By Chris Caraveo
Twitter: @ChrisCaraveo31

Nonprofit organizations in Arizona are benefiting from a $100,000 donation from a national auto resaler’s sticker program.

Officials at CarMax recently announced a change in its CarMax sticker to support causes that matter the most to citizens. Each sticker represents part of the $100,000 donation made to nonprofits in Phoenix and Arizona.

Customers purchasing a vehicle through CarMax have been able to choose their favorite sticker and place it on the back of their vehicle.

In Arizona, those organizations are Chicanos Por La Causa; Act One, HALO Animal Rescue; The Mission Continues; one•n•ten; Everytown for Gun Safety; Trees Matter; KaBOOM!; and St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance. Some of the organizations, like The Mission Continues and KaBOOM!, are nationwide endeavors.

The sticker program runs through March 15.

The Mission Continues — a nonprofit dedicated to serving military veterans — was among the biggest recipients with an award of $30,000.

Nicholas Zevely, communications and branding officer at The Mission Continues, said the money allows the nonprofit to reach more veterans through its leadership programs.

“Our programs are an investment in the skills, training and passion of our military veterans, and the contribution from CarMax will support this mission,” Mr. Zevely said. “The Mission Continues is incredibly thankful to have a committed partner in CarMax. Our partnership is based on our shared appreciation for our military veterans. We’ve been fortunate to share a partnership with CarMax for several years that includes serving side-by-side with their associates at projects nationwide.”

The Mission Continues has big plans in 2020 and needs community members to join the movement, Mr. Zevely added. The nonprofit engaged more than 20,000 volunteers in 2019, and Mr. Zevely said they are on the way to reaching that goal again this year.

This month, The Mission Continues is launching a national campaign in honor of the Dr. Martin Luther King Day of Service. From 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 25, the Phoenix 2nd Service Platoon will be building an outdoor tortoise habitat, refurbishing shade structures and a chalkboard, painting a wall mural and more at Esperanza Prep, 1938 E. Apache Blvd., Tempe.

Visit www.missioncontinues.org/events for upcoming events.

According to a recent YouGov survey, CarMax found that the No. 1 reason car owners put bumper stickers, decals or magnets on their vehicles is to make a statement about themselves, their values, and their interests. With that in mind, CarMax decided to personalize their signature logo in three markets — Chicago, Las Vegas and Phoenix — for those residents to show support for their favorite nonprofits. Those groups received a total of $300,000 from CarMax.

In that survey of 2,680 adults, some 67% said they enjoy reading bumper stickers on other vehicles, while 60% of car owners said they have had a bumper sticker on their vehicle. Of those who have never had a bumper sticker on their vehicle, 24% said it’s because they haven’t found one that represents them.

Clayton Scherf, director of Development & Marketing for one•n•ten, said the nonprofit received $10,000 from the sticker campaign.

“It’s an honor to partner with CarMax on this endeavor as it brings visibility to the LGBTQ community in Arizona and reaffirms CarMax’s commitment to supporting diversity and inclusivity within its customer and employee networks,” Mr. Scherf said. “Businesses who align themselves with nonprofits like one•n•ten establish relationships with Phoenix’s LGBTQ and straight alliance community. LGBTQ consumers are loyal brand followers and pack more purchasing power than most Americans. Market research firms estimated that in 2019, the buying power of the LGBTQ consumers in the US exceeded 1 trillion dollars.”

In 2019, one•n•ten served over 1,000 new LGBTQ+ youth and young adults in Arizona, surpassing all previous years, he said. The funding from CarMax ensures the nonprofit can continue to expand its programs and services and sustain its current growth.

On Sunday, Feb. 9, one•n•ten is hosting its 11th annual signature fundraising event, Fresh Brunch. During the event, Phoenix’s LGBTQ and straight alliance community unites to celebrate program achievements and highlight the nonprofit’s vision for the upcoming year.

Visit onenten.org/fresh-brunch for more information on the event.

Juliet Martin, vice president of Strategies and Programs for Act One, said her organization has been delighted to be a partner in the CarMax sticker campaign. Act One also received a $10,000 donation from CarMax and will use it to bring students from Title 1 schools on arts field trips this school year.

“Act One pays for the tickets and the busing costs, and the schools are responsible for $1 per participant,” Ms. Martin stated. “This school year, Act One has capacity to bring 50,000+ students and chaperones on arts field trips in Metropolitan Phoenix and Tucson. On average, it costs $10 per student for an arts field trip.”

Act One doesn’t have any upcoming public events, but officials invite the public to help fill a bus with students through donations — $500 fills a bus.

“Companies like CarMax see the impact that arts experiences play in shaping the world for students, especially those from lower-income families,” Ms. Martin stated. “It’s through donors who believe that the arts should be accessible for all that Act One is able to impact so many children every year.”

HALO Animal Rescue also received $10,000, saying the funds allow them to provide medical care to the homeless pets at their shelter.

“From vaccines to orthopedic surgeries and everything in between,” stated Heather Allen, president and CEO of HALO Animal Rescue.

HALO plans on having different fundraising campaigns in 2020, including Giving Tuesday and a few matching gift fundraisers. However, they don’t plan on hosting any galas.

Aimee Esposito, executive director of Trees Matter, said the nonprofit has a mission to inspire and promote an increased tree canopy — which relates to the amount of shade a tree provides to its surrounding ground area.

They do that in various ways, including their Trees for Schools program, which aims to get more tree infrastructure into schools, as well as teaching staff and students on the importance of trees and tree care.

The majority of the $10,000 the nonprofit is receiving is going to that program. Visit www.treesmatter.org/trees-for-schools for more information.

“We teach students the importance of trees and provide a hands-on approach by having them plant trees on their campus,” Ms. Esposito said. “It goes beyond simply planting the tree — the maintenance and care of the tree that follows is critical to the success of the tree and we commit to following up with the trees and providing resources and inventory as the tree grows for the schools we work.”

The group’s annual fundraiser, Breakfast for Dinner — Mesquite Pancake Breakfast, is Friday Oct. 23rd at Snooze Town and Country, 2045 E. Camelback Road A17, Phoenix. Visit www.treesmatter.org for an events calendar and to sign up for the nonprofit’s newsletter.

“Being a smaller nonprofit, it means a great deal to have such a large successful business like CarMax invest in our work,” Ms. Esposito said about the donation. “We appreciate that they believe in our mission and our work. We hope that people will choose the outdoor conservation sticker and show their pride in caring about our environment and local tree canopy."