REALTORS Care Foundation: Thanks and Giving Article

Written by Sharon Lee, MA, CFRE
                                                                                                                                       

REALTORS® are part of the thanks and giving trend according to Imagine Canada who conducted a survey into Canadian giving trends.  REALTORS® in Ontario can be proud that every Ontarian 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.
REALTORS® 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 vast majority of REALTORS® make donations every year.  According to an Imagine Canada research study, the Canada Survey of Giving, Volunteering and Participating, 85% of Canadian provide some form of financial support to nonprofits.

While we are all motivated to give something, the bulk of the support is coming from a small group of us.  Twenty-one percent of Canadians provide 82% of the value of all donations.

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!

Beyond taxes incentives, giving back has been found to offer lifestyle benefits as well.  Volunteer Canada, the national charity that aims to promote, enhance and advance volunteerism, is working on a three-year project with Investors Group on volunteering and healthy ageing.  Previous research has already established links between volunteerism and mental health, suggesting that it can improve mood and self-identity, reduce social isolation and monotony.  Some reports have also linked volunteering with physical well-being.  Dubbed the Healthy Ageing Project, this new initiative will further research the links between health and giving back and will develop and disseminate tools to promote volunteerism.

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

Join the Every REALTORS®Program. For donations of $25 or more for the Every REALTOR® program, you will recieve a REALTORS Care Key package. Each package includes an exclusive REALTORS Care Foundation key, envelop and note card for you to thank your clients by celebrating their home purchase with a donation in their honour.

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.