• by Tanya Gazdik , December 1, 2020

Lincoln’s ongoing Driven to Give philanthropic program will feature a virtual event on Giving Tuesday with brand ambassador Matthew McConaughey. 

Lincoln worked with McConaughey to help spread awareness for the Driven to Give program. The automaker is hosting “The Nautilus & The Narrator,” an online event where McConaughey will read an excerpt from his new memoir “Greenlights” and Lincoln will give a walk-around tour of the 2021 Nautilus.  

Attendance at the Tuesday evening event will yield donations to Just Keep Livin’ Foundation, United Way Worldwide, First Book and the Book Industry Charitable Foundation. 

Founded in 2011, Driven to Give is Lincoln’s philanthropic program that allows dealers to partner with organizations in their communities to host donation-based test-drive events. To date, the program has generated over 700,000 test-drives and has raised over $11 million for deserving organizations. 

This year, in response to the pandemic, Lincoln pivoted from an in-person experience, changing the test drive portion to a virtual tour component. For every virtual tour completed, the automaker will donate $25 toward each dealership’s selected cause.

Meanwhile Toyota Motor North America is supporting more than 25 nonprofit organizations this Giving Tuesday with grants totaling $700,000.

Grant recipients include the Salvation Army, Toys for Tots,  the United Way and the North Texas Food Bank.

The automaker’s employees are also making company-matched donations supporting eligible nonprofits, and donating to employee-led drives for food, clothes and holiday gifts.

Toyota’s Giving Tuesday activities impact a variety of causes and organizations local to its U.S. facilities and operations, including children’s health centers, homeless shelters,  senior meal delivery services and rehabilitation and recovery organizations.

Jaguar is also recognizing Giving Tuesday with efforts to protect its namesake via a partnership with the Wildlife Conservation Society. Each entity has issued a call to action to make a contribution to WCS on its website, according to the automaker.