REALTORS Care Foundation 2008 Annual Report

Written by Sharon Lee, MA, CFRE

2008 was an amazing year for the REALTORS Care Foundation. Through the support of our members, we were able to raise more than $655,000 through donations, and special events such as the REALTORS Care Foundation Motorcycle Ride for Charity, the REALTORS Care Foundation Presidents Cup and the REALTORS Care Foundaion Shelter Ball. These funds were invested in an endowment fund, and we dedicate the interest earned to the work of the Foundation. In 2008 we were able to support 77 shelter related causes in communities across Ontario in the amount of $280,000.  A 211% increase from the $90,000 granted in 2007.

We announced the REALTORS® Care Vintages at the 2009 OREA Conference held at the Sheraton Toronto Hotel.  This unique program gives our REALTORS® preferred pricing for award winning wines from Reif Estate Winery.

The Foundation would not have been able to achieve what it has without the support and energy of our Board of Governors, and REALTORS® who donated to the Foundation, including 22 new Foundation Fellows who committed a $1,000 each to our cause in 2008.

REALTORS® in Ontario can be proud that every Ontario in every community across our province has been touched in some way by the work of the REALTORS Care Foundation.

REALTORS Care Foundation supports shelter related charities in Ontario.  Shelter is defined as a refuge, haven or protection that provides or improves quality of life from hunger, the elements, physical/psychological abuse, disabilities and illness.  Our work helps build vibrant, healthy communities for all Ontarians.

RELATORS® can’t change the need for shelter on their own.  Neither can the REALTORS Care Foundation.  Together with our combined efforts, we can make the change happen!

The power of one gift can make a difference.  You don’t have to be a millionaire to create a legacy gift.  No gift is too small.

The REALTORS Care Foundation’s Every REALTOR® Program is a fine example of the power of one gift from every REALTOR® in Ontario ($1 per member per month).  It can literally add up to $540,000 (based on 45,000 REALTORS® in Ontario) if every REALTOR® participated through their local real estate boards which would mean a huge investment in our communities.  Every donation counts!

The business of the REALTORS Care Foundation is to contribute to our members’ communities by making a difference in the lives of people and communities where they live and conduct business.

You have the power to make a difference in someone’s life today.  Please visit the REALTORS Care Foundation (www.realtorscareontario.ca) and make an on-line donation or contact the Foundation at 1-800-265-6732, ext. 377 or at realtorscarefoundation@orea.com

The REALTORS Care Foundation is the legacy of all Ontario REALTORS®.  Join us today by investing in your Foundation.  Here are some considerations.

Make an annual donation to the REALTORS Care Foundation.  By providing a regular contribution you are helping the Foundation to sustain itself, focus on its core mission and reduce the time its needs to spend on fundraising.
Make a monthly donation to the REALTORS Care Foundation.  It allows you to contribute a larger amount as you will be amortizing it over the course of the year.

Purchase a ticket to a fundraising event in support of the REALTORS Care Foundation.  With this approach you can support the Foundation in more ways than one.  In addition to raising funds that flow into the capital fund and annual grants, these kinds of public events are instrumental in the Foundation’s efforts to promote the good works of our REALTOR® members, thereby building a stronger support base with the general public.  In other words, your support will help leverage other support, resulting in greater reach for the Foundation’s efforts.  And you have the added bonus of a good time with friends and family.

Buy a product where proceeds go to support the REALTORS Care Foundation.  Many businesses are engaged in cause-related marketing, through which a portion of their product or service sales goes to support the Foundation’s administrative costs.  This means 100% of every dollar donated by a REALTOR® can be invested to earn interest which results in grant dollars being available for supporting shelter related charities in our communities.

Donate stock or appreciated securities, real estate property or a lasting legacy through your will to the REALTORS Care Foundation, a relatively new way to give and reduce your taxes at the same time.  For more information please contact the Charities Directorate at Revenue Canada or consult with a financial advisor on this and other giving options such as donations of real estate, cultural property, or to leave a lasting legacy through your will.