In early December, Noel Preecs helped fund nonprofit journalism in an unconventional way.
When I met up with him outside his Austin home, he had a silver 2013 Ford Explorer that had seen better days and its title in hand.
“It’s a mess,” he explained. “It’s got dings and scratches and lots of mileage. I think the brakes probably need to get replaced and the roof leaks.”
Instead of repairing and then reselling the vehicle, Preecs decided to donate it to his local NPR station, KUT News.
“My mother-in-law was driving it for a while,” he said. “She doesn’t need it anymore and it’s just been sitting here totally idle.”
Preecs is an ideal public radio fan, one who likes the service enough that he is willing to donate a valuable piece of his property to help pay for it.
For some nonprofits, taking people’s old and rundown cars can create a lucrative revenue stream.
Each year, the KUT Vehicle Donation Program receives between 400 and 500 used cars, generating around half a million dollars in revenue.
“If I donate it, then that work can go to somebody else,” said Preecs. “And all of the profits can go to services that I have relied on for a really long time.”
To prepare Preecs’ Ford Explorer for a long journey, he and I plastered the back bumper in NPR stickers and then placed a public radio care package in the passenger seat.