CAR Foundation Celebrates 30 Years of Serving Colorado Communities with Release of Inaugural Impact Report Welcomes New Board Chair and Executive Director Founded as the Colorado Association of REALTORS® Housing Opportunity Foundation (CARHOF) and having evolved into the Colorado Association of REALTORS® Foundation, the philanthropic and community engagement arm of the Colorado Association of REALTORS® this year celebrates three decades of helping Coloradans. The CAR Foundation’s mission to support safe and attainable housing, advance homeownership for all Coloradans and provide housing related disaster assistance continues to transform lives thanks to the support of REALTORS® and industry partners. To commemorate its 30th year, the CAR Foundation has released its Inaugural Impact Report, detailing the impact of much-expanded grantmaking during 2020.
ed by making more than $350,000 in grants to qualified nonprofit organizations, an increase of nearly 600% over the prior year. With support from the National Association of REALTORS®, the CAR Foundation also provided almost $50,000 in grants for mortgage and rent assistance directly to 34 families who lost their homes in the fires. In total, CAR Foundation support touched more than 4,735 lives in 2020.
“We are proud of the CAR Foundation’s legacy of service and grateful for the REALTORS® and industry partners who have come together over the years to support our work,” said Deborah Shipley of REcolorado, 2021 CAR Foundation Chair. “We’re excited to share the story of our impact throughout the state in 2020 – one of the most challenging years in recent memory
The CAR Foundation has an impactful 2021 planned as well, having welcomed Shipley as Chair. As the Director of Corporate Communications and Marketing at REcolorado, Shipley brings unique perspective of the real estate industry and a wealth of marketing and nonprofit expertise to her leadership of the Board.
Across the state, 2020 was a year of unprecedented need. In one year, Coloradans experienced the loss of thousands of jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic, jeopardizing their ability to pay for housing in a market already reeling from an affordable housing crisis; and devastating wildfires that burned more than 650,000 acres and destroyed hundreds of homes. The CAR Foundation respond-
Shipley has served on the Foundation Board since 2018 and has more than 20 years’ experience managing marketing and public relations strategy in corporate and nonprofit settings, making her well-suited to lead the CAR Foundation’s efforts to increase its visibility and engagement.
Deborah Shipley
These metrics and more are included in the CAR Foundation’s Impact Report 2020, along with grantee profiles and testimonials from Coloradans who were helped by CAR Foundation grant funding. The Impact Report is available here.
“My vision for the CAR Foundation is to grow our support for Colorado communities every single year, and I believe we do that by structuring the Foundation’s operations for success and stability in the future and cultivating close working relationships with local associations,” she said. “We plan to connect with our local communities, learn about their needs and compliment local efforts.”
for Coloradans.”
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