California Judge Orders Kars4kids to Stop Non-Compliant Ads
A California state judge ruled last week that kars4kids ads amounted to false advertising and ordered the charity to stop non-compliant broadcasting in California within 30 days. The ruling also requires future California ads to disclose the charity’s religious affiliation and geographic location.
Bruce Puterbaugh, who sued in 2021 after donating a nonfunctional 2001 Volvo XC valued at $250, was awarded that amount in restitution. In court testimony, he said, "I feel taken advantage of by the ad and information that was not there," after saying he believed Kars4Kids worked in service of underprivileged kids from all over the US.
Bruce Puterbaugh Case
The judge’s order turns on what the ads left out. The ruling says, "Money cannot ‘un-donate’ a car or restore the donor’s belief that they were helping a local, needy child," and adds that, "When a charity generates millions annually through a ‘jingle’ that conceals its primary religious and geographic focus, it creates an unfair playing field for local California charities that are honest about their missions."
Puterbaugh later learned that Kars4Kids funds Oorah, a Jewish non-profit. Oorah runs summer camps in the tri-state area and organizes gap year trips to Israel for 17- and 18-year-olds. Kars4Kids funnels about $45 million annually to Oorah.
California Ad Rules
The California order bars future ads from including images of prepubescent children. It also requires the organization to identify its religious affiliation and geographic location in any future California advertising.
The ruling lands after nearly two decades of the Kars4Kids jingle on airwaves and after litigation and state government investigations tied to misleading fundraising practices. California is a major part of the organization’s donor base: of 120,000 cars donated nationwide, about 30,000 came from California.
30 Days In California
Kars4Kids now has 30 days to halt all non-compliant broadcasting in the state. For California donors, the practical change is immediate: the charity can still advertise, but only under the disclosure rules set by the court.
