I Car Education Foundation
The Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF) is a Hoffman Estates, IL–based nonprofit that supports collision repair educational programs, schools, instructors, and students through scholarships, tool/equipment donations, school awards, and grant programs. The site publishes scholarship application details, school award information, and transparency documents (990/annual reports).
Source: Website · Mar 2026
Ideal Applicant
A secondary or post-secondary institution or program that runs collision repair vocational training (high schools, technical colleges, career centers) seeking program support, equipment, scholarships, or school awards.
Good Fit
- • Operates a collision repair or related automotive trades program at a high school or technical college.
- • Seeks funding for tools, equipment, scholarships, or program awards tied to vocational training outcomes.
- • Can document student outcomes, enrollment, and program needs for hands-on training.
- • Is located in the United States (the foundation funds widely across U.S. states).
Geography
Observed grants span a national footprint with recipients in about 45 states and the foundation making most of its awards to out-of-state programs (roughly 96% of award dollars outside the foundation state).
Recipient Variety
The latest year shows roughly 320 distinct grantees across many independent high schools, community colleges, and technical institutes, and the top recipients account for only a small share of total dollars, indicating a broad institutional spread.
New Applicants
Direct evidence of openness exists: across three years the foundation added new grantees (52 new recipients in the latest year and a higher new-recipient rate in 2023), and the foundation publishes program/scholarship information on its website—together these suggest unfamiliar institutions can join the portfolio.
Source: Zeffy Agent · Mar 2026
