New franchised auto dealerships donate half a billion dollars to charities each year. Yes, that includes sponsoring the local Little League teams, but it also means building wings of hospitals and schools, hosting fundraisers for nonprofits and donating millions of dollars to causes that range from cancer research to fighting homelessness.

Why it matters: The total amount of charitable giving decreased from 2021 to 2022 by over 10% when adjusted for inflation, according to Giving USA. But new franchised dealerships have remained steady in their community support.

“This is no surprise to anyone who knows dealers,” said Mike Stanton, NADA CEO and president. “Auto dealerships have been the hearts and souls of their local organizations for a century and believe in supporting the communities where they live, work and play.”

By the numbers: The median annual charitable donation from new franchised dealerships is $30,000. With 16,733 new franchised dealerships across the nation, that results in an annual donation of $503,190,000 from the national dealer body.