CAR Foundation Raises Nearly $93k at Annual Fundraiser, Welcomes New Board

AUCTION RESULTS

CAR Foundation supporters put on their favorite boots and kicked up their heels at Boots & BBQ, the Foundation’s annual fundraising dinner, held at the CAR Fall Forum in Snowmass, Colorado. The event was a tremendous success, raising $92,738 for the CAR Foundation’s programs. As the philanthropic and community engagement arm of CAR, the Foundation’s mission is to support safe and attainable housing, advance homeownership, and provide housing-related disaster relief.

Nearly 150 guests enjoyed socializing, a high-end silent auction, and a boisterous live auction. Both auctions were sponsored by REcolorado, whose subscribers also had the opportunity to bid and donate in the silent auction. Thank you to the many donors and supporters who attended and contributed – with your support over the last 31 years, the Foundation has invested more than $10 million in Colorado communities and touched more than 90,000 lives.

NEW DIRECTORS

Also at CAR’s Fall Forum, the Foundation held its final meeting of the 2021-2022 Board year. Applications for new Directors were considered, and the Board is honored to welcome Mike Heraty (PSAAR), Sonia Franzel (DMAR), Brenda Wild (ABOR), and Rich Coccaro (FCBR).

2023 CAR Foundation Board of Directors Officers are:

• Chair: Janene Johnson (GCBOR)

• Chair-Elect: Mary Ann Hinrichsen (SMDRA) • Vice Chair: Ann Kidd (PPAR)

• Treasurer: Aline Pitney (DMAR) • Secretary: Suzan Koren (AE, FCBR)

FALL 2022 GRANT CYCLE

The Foundation’s Fall 2022 Grant Cycle: Invest in Colorado is currently open, with the application window for nonprofits closing November 23, 2022. The winning organizations will be chosen by the Foundation Engagement Committee and Board in early December, and funding will take place prior to the end of the calendar year. Thanks to support from Colorado REALTORS®, community members and industry partners, the Foundation’s 2022 grants will help thousands of Coloradans.

TOTALS FOR THE YEAR: CELEBRATING THE FOUNDATION’S IMPACT IN 2022

The Foundation focused the first part of 2022 on quickly mobilizing to help victims of the Marshall Fire. Thanks to a $2M grant from the REALTORS® Relief Foundation, we distributed

mortgage and rental relief directly to individuals displaced from their primary residence due to destruction or damage from the fire.

• Total households that have received aid: 541 – more than 1,800 individuals • Total amount of aid distributed: $1,274,017.17 • Total nights of shelter provided by these grants: 16,000+ • Of approved applicants: • 410 received mortgage assistance • 131 received rental assistance

• Nonprofit organizations serving victims can still apply for grants from our Boulder County Fire Relief Fund through the end of the calendar year or until all collected funds are spent out. In April, the Foundation launched its 30 Year Impact Report and first ever Annual Report, a collection of data, stories, and information about the tens of thousands of Coloradans who were helped by the Foundation in 30 years of grantmaking and community investments. The report encompasses CARHOF and the Education Foundation and shines a spotlight on the positive impact YOU, our Colorado REALTORS®, continue to have on communities across the state. Including 2022 totals to date, in 31 years of grantmaking, the Foundation has invested $10,083,289.17 in Colorado communities and touched more than 90,000 lives.

LOCAL ASSOCIATION FOUNDATIONS

Also in 2022, the Foundation launched the CAR Foundation Charitable Funds, a community foundation structure intended to bring impactful philanthropy to local communities by offering local boards the ability to create grantmaking and disaster relief funds for use in their own communities under the Foundation’s 501c3, taking the administrative burden off of local associations and offering significant advisory and regulatory support. Multiple local boards expressed interest in opening a fund, and DMAR is the first to officially launch their own grantmaking fund and disaster relief fund, named DMAR Gives.

JOIN THE MISSION

We invite you to get involved in the Foundation by:

• Joining us in encouraging brokerages and title companies to become participants in our escrow interest program, in which interest earned on escrow accounts is donated to the CAR Foundation. This is the program which funded CARHOF grants from the beginning – all it takes is the completion of a simple form.

• Becoming a donor or a connector yourself. By giving to the Foundation, or connecting us with other donors and corporate partners, you help us continue to support qualified community organizations and elevate the REALTOR® brand at the same time.

The Foundation will launch a pilot Advisory Group in February 2023, welcoming by invitation REALTORS®, industry partners, past Directors, and potential future Directors who would like to provide guidance and connections for the Foundation. If you would like to nominate a contact for a position in the Advisory Group, email Amy McDermott, Executive Director, at amcdermott@coloradorealtors.com.

2023 SNEAK PEAK:

• The Foundation will be launching a Giving Pledge program, where you, your brokers, and your offices can pledge a percentage or an amount from each closing as a donation to the Foundation. Giving Pledge participants will be celebrated with marketing materials for your office and special visibility. Stay tuned for more information to come!

• Look for the Colorado’s Heart Award cycle to open again for nominations in Spring 2022.

Attendees at the recent CAR Foundation Dinner in Snowmass.