How You Can Help
Volunteer Opportunities
Volunteers are the reason for OATS existence. It was such a group of volunteers that founded the organization in 1971 in order to fulfill a need for transportation in Missouri’s 
rural areas. As a not for profit, OATS has continued to rely on volunteers for fund raising, scheduling of rides and publicity. In most of the counties OATS serves, there is a County Support Committee comprised of 8-24 people – mostly riders who have chosen to give of their time and resources. Each year, a dollar value is assessed for the hours these volunteers give—known as “in-kind”. This past fiscal year, OATS volunteers reported over 64,678 hours devoted to OATS – an in-kind value of $887,330. If you would like to become a volunteer, or to find out more information, contact your Regional Office.
See a complete list of the 2009 Volunteers of the Year.
Donations
Your donations to OATS make a big difference to those OATS serves. Making a donation is is simple and tax deductible.
OATS may be able to help you save money on your Missouri state taxes!
OATS has been allocated $15,000 in tax credits by the Missouri Department of Economic Development’s Neighborhood Assistance Program (NAP). Businesses and individuals who operate a sole proprietorship, or have farm, rental or royalty income and who make a donation to OATS are eligible to receive tax credit in the amount of 50% of their gift. So, if you donate $100 to OATS, you receive $50 back in the form of a tax credit – it’s a win-win for both of us!
Your donation will be used to help OATS continue to provide transportation to seniors, people with disabilities and others who rely on OATS to meet their medical and essential shopping transportation needs. NAP donations are kept in a separate bank account and used solely for bus match; that means we can allocate your donation to a specific OATS region or county.
If you are interested in helping us continue to provide much-needed transportation in Missouri and would like to obtain state tax credits for your business, rental or farm income, please contact Dorothy for more information.
Donate Through eBay
Anyone who sells merchandise on eBay can now elect to donate a percentage of their profits to OATS, Inc.
Through eBay’s “Giving Works” program, certified nonprofit organizations can be listed on the site, and sellers can elect to donate anywhere from 10-100% of the selling price to any of the organizations listed. OATS has recently become certified and can now receive donations through the program.
The Giving Works program has been in progress for five years, and in that time, has facilitated over $150M in donations to charities and nonprofit groups. Sellers can sell specifically for a designated cause, or simply elect to have some of their proceeds go to a cause of their choosing. And anyone with a PayPal account can make a donation to any of these organizations through eBay.
To designate some of your eBay profits to OATS, Inc. click on the “Giving Works” link on the Home Page of the eBay website, or go directly to the OATS page.