The NOADA Foundation
The NOADA Foundation is the charitable side of the Northeast Ohio Automobile Dealers Association, our way of investing in the people and communities behind the local car business. Since 1927, NOADA has represented franchised dealers across the region; the Foundation extends that mission beyond the showroom, supporting students pursuing automotive careers, helping build the automotive workforce, and giving back to the communities our members call home. If you are a student exploring an automotive career, an educator, or a dealer or partner who wants to give back, reach out to us at tim@neodealers.com or (330) 272-9011.
Why the Foundation exists
The automotive industry is one of Northeast Ohio’s biggest employers - and one of its biggest opportunities. Dealerships need skilled service technicians, parts and service professionals, F&I and sales staff, and managers, and those careers pay well and stay in the community. But the talent pipeline is tight: too few young people know that a service bay or a dealership floor can be the start of a real, rewarding career.
The NOADA Foundation tackles that gap head-on. By funding scholarships and training pathways, we help local students earn the credentials that lead straight into good jobs at member dealerships - and we help our members solve their single hardest problem: finding and keeping skilled people. It’s a virtuous circle: stronger workforce, stronger dealerships, stronger communities.
The case for an automotive career
It’s easy to overlook, but a career in the automotive trades is one of the strongest bets a young person in Northeast Ohio can make. Skilled service technicians are in persistent demand - the work can’t be sent overseas or handed to a screen, every vehicle on the road eventually needs a person who knows how to fix it, and the pay reflects that scarcity. The same is true across the dealership: parts, service advising, finance, sales, and management are real careers with real ladders, and many dealership leaders started by sweeping a shop floor.
The barrier is rarely talent, it’s awareness and cost. Plenty of capable students never consider the trades because no one told them it was an option, or because the price of tools and tuition felt out of reach. That’s exactly the gap the NOADA Foundation is built to close: tell students the opportunity is real, then help them afford the training that unlocks it. Help with the cost of training can be the difference between a young person drifting and a young person launching a career that keeps them, and their paycheck, in the community.
What the Foundation supports
Support for automotive careers
A central focus is helping students pursuing automotive technology and dealership careers afford the training that leads to good local jobs. Skilled service technicians and dealership professionals are in steady demand across Northeast Ohio, and the cost of tuition and tools can stand in the way of capable students. The Foundation works to close that gap. To learn how to support a student or apply for help, contact NOADA at tim@neodealers.com or (330) 272-9011.
Workforce & technician pipeline
Beyond direct support for students, the Foundation backs the broader pipeline, connecting students, schools, and dealerships so that classroom training leads to apprenticeships and jobs. This complements the national NADA Foundation workforce initiative, which promotes the value of service-technician careers. Locally, it ties into NOADA’s training and education programs.
Community giving
The Foundation also channels the generosity of the dealer community into local causes, the charitable side of an industry that is deeply rooted in Northeast Ohio.
For students & families
Thinking about a career working on cars, or in the business that sells and services them? Here is the short version: it is a smart move. Demand for skilled technicians is high, the work is hands-on, and many roles never get outsourced or offshored. The NOADA Foundation wants to help local students get the training that opens those doors.
Who the Foundation aims to help: students enrolled, or enrolling, in an automotive technology or related program who plan to build a career with a Northeast Ohio dealership.
How to learn more: Students and counselors can email tim@neodealers.com or call (330) 272-9011 to ask how the Foundation can help and what opportunities are open.
For donors, dealers & partners
Every dollar given to the NOADA Foundation goes to work close to home - on students and communities in Northeast Ohio. There are several ways to support the mission:
- Donate directly to the Foundation’s scholarship and workforce fund.
- Sponsor or play in the annual golf outing, which supports the association’s community and workforce mission.
- Attend the dealer event & auto show, where proceeds and sponsorships strengthen the cause.
- Offer apprenticeships or jobs to scholarship recipients at your dealership.
- Become an endorsed partner and align your brand with local workforce investment - see partners.
Dealers and partners who give see a direct return: a stronger local talent pool feeding their own service drives and showrooms. To discuss a gift, a multi-year commitment, or another way to help, contact NOADA at tim@neodealers.com or (330) 272-9011.
How the Foundation connects to NOADA’s mission
The Foundation isn’t a side project - it’s the long-term expression of what the association has always been about. NOADA advocates for dealers in Columbus and Washington, runs the Akron BMV for the public, and publishes the AUTO KNOW market report. The Foundation adds the human-capital piece: making sure there are skilled, motivated people to fill the jobs those dealerships create. Together they make the case in our economic-impact story - that local dealers are major employers and community anchors, not just places to buy a car.
Frequently asked questions
What is the NOADA Foundation? It is the charitable side of the Northeast Ohio Automobile Dealers Association, focused on supporting students in automotive careers, workforce development, and community giving in the Akron and Northeast Ohio region.
Who can the Foundation help? The Foundation focuses on students pursuing automotive technology or dealership careers tied to Northeast Ohio dealers. To learn what is available, email tim@neodealers.com or call (330) 272-9011.
How do I learn about support for students? Email tim@neodealers.com or call (330) 272-9011 to ask how the Foundation can help and what opportunities are open.
How can I give? Contact tim@neodealers.com or call (330) 272-9011 to discuss a gift or another way to support the Foundation.
How can my dealership get involved? Give, sponsor or play in the golf outing, hire students starting their careers, or support a program. Contact tim@neodealers.com to start.
Where does the support go? To students on the path to dealership careers, workforce programs, and community giving across Northeast Ohio.
How is this different from the national NADA Foundation? The NADA Foundation works nationally on technician workforce and disaster relief; the NOADA Foundation focuses that mission on the Northeast Ohio market and local students and dealerships.
Related
- NOADA golf outing - supports the cause
- Dealer event & auto show
- Dealer Services - education
- Economic impact of Northeast Ohio dealers
- Membership · Endorsed partners
- News
Support the next generation
Help put a Northeast Ohio student on the road to a great automotive career. Email tim@neodealers.com or call (330) 272-9011 to give, sponsor, or learn how the Foundation can help.