March 5, 2015—After tallying the final numbers, the Collision Repair Education Foundation announced this week that it topped $13 million through a group of roughly 250 donors in 2014.

The numbers helped the foundation surpass $30 million in donations provided to high school and college collision school programs since the foundation started in 2008.

“The industry showed its true generosity again in 2014 as we are able to announce another record breaking year in support to the collision school programs,” Clark Plucinski, Collision Repair Education Foundation executive director, said in a release. “To provide over $13 million in donations through a group of roughly 250 total donors this past year was truly awe-inspiring and the gratitude that these instructors and students displayed touches you deeply. We have heard from the industry that they are in desperate need of properly trained entry-level graduates and we will continue to work towards that goal on behalf of the industry.”

The organization has seen a 4,300 percent increase in donations since an original $300,000 was raised in 2008. In an effort to be a lean charitable organization, the Education Foundation was able to return over 90 cents of every dollar donated toward supporting school programs, instructors, and students in 2014.  

“On behalf of the Board of Trustees, staff and the collision school programs that we support nationwide, I would like to thank our 2014 donors in joining efforts to support the future professionals of the industry,” Terry Fortner, Collision Repair Education Foundation chairman and LKQ Corp vice president of industry relations and market development, said in a release. “Only through the industry coming together to help these collision school programs can we have a significant impact on ensuring that the students receive the best technical education possible with the end goal being their employment within the industry. I would also invite companies that aren’t currently supporting the Collision Repair Education Foundation through monetary and/or in-kind product donations to reach out to us and join our efforts in 2015.”