Highway Ford and Highway Hyundai Maitland dealer principal Greg Armstrong has challenged other businesses to give back to the community leading up to the holiday season.

The business started donating $100 from every car sold to one of 20 organisations in 2007 and has since given away more than $360,000.

Customers who bought a car chose one of the charities, schools or other organisations for the Rutherford business to channel the money to.

Mr Armstrong said it was a great way to develop community spirit.

“It is something all businesses could probably consider doing,” he said.

“We’re all part of the same community, most businesses do give back in different ways but for us this sort of formulises it all.”

Mr Armstrong said the money donated was valuable to the organisations it helped.

“It is not a huge amount of money when you think about it but there are certainly some benefits,” he said.

“No matter who it is anyone who comes here and buys a car is giving $100 straight back into their community, and the customer gets to choose where it goes.”

Mr Armstrong said he was proud of his businesses’ contributions made over the past seven years.

“It was just something we thought of as a team, a way for something to go back into the local community,” he said.

“Things like donations and sponsorships can be quite haphazard but this made it all a bit clearer for us.”

OPINION: Spirit of giving can multiply into a whole l­ot of good