Your Free Guide to Subaru Share the Love Event

What Is the Subaru Share the Love Event?

The Subaru Share the Love Event is an annual promotional program that Subaru of America runs, typically during the fall and winter months. During this event, Subaru offers financial incentives on new vehicle purchases and allows customers to direct a portion of those incentives to charitable organizations of their choice. The program has been running since 2008 and has donated millions of dollars to nonprofits across the United States.

Free Guide to Prestonsburg Kentucky Unemployment Office Locations →

The basic structure works like this: when you purchase or lease a new Subaru vehicle during the event period, the manufacturer provides a monetary donation to a charity you select from their approved list. This donation comes from Subaru, not from your own purchase price. The amount typically ranges from $250 to $750 per vehicle, depending on the specific terms of that year's event and which vehicle model you choose.

The event serves multiple purposes. For Subaru, it drives sales during a traditionally busy shopping season. For customers, it provides an opportunity to support causes they care about while potentially receiving other promotional offers on their vehicle purchase. For nonprofits, it represents a source of funding that many organizations depend on year after year.

Each year, Subaru selects a rotating list of national charitable organizations that participate in the program. These organizations span various causes including environmental conservation, education, animal welfare, and community health. In recent years, the participating charities have included organizations like the ASPCA, National Parks Foundation, and the American Red Cross, though the specific list changes annually.

Practical takeaway: If you're considering purchasing a new Subaru, learning about the Share the Love Event timeline and participating charities can help you plan your purchase to align with when the program runs and which causes matter to you.

When Does the Subaru Share the Love Event Occur Each Year?

The Subaru Share the Love Event typically runs during the fourth quarter of the calendar year, generally starting in November and continuing through December. However, the exact dates vary from year to year. In some years, Subaru has extended the program into early January to capture additional sales during the post-holiday period. The 2023 event, for example, ran from November 2023 through January 2024.

How to Seal Grout: A Step-by-Step Guide →

Timing matters because the event usually coincides with year-end sales pushes across the automotive industry. Dealerships are working to meet annual sales quotas, which sometimes means additional promotions stack on top of the Share the Love incentives. This can create a window where customers have access to multiple offers simultaneously.

To find out when the current year's event runs, you would typically check Subaru's official website or contact a local Subaru dealership directly. Dealerships receive notification well in advance and can provide specific information about start and end dates. Some dealerships may also send information to previous customers about upcoming events.

The event duration usually lasts approximately 8 to 10 weeks, though this can extend depending on Subaru's sales performance and business goals. Historically, stronger-than-expected sales have sometimes led to program extensions, while slower periods have occasionally resulted in earlier endings.

Planning around the event timing has practical implications. If you know the program will run from November through December, you can schedule test drives and vehicle research accordingly. You can also review which charities will participate well in advance, giving you time to choose which organization you'd like to support before you visit a dealership.

Practical takeaway: Mark the typical November-December timeframe on your calendar and plan to check Subaru's website in mid-October for the official announcement of that year's specific event dates and participating charities.

Understanding the Donation Mechanics and Participating Charities

The donation process is straightforward from a customer perspective. When you purchase or lease a new Subaru vehicle during the event, you receive a form or digital option to select which charity should receive the donation associated with your transaction. You don't contribute money yourself—Subaru provides the funds. Your role is simply to designate where those funds go among the approved list of organizations.

Free Guide to Water Heater Thermostat Testing →

The donation amounts have historically ranged from $250 to $750 per vehicle, with the specific amount sometimes varying by vehicle model or trim level. Sedans might have a different donation amount than SUVs, for example. When you're shopping, the sales staff should be able to tell you the exact donation amount associated with the specific vehicle you're interested in purchasing.

Subaru typically selects between 20 and 25 national nonprofits to participate in the program each year. These organizations represent diverse causes. Historical participants have included:

• The ASPCA (animal welfare)
• National Parks Foundation (environmental conservation)
• American Red Cross (disaster relief and community health)
• Meals on Wheels America (senior nutrition)
• Children's Hospital Association (pediatric health)
• Big Brothers Big Sisters (youth mentorship)
• The Nature Conservancy (environmental protection)

The list changes annually, though some organizations participate year after year. Subaru rotates charities to spread funding across different causes over time. If your preferred charity didn't participate last year, it might be included in the current year's roster.

Documentation of donations occurs at the dealership level. When you complete your purchase paperwork, your charity selection becomes part of your transaction record. Subaru then processes the donations in batches after the event concludes. Most nonprofits receive their contributions within several months following the end of the event period.

Practical takeaway: Research the current year's participating charities as soon as Subaru announces the event. This gives you time to decide which organization aligns with your values before you visit the dealership, making the donation selection process quick when you're finalizing your purchase.

How the Event Relates to Other Subaru Promotions and Incentives

The Share the Love Event operates alongside other promotional offers that Subaru runs throughout the year. It's important to understand that the charitable donation is separate from other incentives like rebates, low-interest financing rates, or lease specials. These programs can often be combined, meaning you might receive the Share the Love donation opportunity plus a manufacturer rebate on the same purchase.

Get Your Free Cadillac CT5 Configuration Guide →

The specific incentives available during Share the Love vary depending on inventory levels, sales goals, and market conditions. In some years, Subaru has offered 0% financing rates for specific loan terms. In others, they've provided cash rebates ranging from $500 to $2,000 or more depending on the model and region. These rebates are separate from the charitable donation amount.

Regional variations are common in automotive incentives. Dealers in different parts of the country may have access to different promotional offers. A dealer in California might offer different incentives than one in Ohio, for example. This is why talking to your local Subaru dealership directly provides the most accurate information about what's available in your specific area during the event period.

Lease specials sometimes accompany the Share the Love Event as well. Subaru may advertise lower monthly lease payments or reduced down payments on specific models during this time. Like purchase incentives, lease specials exist independently from the Share the Love donation component.

Some dealerships also run local promotions that stack with manufacturer incentives. For example, a dealership might offer an additional $250 discount or free maintenance for the first year. These local offers vary by dealership and aren't part of the official Subaru program, but they can be negotiated separately.

To understand the full picture of what you might receive, you would ask the dealership to explain all available offers for the specific vehicle you're interested in. Request a breakdown that shows the Share the Love donation separately from any rebates, financing offers, or lease incentives so you understand each component clearly.

Practical takeaway: Don't assume the Share the Love donation is your only available incentive. Ask your Subaru dealership to provide a complete list of all current promotions, and request a written quote that itemizes each offer separately so you can see the total value of all programs combined.

Information About Past Event Results and Charitable Impact

Since its launch in 2008, the Subaru Share the Love Event has generated substantial donations to nonprofits. In recent years, individual events have directed between $10 million and $20 million to charitable organizations, depending on the number of vehicles sold during the promotion period. This

Learn About Permit Renewal Before Expiration →