With the holidays in full-swing, the giving season has also begun. Opportunities for charitable giving await around every corner at this time of year, but for those working in the automotive aftermarket industry, you don’t have to search very far for a place to give a little, or a lot, to those in need. 
Considered one of the industry’s best kept secrets, the Aftermarket Foundation has made its mission for the past 50 years to serve as the automotive aftermarket industry’s only aftermarket-specific philanthropic organization.
According to Donald Schlenger, who has served as chairman of the organization for the past 30 years, most people don’t hear about the foundation until they learn that someone they know was assisted by the group.
While the Aftermarket Foundation’s primary source of funding is its annual charity golf tournament held every year prior to the start of AAPEX, it is the word-of-mouth marketing that seems most effective in keeping the foundation top of mind with aftermarket professionals.
“We’ve been around for so long, but the big thing is we’re the number-one secret in the aftermarket,” Schlenger says. “The secret is important for two reasons: There are cases out there that we don’t know about that need help and we’re here to help them. The other reason is that if people don’t know who we are we can’t get their funding.”
As if to prove his point, Schlenger shares the story of a conversation with a longtime industry friend.
“I get a call one day from a top executive at a major manufacturing company, whom I knew from my involvement in the industry … and he says ‘Don, are you helping so and so?’ And this is someone who has gotten mailings from us every year and would maybe send us $100 or $200. I said, ‘Yes, we’ve been helping him for many many years.’ However, we don’t publicize who we give money to. He said, ‘I didn’t know that. You know he worked for me at my company.’ Next thing I know, I get a check for $5,000 and I’ve gotten a check every year for $5,000. This year, even with the economy the way it is, I got a check from him for $10,000.
“That’s the problem, they don’t know. Once they know, it’s a different ball game,” Schlenger says.
Criteria and selection process
In addition to Schlenger’s leadership, the Aftermarket Foundation is run by a board of 25 trustees, some of whom are charged with determining which cases to assist.
“We have a recipient committee of five people and nothing is cast in stone, so they’ll look upon each case differently,” Schlenger explained. “It depends on the age of the individual and their circumstances, but I don’t recall very many cases being turned down.”
Schlenger says this year, the Aftermarket Foundation will give out about $300,000 and that number rises each year.
New Web Site
This year, to help ramp up its efforts to reach out to the aftermarket community, the Aftermarket Foundation launched a new Website — www.aftermarketfoundation.org — where visitors can learn more about what makes the Foundation the “Heart of the Aftermarket.”
