Colorado Auto Theft Investigators Association
Colorado Auto Theft Investigators (CATI), based in Wheat Ridge, Colorado, is a Form 990 public charity that supports work related to preventing and investigating motor vehicle theft and related crimes. Its activities include investigator training, professional communication, and funding scholarships for training and conference participation.
Colorado Auto Theft Investigators Association at a glance
In short: Colorado Auto Theft Investigators Association gave $135K across 11 grants in 2025 (avg $12K), mostly in Colorado. 27% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $134,830
- -31.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 11
- -26.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $12,257
- -6.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $7,669
- Total assets
- $33,312
- -27.5% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 27% first-time grantees (3 of 11, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Colorado (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Colorado Auto Theft Investigators Association
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 281061, Denver, CO 80228
Phone: (303) 235-2972
Website: https://coloradoautotheft.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from Colorado Auto Theft Investigators Association
CATI Conference Scholarship
Colorado Auto Theft Investigators Association
Amount
Conference registration, meals, and 4-night hotel lodging
Deadline
Deadline not published
CATI Conference Scholarship (Colorado Auto Theft Investigators)
Colorado Auto Theft Investigators Association
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling
Who Colorado Auto Theft Investigators Association funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Colo Dept of Public Safety ($57K). Together the top 10 received $129K.
Grant Size Distribution
44 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 42 grants of 44 (95%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars reported for filing year 2025 went to Colorado recipients. CATI’s stated mission also refers to investigators in the Rocky Mountain region and nationally.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Colorado Auto Theft Investigators Association open to new grantees?
27%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 11 grantees (27%) were first-time recipients. With only 11 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 9 points. First grants averaged $23K; repeat grants $8K. How we count
Medians: $6K first-time, $9K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2021–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $49K (2023) to $196K (2024). In 2025 it made 11 grants totaling $135K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Colo Dept of Public Safety Denver, CO | — | $56,593 |
| Lakewood PD Denver, CO | — | $11,076 |
| Colo Springs PD Colorado Spring, CO | — | $10,096 |
| Westminster PD Westminster, CO | — | $10,024 |
| Jefferson County so Golden, CO | — | $9,539 |
| Denver PD Denver, CO | — | $7,669 |
| Golden PD Golden, CO | — | $6,371 |
| La Plata Cnty so Durango, CO | — | $6,058 |
| Weld Cnty so Greeley, CO | — | $6,035 |
| Aurora PD Aurora, CO | — | $5,783 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $33,312 | $405,448 | $418,099 | $134,830 | 11 | $9 |
| 2024 | $45,963 | $427,608 | $414,308 | $195,961 | 15 | $9 |
| 2023 | $32,663 | $320,243 | $310,077 | $48,785 | 5 | $8 |
| 2022 | $22,497 | $1,127,383 | $1,182,064 | $76,745 | 6 | $7 |
| 2021 | $77,179 | $398,021 | $340,126 | $100,455 | 7 | $8 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
CATI’s website says its mission is to unite the public, law enforcement, and insurance industry investigators concerned with preventing and investigating motor vehicle thefts and related crimes; promote the exchange of investigative information; and improve communication among investigators in Colorado, the Rocky Mountain region, and nationally.
The organization’s reported activities include an annual training conference, specialized investigation classes, training scholarships, and communication resources for members and the public. In its filing narrative, CATI says scholarships are provided to public law enforcement and private insurance industry investigators, with CATI retaining control of the funds and paying for training slots directly.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, CATI reported 11 grants totaling $134,830. Grant amounts ranged from $5,586 to $56,593, with a median of $7,669. All reported grant dollars went to Colorado recipients.
The largest reported grants were $56,593 to the Colorado Department of Public Safety, $11,076 to Lakewood PD, $10,096 to Colorado Springs PD, $10,024 to Westminster PD, and $9,539 to Jefferson County SO. Other listed recipients were Denver PD ($7,669), Golden PD ($6,371), La Plata County SO ($6,058), Weld County SO ($6,035), Aurora PD ($5,783), and Thornton PD ($5,586).
CATI’s website describes conference scholarships that cover registration and hotel fees for eligible participants. The website’s 2026 conference was scheduled for April 20–24, 2026; that cycle has passed. The website described scholarships for Colorado peace officers, analysts, administrative technicians employed by law enforcement agencies, and Colorado insurance investigators, and said CATI membership was not required.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The officers listed on CATI’s 2025 filing are Trevor Hettinger, President; Erik Velez and Theo Caracostas, Vice Presidents; Beth Daniel, Treasurer; and Jose Diaz, Secretary. CATI’s filing narrative states that its officers serve as unpaid volunteers.
Colorado Auto Theft Investigators Association is led by Trevor Hettinger, President since 2025 (on filings since 2023); 1 of 5 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Trevor Hettinger
President
2nd Vice President → Vice President, 2024
Vice President → President, 2025
On filings since 2023
3 hrs/week
$1K (2023) → $6K (2025)
Beth Daniel
Treasurer
On filings since 2021
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Erik Velez
Vice President
On filings since 2024
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jose Diaz
Secretary
New on the 2025 filing
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Theo Caracostas
Vice President
New on the 2025 filing
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (13)
- Former: Jim Hills (2021–2024) — Secretary
- Former: Jeffrey Hodgdon (2024) — President
- Former: Steve Sanders (2021–2023) — President
- Former: Jeffery Hodgdon (2022–2023) — 1st Vice President
- Former: Jennifer King-Sullivan (2021–2022) — President
- Former: Greg McComas (2021) — Northern Regional Director
- Former: John Reindollar (2021) — Southern Regional Director
- Former: Mark Hodges (2021) — Statewide Director
- Former: Matt Lasater (2021) — Eastern Regional Director
- Former: Mike Boggs (2021) — President
- Former: Mike Gartner (2021) — Metro Director
- Former: Steve Nowlin (2021) — Southwestern Regional Director
- Former: Tyler Tobias (2021) — Western Regional Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $6K, to Trevor Hettinger (President).
Frequently asked questions about Colorado Auto Theft Investigators Association
How much does Colorado Auto Theft Investigators Association give each year?
Colorado Auto Theft Investigators Association gave $135K across 11 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $196K across 15 grants.
What is Colorado Auto Theft Investigators Association's typical grant size?
Colorado Auto Theft Investigators Association's median grant in 2025 was $7,669, and its average grant was $12,257, across 11 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Colorado Auto Theft Investigators Association that year got $23K on average.
Where does Colorado Auto Theft Investigators Association give grants?
Colorado Auto Theft Investigators Association gives mostly in Colorado: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Denver, CO (3 grants) and Golden, CO (2 grants).
Who are Colorado Auto Theft Investigators Association's largest grantees?
Colorado Auto Theft Investigators Association's largest 2025 grantees include Colo Dept of Public Safety ($56,593), Lakewood PD ($11,076) and Colo Springs PD ($10,096), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 58% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Colorado Auto Theft Investigators Association?
Colorado Auto Theft Investigators Association reported $33K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $405K.
What does Colorado Auto Theft Investigators Association fund?
CATI’s website says its mission is to unite the public, law enforcement, and insurance industry investigators concerned with preventing and investigating motor vehicle thefts and related crimes; promote the exchange of investigative information; and improve communication among investigators in Colorado, the Rocky Mountain region, and nationally. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Colorado Auto Theft Investigators Association?
Colorado Auto Theft Investigators Association has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check coloradoautotheft.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Colorado Auto Theft Investigators Association's EIN?
Colorado Auto Theft Investigators Association's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 84-1147622. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(5)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS March 16, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 4, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 25, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS January 28, 2025)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS February 10, 2026)
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Colorado Auto Theft Investigators Association down — hundreds of funders to go?