The National Equipment Finance Association’s Chris Walker Education Fund’s board of trustees is continuing its annual mission of honoring the late Chris Walker, who was a member of the NEFA and its board of directors.

The Chris Walker Education Fund focuses on an issue near and dear to Walker’s heart: education and the idea of a “lifetime of learning.” The board is now actively raising funds and accepting grant requests to honor Walker’s great service to the industry until the application deadline of Feb. 1, 2024. The fund will award a total of $30,000 in grants to be distributed by the end of February 2024. The grant application process is available to individuals as well as associations, foundations and institutions. Individual grants may be requested up to $1,500, or an amount equal to the cost of qualified industry-related education.

Funds available through the Chris Walker Education Fund may be used for any project or need that provides industry education opportunities for leasing professionals. This includes grants for industry-related education, certifications (such as the Certified Lease & Finance Professional designation), educational initiatives of the NEFA or other educational initiatives related to the equipment finance industry. All grant requests must be submitted online here.

The Chris Walker Education Fund has issued thousands of dollars in grants to individuals and organizations, including the CLFP Foundation, the Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation and the NEFA. These organizations were able to use these funds for various educational purposes.