Ad company turns to crowdfunding to give veterans jobs
June 23, 2016
CHARLESTON, SC – Auto-Ad, a veteran-owned outdoor advertising company is turning to crowdfunding to raise $350,000 to train and hire 10 unemployed and homeless veterans to work for the company.
The crowdfunding campaign will kick off on the Fourth of July on Indiegogo, and, if successful, will allow Auto-Ad to hire and train seven salespeople, two social workers and an IT specialist, relocate them to Auto-Ad headquarters in Charleston and cover other related expenses. The company is offering a variety of rewards to its backers in exchange for their support.
The owner of the company, Ryan Hammer, a medically retired Air Force officer, said he sees Auto-Ad’s Indiegogo campaign as an extension of the company’s mission to help veterans.
The company already helps veterans by providing them with new vehicles. The company is able to do this by selling advertising space on its fleet of vinyl wrapped SUVs across the U.S. The company then gives the brand new, fully loaded, wrapped vehicles to a veteran in the customers’ target markets free of charge. Gas, insurance and maintenance are covered as well, resulting in $1000 a month savings for the veterans.
But Hammer said he wants to do even more for former service members.
“Our veterans face many challenges upon returning home – from reconnecting with their communities and finding civilian employment, to securing reliable transportation and battling PTSD,” he said.
“That’s why I have made it my goal to launch businesses that benefit fellow veterans, and to hire veterans to staff these businesses. So when Auto-Ad grew and faced the need to expand its team, it was only natural for us to reach out to fellow veterans and offer them quality business training and brand new careers with Auto-Ad.”
Hammer said he believes this campaign supported by the public, will change veterans’ lives. They will gain new skills and confidence, reconnect with their communities as they sell Auto-Ad’s advertising service, and take pride in helping their fellow veterans improve their lives with a brand new SUV.
Hammer is asking the public to back its campaign by contributing financially, sharing the campaign’s Indiegogo page and following Auto-Ad on social media.
For more information on Auto-Ad, visit www.Auto-Ad.net. Learn more about the crowdfunding campaign at http://auto-ad.net/crowdfunding.html.
About Auto-Ad
Auto-Ad is a hyperlocal outdoor advertising platform that promotes brands while also directly assisting U.S. veterans. The company was established in 2014 by medically retired Air Force officer, Ryan Hammer. The company puts clients’ advertising message in front of their target audience using a proprietary algorithm optimized to generate the most meaningful impressions for each dollar spent. U.S. Military Veterans receive Auto-Ad’s vinyl wrapped vehicles for use as their daily driver for an entire year, saving thousands of dollars in living expenses for the veteran and demonstrating Auto-Ad’s commitment to social consciousness and community outreach.
