About National Automobile Dealers Association
To serve and represent franchised new-car and -truck dealers, their management and employees.
Focus Areas
Workforce development / career pathwaysEmergency relief for dealership employeesVeteran supportGrants to nonprofit partners (e.g., Canine Companions)Industry education and training
Funding Style
unrestricted/general operating supportcore operating supportflexible fundingnonprogram-specific funding
Topics
organizational sustainabilityadministrative expense coverage
About National Automobile Dealers Association
A defining thread in National Automobile Dealers Association grantmaking is support for industry-linked organizations and dealership communities, from the Automotive Hall of Fame to emergency aid for dealership employees. The foundation also backs nonprofit partners outside the automotive sector, including Junior Achievement of Southern Nevada, Three Square, and the US Capitol Historical Society. Across the grant list, the foundation shows a consistent pattern of general support rather than tightly restricted project funding. Recipients include organizations tied to education, hunger relief, policy, travel safety, and public history, alongside groups connected more directly to transportation and the dealer industry. That mix fits its stated purpose of serving franchised new-car and -truck dealers, their management, and their employees. The active program data adds a more specific lens: the Frank E. McCarthy Memorial Program supports Canine Companions, and the Emergency Relief Fund assists dealership employees affected by disasters. Together, those programs show a foundation that funds both mission-adjacent nonprofit partners and direct support for people connected to dealerships.
What National Automobile Dealers Association Funds
In workforce and career development, the foundation gave $50,000 to Junior Achievement of Southern Nevada Inc. in 2025 for general support, and it also awarded $25,000 to Three Square in 2023, showing that it funds community-serving organizations beyond the auto sector. Industry history and public education appear in repeated support for the Automotive Hall of Fame, including $18,615 in 2024 and $18,615 in 2023, both for general support. The foundation also funded the US Capitol Historical Society at $20,420 in 2025 and $14,470 in 2023, again as general support. Employee and safety-related giving shows up through $15,000 grants to Toys for Tots in both 2024 and 2025, plus $7,500 annual grants to the Association for Safe International Road Travel in 2023, 2024, and 2025. That pattern points to a mix of community support and operationally useful nonprofit partnerships.
How National Automobile Dealers Association Gives
Typical grant sizes cluster around a median of $14,470, with the 25th percentile at $7,500 and the 75th percentile at $18,615. Several recipients appear in more than one year, including the Automotive Hall of Fame, US Capitol Historical Society, Toys for Tots, Association for Safe International Road Travel, and Competitive Enterprise Institute, which suggests repeat relationships rather than one-off awards. The foundation operates through grants to nonprofit organizations rather than program-related investments, and the provided philosophy tags indicate unrestricted, general operating, core operating, and flexible support. The active Emergency Relief Fund is open to unsolicited requests, while the Frank E. McCarthy Memorial Program is not.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$117K
Total Assets
$456.2M
Total Revenue
$83.8M
Total Expenses
$82M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $8K and $19K, with a median of $14K.
25th Percentile
$8K
Median
$14K
75th Percentile
$19K
Geographic Reach
National6 states funded
About 16% of grants go to recipients in DC.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
Joseph L Cowden
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