The Foundational Mission
Over the past decade, the Clear the Air Foundation has been tirelessly committed to removing old, high-emitting vehicles from the roads, converting the residual money into scholarships for auto tech students.
Since its 2011 inception, the Foundation has provided us with significantly more returns than the sum of its donations. We’ve used this accomplishment to establish the Colorado Auto Dealers Association (CADA) as a pillar in the community and to improve our standing with the Polis Administration.
Undeniable Impact: Donating Dealers' Hard Metrics
The Foundation's work boasts hard metrics, featuring 12 years in operation, 6,637 recycled vehicles, and $442,552 in scholarships awarded. Through recycling vehicles (averaging an age of 19.3 years), the Foundation has prevented the release of over 130 million tons of CO2 equivalent from polluting Colorado’s atmosphere.
And unlike proposed air quality regulations, that is not a 10-year projection. It’s done. Today. And the accomplishment belongs to the donating dealers.
Supporting Automotive Education
The Clear the Air Foundation is also one of the largest financial supporters of automotive technological education. With its financial support and tool-based scholarships, the Foundation has changed the lives of over 127 students, with 100 of them currently working as full-time auto technicians in franchised dealerships. This is a testament to the Foundation’s comprehensive selection process.
Testimonial from a Clear the Air Foundation Beneficiary:
“Having the opportunity to work with and receive a tool award from the Clear the Air Foundation and to work with the Director, Mark, has been an honor. The Clear the Air Foundation is taking the initiative of removing unusable vehicles from harming the environment by recycling vehicle components and properly disposing of them and turning the funds over to students like myself to benefit from tools for automotive work or tuition so that we may thrive in our careers and reach higher goals. In my experience, with a goal of achieving a Master Diagnostic Technician role in my automotive field, I will be able to use the tools from the award to improve my efficiency and have the ability to properly secure the "verified repair" on work orders. I don't have to rely on borrowing as many tools from my co-workers, and I've saved a lot of my income as well as saved the wait for the income to gather more tools, which, before the award, had been very stressful and daunting. This was most certainly the most impactful leap forth for me in my early career, as I can now rely on the quality tools that had been awarded to me to get me closer to achieving my goals. The Clear the Air Foundation and its mission have my utmost sincere gratitude.”
- Liam Keller, AutoNation Toyota Arapahoe, Arapahoe Community College
Enduring Partnerships with Technical Colleges
Beyond scholarships, an enduring partnership has been established with technical colleges. Mark Zeigler, our Executive Director, has been named as the Denver Field Manager to the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) Education Foundation, serving on advisory committees for multiple community colleges and volunteering for the Rocky Mountain Automotive Teacher Society (RMATS).
State Collaboration and Regulation Participation
After a decade of accomplishment, Clear the Air has opened the door for collaboration with the state. On August 31, 2023, the Colorado Energy Office released the heavily publicized Vehicle Exchange Program (VXC) to provide a tax rebate for those trading in older or higher-emitting vehicles in exchange for a battery electric vehicle.
Clear the Air is the program partner that will recycle those traded vehicles and will use the additional revenue to further their scholarship commitments. Additionally, the Energy Office has invited CADA’s participation and partnership in the adoption of the Clean Cars II regulation and invited us into a smaller stakeholder group on the future of greenhouse gas regulation.
It goes without saying that these doors were not opened to us over the previous four years. Our partnership with the state is a welcomed evolution and provides us a substantial opportunity to place our mitigating thumbprints on the future of environmental policy.
We will take full advantage of this opportunity and are communicating this blueprint to our neighboring states, who trail Colorado by two to three years in the policymaking process.
Dealers' Sacrifice and the Intangible Benefits
Ultimately, everyone at CADA knows that dealers are making a sacrifice when they donate old vehicles.
You can get more money at auction. Cars that did not have value in 2018 have value in 2023. The best we can offer is a $500 tax deduction, and that comes with an asterisk for your qualification.
Still, we remain hopeful that dealers can see the long game and find value in all of the intangible benefits that each donation creates for the industry. We know dealers who have set up recurring donations as a part of their charitable giving plans see it.
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