FAQs about our New Coat Program
Q: When did the Auto Dealers CARing for Kids Foundation's New Coat Program start?
A: The program was started in 2008 and has a simple mission: give new coats to underprivileged children in the five county area who would not otherwise have them. Now, thirteen years later, our New Coat Program has blossomed into a program that warms the hearts of tens of thousands of children each year!
Q: How many coats have been given away since the program started in 2008?
A: The Auto Dealers CARing for Kids Foundation has provided 473,928 new winter coats since 2008. We have more than doubled the number of coats we donate each year - from 18,000 the first year to 53,928 in 2020.
Q: How and when are the coats distributed?
A: The coats are distributed during October. We rely on our partners at the School District of Philadelphia, Chester Upland School District, area YMCAs and non-profit organizations selected by participating dealerships to help get the new coats to local children who need them most. Sorry, we cannot give coats directly to individuals or families.
Q: Where do the coats come from and how much do they cost?
A: The Foundation is grateful for its strong relationship with Operation Warm. Operation Warm is a Pennsylvania non-profit that provides new winter coats to impoverished children nationwide and is the vendor of the Driving Away the Cold coats. Our cost per coat is $20.
Q: Why coats?
A: Did you know that 1 in 6 children in the Philadelphia area live in poverty? Did you know that the federal definition of poverty is a family of four living on an annual income below $26,200? This staggering statistic equates to more than 175,000 children. Most, if not all, of these children live without the daily essentials that most of us take for granted, including a warm winter coat. The gift of a new coat warms the body and soul of a child in need. It can supercharge the recipient’s self-esteem and helps him or her arrive to school warm, ready to learn and to receive two hot meals. It reminds that child that he or she is important.
FAQs about your donation
Q. What does donating online offer me?
A. It provides an easy, convenient way to donate to our New Coat Program through the Auto Dealers CARing for Kids Foundation, and reduces our fundraising costs. Additionally, by donating with your credit card, you can use your credit card statement for taxes/receipts, earn credit card rewards, save time and reduce postage costs.
Q. How does an online donation work?
A. Simply fill out all the fields on our secure donation form, click “Submit” and your donation will be processed immediately. You will be emailed a summary of your donation.
Q. Is my personal information safe?
A. Yes, the service operates on a secure server and complies with Visa/MasterCard regulations for real-time credit card processing. Your credit card information will not be kept on file. Your other personal information is entered into a security-protected donor management system that only authorized users may access.
Q. When will my credit card be charged?
A. We use a real-time authorization service, so a charge will be seen on your account within 24 hours.
Q. What credit cards do you accept?
A. Visa, MasterCard and American Express.
Q. What if my credit card is at the limit when the payment is charged?
A. The completion of your donation depends on you having enough available credit for the charge to be accepted. If your credit card does not have enough available credit, the donation could be denied by your credit card company and your donation may not be made.
Q. Will I receive a receipt?
A. Yes. We will email you an acknowledgment / thank-you for your records. The donation will appear on your credit card statement and depending upon your credit card processor, it will look something like: Blackbaud/BB *Auto Dealers.
FAQs about our companies
Q: What is the Auto Dealers CARing for Kids Foundation?
A: The Auto Dealers CARing for Kids Foundation was established in 2003 by the Auto Dealers Association of Greater Philadelphia to improve the lives and welfare of the children in the Delaware Valley. The Foundation is made up of 184 franchised new car and truck dealerships located in the Greater Philadelphia area. Dealerships who believe in the power of giving back and supporting the people and places that make up our great communities.
Q: What is the Auto Dealers Association of Greater Philadelphia (ADAGP)?
A: The ADAGP is a trade association established in 1904 that nearly every new car and truck dealer in the Greater Philadelphia region belongs to. Think of it as a “clubhouse” for those working in the automotive industry. The ADAGP hosts important meetings, distributes key industry updates and most recognizably organizes and produces the Philadelphia Auto Show. There are 184 area dealerships that belong to the ADAGP, the same 184 dealer members that make up the Auto Dealers CARing for Kids Foundation.
Q: What else do these two companies with its 184 dealer members do?
A: Ever hear of the Philadelphia Auto Show? Well, that's your local new car dealerships as well! The Philadelphia Auto Show races into the Pennsylvania Convention Center for nine days every winter. Did you know that a portion of every ticket sold goes to the Auto Dealers CARing for Kids Foundation? So in addition to our dealer members doing good, you're doing good too!
The night before the Auto Show opens we host the Black Tie Tailgate, a moving cocktail party on the floor of the Auto Show and all proceeds go to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. The Black Tie Tailgate was started in the late 1980s and three decades later our total giving to the Hospital exceeds $9.3 million.
If that wasn't enough, we have an annual Technology Competition ("Tech Comp") which provides an opportunity for high school students enrolled in automotive programs in the Philadelphia area to compete for scholarships and prizes. It starts in November with a written exam and the top 24 scorers compete in a hands-on competition in February. The total value of all awards given at the hands-on competition tops $1 million!
