Detroit Auto Dealers Association

What Detroit Auto Dealers Association does

The Detroit Auto Dealers Association (DADA) is a nonprofit trade association founded in 1907 by five Detroit-area auto dealers, representing hundreds of automobile dealers and dealerships across a seven-county southeast Michigan region (Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Monroe, Washtenaw, St. Clair, and Livingston). Its core function is collective representation: DADA advocates for dealer interests in Michigan state politics through its political action committee (DADPAC), provides legislative and industry representation in Lansing, and offers professional development via educational seminars and compliance training (priced at $40–$70 per course). Membership engagement is event-driven, anchored by four signature annual events — Golf Outing (Country Club of Detroit), Annual Luncheon (Detroit Athletic Club), Holiday Party, and Kickoff Tailgate — each offering tiered sponsorship packages at $6,000 (Bronze), $8,000 (Silver), and $10,000 (Gold).

The organization operates a portfolio of three affiliated nonprofit entities that extend its member value proposition: the DADA Charitable Foundation Fund (a 1998 endowment at the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan) which distributes grants of $10,000–$50,000 to children's charities using proceeds from the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) Charity Preview; the DADA Education Foundation, which runs the Courageous Persuaders scholarship competition; and DADPAC, which supports state-level candidates aligned with dealer interests. DADA is a critical organizing partner of the NAIAS Charity Preview, one of the largest single-night charity fundraisers in the United States, channeling millions of dollars into metro Detroit children's services. The organization is headquartered in Troy, Michigan, with 11–50 employees, and operates under a self-governing membership structure led by President Katie Coleman, Vice President Ed Jolliffe, and Treasurer/Secretary Ryan Roscia. There is no parent company, no equity ownership, and no disclosed financial figures in the source material.

Name

Detroit Auto Dealers Association

Legal name

Detroit Auto Dealers Association

Website

https://dada.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1907

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Detroit Auto Dealers Association (DADA) is a nonprofit trade association founded in 1907 that represents hundreds of automobile dealers across the seven-county southeast Michigan region, providing legislative advocacy, educational seminars, signature annual events, and charitable giving through affiliated entities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Troy Mills

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: The association supports its membership through legislative and industry representation, suggesting membership fees as a primary revenue stream from hundreds of automobile dealers in metropolitan Detroit.
2. Event Sponsorships: DADA generates revenue through sponsorship opportunities at annual events including Golf Outing, Annual Luncheon, Dealer Services Showcase, Kickoff Tailgate, and Holiday Party. Sponsorship packages range from $6,000 (Bronze) to $10,000 (Gold).
3. Educational Programs: The association offers educational seminars and training programs for vehicle dealers, including Vehicle Dealer Training ($40-$70) and compliance courses, generating revenue from member training services.
4. Charity Preview Proceeds: The DADA Charitable Fund is supported by proceeds from the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) Charity Preview, which provides millions of dollars in support to metro Detroit children's charities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Detroit Auto Dealers Association is a nonprofit trade association that supports hundreds of automobile dealers in metropolitan Detroit through legislative and industry representation in Lansing, paid educational seminars and vehicle dealer training courses, community relations via its affiliated Charitable Foundation and Education Foundation, political advocacy through its Political Action Committee (DADPAC), and a calendar of annual member networking events including a Golf Outing, Annual Luncheon, Kickoff Tailgate, and Holiday Party.

Product overview

The Detroit Auto Dealers Association (DADA) is a trade association representing automobile dealers in metropolitan Detroit, founded in 1907. Rather than a unified software product, DADA offers a portfolio of member services including: the Charitable Foundation (grants to children's charities), Education Foundation (scholarships and programs like Courageous Persuaders), DADPAC political advocacy, Educational Seminars (dealer training programs), and event sponsorship opportunities (Golf Outing, Annual Luncheon, Holiday Party, Kickoff Tailgate). The association also hosts the North American International Auto Show.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DADA Charitable Fund: A charitable foundation providing grants to nonprofit organizations in southeast Michigan with focus on children and youth, funded by proceeds from the NAIAS Charity Preview.
• DADA Education Foundation
• DADPAC

Products and services

• DADA Charitable Foundation Permanent endowment fund supporting nonprofit organizations in the seven-county southeast Michigan region that assist children and youth, with grants typically ranging from $10,000 to $50,000 and funded by proceeds from the North American International Auto Show Charity Preview.
• DADA Education Foundation Educational programs and scholarship awards, including the Courageous Persuaders scholarship competition for high school students promoting safe driving.
• DADPAC (Detroit Auto Dealers Political Action Committee) Political action committee supporting candidates who support auto dealers in state elections, with contribution levels including Executive Donor ($5,000), Extraordinary Donor ($2,500), and Special Donor ($1,500).
• Educational Seminars Training programs for auto dealers including Vehicle Dealer Training and How to Comply with Sales & Use Tax Laws courses, priced between $40 and $70.
• Event Sponsorship Packages Sponsorship opportunities for association events including Golf Outing, Annual Luncheon, Kickoff Tailgate, and Holiday Party, offered at Gold ($10,000), Silver ($8,000), and Bronze ($6,000) tiers with corresponding recognition and guest benefits.
• Annual Luncheon Annual gathering held at the Detroit Athletic Club featuring keynote speakers, the Dealer Services Showcase, and networking opportunities for member auto dealers.
• Golf Outing Annual golf event held at the Country Club of Detroit offering networking and sponsorship opportunities for DADA member auto dealers.
• Holiday Party Annual holiday celebration hosted by association leadership at the Detroit Athletic Club for DADA members.
• Kickoff Tailgate Annual event coinciding with the Detroit Lions home opener that provides auto show kickoff activities for DADA members.

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Community Foundation for Southeast MichigancoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1998The DADA Charitable Foundation Fund is a permanent endowment fund established in 1998 at the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan. The Community Foundation, founded in 1984, assists DADA in its efforts to enhance the lives of children and young people in the seven-county southeast Michigan region. It manages the grantmaking process for DADA charitable fund distributions.
• North American International Auto Show (NAIAS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDetroit area auto dealers participate in the North American International Auto Show. The Charity Preview of NAIAS generates millions of dollars in support for metro Detroit children's charities through the DADA Charitable Fund. The auto show is a significant annual industry event that DADA members help organize and support.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• New York State Automobile Dealers Association: NYSADA represents franchised new-car and truck dealers statewide in New York, offering advocacy, education, and dealer services directly parallel to DADA's value proposition for its members.
• California New Car Dealers Association: CNCDA represents franchised new-car dealers in California, delivering parallel services including legislative advocacy, dealer education, and member events, directly comparable to DADA's metropolitan dealer association model.
• Illinois Automobile Dealers Association: IADA is a statewide dealer trade association providing legislative representation, training, and member services in Illinois, a structural peer to DADA operating at state scope rather than metropolitan scope.
• Pennsylvania Automotive Association: PAA represents new-car dealers across Pennsylvania with legislative, educational, and community programs, a structural peer to DADA with similar mix of advocacy, training, and member events.
• Texas Automobile Dealers Association: TADA is a statewide trade association for Texas franchised dealers offering advocacy, education, and member services, structurally identical to DADA but at a much larger state-level geographic scope.
• Florida Automobile Dealers Association: FADA serves franchised new-car dealers across Florida with advocacy, education, and member engagement services, directly comparable to DADA in operating model and nonprofit association structure.
• Ohio Automobile Dealers Association: OADA serves Ohio franchised dealers with advocacy and educational services, parallel to DADA in mission and nonprofit association structure, operating at a single-state scale.
• Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association: GNYADA is a regional auto dealer trade association serving metropolitan New York dealers with the same combination of advocacy, education, charitable giving, and member events as DADA, making it one of the closest structural analogues at a larger regional scale.

Broad incumbents

• National Automobile Dealers Association: NADA is the national-level trade association for franchised new-car dealers in the U.S., directly comparable to DADA in mission (legislative representation, education, advocacy) but operating at federal scale with broader resources and a Washington, D.C. policy focus.

Others

• Automotive Dealers Association of Greater Detroit (historical): The predecessor Detroit-area dealer trade association that historically represented the same constituency as DADA, providing direct historical comparability for organizational structure, revenue mix, and event-driven engagement model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/DetroitAutoDealerAssoc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/detroit-auto-dealers-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Detroit Auto Dealers Association