How did the Pit Board Charity get started?
· Briefly, the PBC was founded in 2002 by Sonya Clay to provide a unique way for people from all over the country to combine their love of NASCAR with charitable giving. The specific purpose of the PBC is to provide donations to charitable organizations. The PBC completed formal incorporation as a non-profit organization based in California under section 501(c)(3) of the IRS code. Our federal tax ID number is 72-1526227. We work with formal legal and accounting support. Please visit our About Us page to learn more.
Where did the name of the organization originate?
· Some of earliest members of the PBC had met and become friends on the Dale Jr. Pit Board. Sonya wanted to acknowledge that shared link and our appreciation of the Pit Board’s founder, Jim. Dale Jr. appreciates and honors the contributions of those racers who built this sport and we wanted to as well. If you’ve been watching Back in the Day, you’ve seen the original pit boards, those small chalkboards that the teams used to send information to their drivers, before there was radio communications between crew chief and driver.
Who are we?
· The Pit Board Charity consists of fans of NASCAR who share a common drive to help others. We range from children who save allowances to grandparents who want to give something back. We cheer on our driver and the organizations that we have helped. We’ve grown from one member in 2002 to several hundred located around the country and in Canada. The only real requirement we all had to meet to join — be passionate about this sport, our driver, and helping others.
Is Dale Jr. actually associated with the charity?
· The PBC is not officially affiliated with or endorsed by Dale Earnhardt Jr., JR Motorsports, Hendrick Motorsports, the Dale Jr. Foundation, team or personal sponsors, NASCAR, or any of the charitable organizations to which we donate. We do consult with JR Motorsports on all events and fundraisers conducted and seek their approval.
How do I join?
· It’s simple. Just send an e-mail to dalejrpbcharity@aol.com with your name, e-mail and snail mail addresses, and phone number. Or write us at Pit Board Charity, P.O. Box 98, Gustine, CA 95322. We will add you to the PBC’s e-mail lists. Let us know how you’d like to participate. Everyone is welcome.
How do I contact someone in the charity?
· You can reach the PBC via e-mail at dalejrpbcharity@aol.com and via snail mail. If you have a question, concern, or suggestion that you want to address directly to the PBC’s Board of Directors, you can reach all of us via e-mail at dalejrpbcharity@aol.com . You must signup for our email group before you can email all members at one time. If you wish to sign up please email dalejrbpcharity@aol.com. For privacy reasons, we do not release the individual e-mail addresses of our members.
Where do the donations go?
· Each “winning charity” for regular weekly donations is selected by the finishing position of our driver in that week’s race. Regular donations based on Dale Jr’s finish go to the individual charity that matches his finish from the 2008 line-up. You’ll find the complete list on the Charity Line-up and Victory Lane page here on the website. When you send in your donation, you’ll want to specify the race(s) or special event (we’ll discuss those later) the donation covers. Visit our Victory Lane page for details on the amounts donated.
How are the charities chosen for the line-up?
· Some of the charities we include each year come from our contacts within JR Motorsports. Others are recommended by PBC officers, directors, and members, some of whom are actively involved with the organizations they recommend. The PBC’s Board of Directors reviews each charity recommended and then votes to select the 21 charities to support that year. (Each charity gets two spots on the line-up and we reserve the dreaded 43rd to support the PBC’s Christmas projects.) We coordinate the proposed line-up with our contacts within Dale’s “people” to ensure we continue to meet their standards as well. When you review the line-up, you’ll notice that we focus more on smaller charities without broad-based, national support; many are racing-related or focused on helping children. Others delight the animal enthusiasts among us. We hope you find them as worthy as we do.
How would I nominate a charity to be added to the line up?
· In December, Sonya sends an e-mail to the PBC at large asking for nominations for the following year. We do not limit either individuals’ choices of charities or their locations. You can expect several each year to be located in North Carolina, but we’ve also supported organizations in Virginia, Florida, New Jersey, and Missouri, just to name a few. With only 21 charities on the line-up each year, organizations that are within our core areas of interest (e.g., racing-related or supporting children) and focus have a better chance. However, we do consider seriously each charity nominated.
How do I donate?
· Select the Make a Donation button on the home page or send a check to the PBC address on the home page and e-mail us at dalejrpbcharity@aol.com as to the amount so we know to expect it. Some members send a separate contribution every week, or intermittently when they can. Other members maintain a running account with the PBC. For example, one member sends a contribution after each monthly payday, but specifies how the contribution be divided to support that month’s races. We cheerfully work with whatever is the best way for our members and donors to give. As long as we know how you want each donation handled, we’ll work with you to meet your requirements.
Is there a minimum amount of money I need to donate?
· Never. Non. Nein. Nyet. Hayir. Not at all. We’re pleased to accept any size (or frequency) of donation. We’ve had some members donate $1 and we truly appreciate them. We know our members have different challenges in their lives and that circumstances and budgets can change. We will work with whatever is best for each individual donor. We do have a special donor recognition program for regular donors, but realize that some folks will either not choose or not be able to participate in it.
Can I contribute without formally joining?
· Of course, although we can keep you up to date better on our activities if you join. Just send a donation as we’ve discussed above. And please let us know if you’d like to be added to our mailing list.
To be a member, do I have to donate for each race?
· Only if you wish to participate in our special recognition program. Some members have a standard or baseline amount each week; others vary according to their personal circumstances. Whether you donate every week or simply on occasion, you’re welcome in the PBC.
Is my donation tax deductible?
· Your regular donations made based on our driver’s finishes are tax deductible. Donations to some special projects during the year (e.g., 2007’s Talladega fundraiser) are also tax deductible. Some donations, such as items purchased for our Christmas “Elves” projects, and purchases of PBC cookbooks or wristbands are not. We e-mail each donor an annual letter identifying your tax-deductible donations for the year, with all the information the IRS requires. Please contact us if you have any question on a specific project.
· We should note that not all of the PBC’s donations are tax-deductible. For example, because our Christmas “Elves” projects support individual children and families, rather than formal charities, our donations here are not tax-deductible. However, this does not impact the tax-deductibility of your donations. Again, please contact us if you have questions.
If my employer has matching funds for charitable contributions, can I use that for the PBC?
· Yes! YES!! YES!!! Please do, and thanks for asking. Because we are formally incorporated as a non-profit organization under section 501(c)(3) of the IRS code, we should be eligible. You’ll need to check with your Human Resources department to ensure we meet your company’s specific criteria. If they have any specific questions, just contact our Board of Directors at pbcboard@pitboardcharity.com and we’ll provide the information needed. Again, our federal tax ID number is 72-1526227.
How much of my donation actually goes toward the charity chosen for that race?
· A full 90% of each race-related donation goes to the “winning” charity. Only 10% is used for PBC expenses, including but not limited to the costs of having the website hosted, purchasing prizes for special events, postage, the overhead cost of using PayPal, and accounting and legal support. The PBC officers and Board of Directors are all volunteers, serve without recompense, and pay their own expenses (e.g., travel for our Christmas “Elves” projects) strictly out of their own pockets. We are investigating potential grants to help support the PBC (and if you have expertise in this area, we’d dearly love to hear from you).
How soon after each race do the donations go to the winning charities?
· We try to get the donations out in about 2 weeks, to allow enough time for all the contributions to reach the PBC. This timeframe might be longer if we’re waiting on checks that we’ve been informed are coming.
How does the money reach the winning charities?
· The PBC notifies each winning charity that a contribution is coming and tells them a little about us if we haven’t worked with them before. (Some recipients are truly stunned that a group of race fans would support them this way.) Individual members are sometimes invited to make that call, particularly if the winning charity is one they recommended. Although we normally mail a check, some checks are hand-carried where we have a personal contact, e.g., one of our board members who lives in Baton Rouge delivered the checks for Katrina relief in 2006. (You can read more about her experience on our Archive page.)
What are “special fundraisers”?
· The special fundraisers help us stay flexible to meet other needs as they arise. Generally, we use these for special events or to support charities that are not on our line-up. The $4,000 ($12,000 with the matching funds from JR Motorsports and the Tony Stewart Foundation) we raised in 2006 for the Habitat for Humanity offices in Louisiana and Mississippi fit in this category. Some special fundraisers are associated with non-points races, e.g., the Shootout, Duels, or All-Star Race. Others are for special projects, e.g., our annual Christmas “Elves” projects. We also sell “spots” for selected races and the individuals who match Dale Jr’s qualifying and/or finishing spots (as defined) receive a prize, e.g., an autographed die-cast of the red-white-&-blue paint scheme Dale Jr. drove at Daytona in 2007. Again, at least 90% of each donation goes to support the specified project.
Can I participate in a “special fundraiser” even if I’m not a PBC member and how do I learn about them?
· Yes, our special fundraisers are open to all. We may notify our members early of an upcoming project (e.g., the “spot” sale for that red-white-&-blue die-cast), to give them first chance at participation, but then we spread the word far and wide. We’ll post on the PitBoard, of course. Jay Adamczyk (of Jayski fame) is a strong supporter and often posts our events on his Charities page. Our contacts at JR Motorsports are kind enough to provide additional publicity, as they feel appropriate. Of course, the easiest way is to become a member.
Can I send in suggestions and/or ideas for fundraising or events?
· Of course. We love to hear from our members. As an example, because members have told us of a need, we’ve sent funds and goodies to support and cheer some very sick youngsters over the last several years. Please provide sufficient details, contact information, and time to enable the Board to evaluate your proposal. Be prepared to help plan, organize, publicize, or otherwise support the project, if the Board votes to accept it and it is approved.