen in years. However, there was an unanticipated downside. Thousands of charities rely heavily on the funds generated from donated cars. Consequently, many of them took a direct hit financially. It was after the realization of this problem that a new dilemma was born into the world of nonprofits, and many people were left torn between trading in their clunkers and donating them to charity. The lack of information led to a considerable amount of confusion. As the national leader in nonprofit car donations, Cars 4 Causes stepped in and gave the public the information they d been searching for. We created a simple, side-by-side comparison that let people decide what was best for them personally. Then, an even stranger trend came out of the woodwork. While many other charities were hurting for car donations, Cars 4 Causes actually began to see an increase in car donations spurred by the Cash for Clunkers discussion. Once the conversation about trading in or up or donating a car gets going, said Pat Jessup, Executive Director of Cars 4 Causes, the car owner begins researching possibilities, looking into tax deductions versus cash for the trade-in. Also, some have found that their car does not qualify for the Cash for Clunkers program, but while researching, they discover the tax advantages of donating a vehicle. Then they call us. Oddly enough, Cars 4 Causes was actually able to benefit others from the chaos that erupted from the Cash for Clunkers program. by offering them some simple advice: look at the facts, weigh your options, and most importantly, follow your heart.

3 Winter 2009/2010 Volume 17 Page 3 Spirit Jump Interviews Cars 4 Causes Here at Cars 4 Causes, we jump (pun intended) at the opportunity to link arms with other nonprofits who share our goal of making a difference in the lives of others. On November 3, 2009 Cars 4 Causes was able to do just that when Spirit Jump, a wonderful charity that helps lift cancer patients spirits through heartfelt gifts, gave us the opportunity to spread the good word. We were absolutely delighted to be one of three charities that were featured on the Spirit Jump Podcast show on Our very own account specialist, Debbie Konstanzer, was interviewed by host, and Spirit Jump founder, Meaghan Edelstein and her co-host, Bryan Power. The show was a wonderful experience for all involved, and was pleasantly unique in that it took a light-hearted approach to addressing the sometimes heavy and overwhelming issue of helping people in need. Debbie shared some helpful information about our program, the donation process and the true spirit and ideals that drive Cars 4 Causes. The interview was a great success from start to finish. We d like to thank hosts Meaghan Edelstein and Bryan Power for giving Cars 4 Causes another platform to reach the public and spread our message. If you d like to learn more about Spirit Jump, and the positive impact that they re making, you can visit their website at You can also find them on Facebook, and Twitter,

4 Recent Recipients Winter 2009/2010 Volume 17 Page 4 Ivan Ivan designs sets for many of the youth programs, major events and Sunday services for the AGAPE International Spiritual Center in Culver City, Calif. He has a great talent for making creative and cost effective use of fabrics, and creating beautiful sets out of them. Ivan s example inspires other volunteers of all ages to collaborate with him on the sets, and the end results are community inspired works of art. Along with his own time, Ivan also donated the services of his car, which began to cost more in repairs than it was worth. But he couldn t afford to get a new car. AGAPE contacted us, and we were able to find a suitable donated car that would help Ivan continue to create and inspire the masses. Shealy & Darryl This year, Cars 4 Cause was able to help two students on their way to college. They were brought to our attention by Echoes of Hope, an organization that helps emancipated foster youth. The only thing standing between these two hard-working students and higher education was transportation. In high school, Shealy was a straight-a student (4.06 grade average!), a track athlete and a model student. She was accepted into the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), but to put it simply, had no way to get to class. Darryl was also a straight-a high school student. Now he s majoring in Sociology at California State University, Los Angeles, and hoping to build a career that will make a difference in the lives of others. Luckily, we were able to help both students by providing them with donated cars. We were especially thrilled to be able to contribute to one of our favorite causes, which helping fund the education of young people.

5 Winter 2009/2010 Volume 17 Page 5 Up Close and Personal: A Message from Our Executive Director Reflecting back on this past year, we saw no subject more prominent than the human condition. For many, it was a year of lessons and milestones. We saw unprecedented political, environmental and social change and the worst financial crisis in decades. More importantly though, we saw a shift in the global psyche. People have become interconnected like never before. The world suddenly became so much smaller in Whether we attribute it to social media, easier access to information or just an increase in public interest, the butterfly effect is in full swing, and we re feeling it more than ever. It s an interesting thing that happens when we reach this point. Eventually, we emerge from that place of unrest with a remarkable sense of clarity. Not only do we recognize what s really important in our lives, we become thankful for the things that we have, and we begin to reach out and give back. People are collectively adopting this frame of mind, and this is when philanthropy thrives. So when you feel a cause tugging at your heart-strings this year, we encourage you to give. Consider putting your old clunker to rest by donating it to charity, forgo your morning latte to help feed a starving child instead, and if you have nothing else to give, volunteer your time. Together, we really can make a difference. We ask that you join Cars 4 Causes and the thousands of charities we support to create a better tomorrow, and face this new year with a spirit of hope and optimism. -- Pat Jessup May our work and service be together, and our legacy and history be one of cooperation and help.