Why We Give: Schaller Auto World

Schaller Auto World has been a family operated New Britain business institution and community partner for more than 50 years. Founded in 1953 by Gustave “Gus” Schaller as a small, family-owned dealership designed to serve the automotive needs of a growing community, Schaller Oldsmobile and its eight employees sold 200 new and used vehicles in its first year. More than half a century later, the company has grown well past its Oldsmobile roots to encompass six dealerships, including Honda, Subaru, Acura, Mitsubishi, Chevrolet and Cadillac. The Schaller group has nearly 200 employees and sells some 3,000 vehicles each year, all while maintaining its family-oriented roots that are so important to the New Britain community.

Art Schaller, Sr., now semi-retired, and Art Schaller, Jr., current president and grandson of Gus Schaller, established the Schaller Auto World Fund, a donor advised fund at the Community Foundation, in 2002. The fund has supported a variety of children’s-oriented causes including the New Britain Parks and Recreation Department’s “Fit Trails” system, Klingberg Family Centers, Wheeler Clinic, the Connecticut Freemasons Foundation’s Connecticut Child Identification Program, the Consolidated School District of New Britain, New Britain General Hospital’s “Books for Babies” program and Hospital for Special Care’s Ivan Lendl Junior Wheelchair Sports Camp, among others.

Schaller Auto World is an outstanding example of a family-owned small business finding a way to make its community a better place by partnering with the Community Foundation of Greater New Britain. Art Schaller, Jr., talks about giving back to the community.....

Q. The Schaller name has been a part of the New Britain business landscape for half a century. Talk about the importance of the Greater New Britain community to you and your family, and why you established the Schaller Auto World Fund.

A. New Britain has been part of our family since my grandfather, who was from Manchester, heard about the availability of an Oldsmobile dealership in New Britain, sold his Manchester farm and opened Schaller Oldsmobile in 1953. We’ve been here ever since. New Britain has been good to us and over the years it became clear to our family that giving back to the community was something we wanted to do. Our philosophy has been that the people of the community are our customers, so one way of saying thanks is by using some of our good fortune to help others.

I learned about the Community Foundation as a member of the Rotary Club here in New Britain. While I was on the board, the Rotary established a fund at the Foundation, and I got to thinking then that doing something like that would be a good way to ensure a Schaller legacy here in New Britain for years to come; it would be a way for us to give back in the future no matter what happened to our business down the road.

My father and I seriously started looking into it in 2002. Our 50th anniversary was coming up in 2003, business was very good, so it was a good time to take this step. It seemed like the ideal way to commemorate this special milestone in our history.

Q. Why did you go to the Community Foundation? You could have established your own charitable foundation.

A. Starting your own foundation is a lot of work and can be expensive. And frankly, that’s not our business. When you have a resource like the Community Foundation just down the street, why not take advantage of it? The people at the Foundation know the community, they know the charity landscape, and they know how to equitably distribute funding to help the greatest number of people. And they are able to do it on your behalf. Most importantly, they know how to invest funds to ensure the best return on the dollar, and that offers true peace of mind.

Selling cars is a tough business and we’ve been fortunate to have survived in a very competitive climate for more than 50 years. One of the reasons we like working with the Foundation is that we know, no matter what happens, the Foundation is here to stay and our fund is here to stay. The auto business could go away someday – who knows? – but the Schaller Auto World Fund will be giving back to the Greater New Britain community forever.

Q. What kinds of objectives do you have for the fund?

A. Our family has always had an affinity for children’s causes and the fund is designated for those kinds of purposes. I know, for example, that our family supported the Klingberg Family Centers for years before we established this fund, and that’s one of the causes we continue to support.

We enjoy the fund because we are able to take part in the decision-making process of where our donations go each year. But to be completely truthful, our expertise is selling cars. The Foundation is a resource to us and we consult with them when making our charitable decisions. And the way the fund is structured, we will participate in decision-making for two generations, and then the Foundation’s board will assume the decision-making responsibility.

Q. What would you say to other businesses that might be looking for a way to ensure their legacies live on in perpetuity?

A. I’d say to them that there’s no better way to give back to your community than taking advantage of the resources of a community foundation. Some people might say, ‘why not just donate money directly?’ Like I said, the main reason is because you never know what the future holds. If you have a bad year, are you going to be writing checks to charities? Maybe not. But with this kind of a fund established, you’ll always be able to contribute, no matter what kind of year you are having. Your company’s legacy is ensured.

Originally published 7-06. 

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