Do you know a REALTOR® whose volunteer work has changed the lives of people in their community? Two awards programs honoring REALTORS® who have made exceptional community service efforts are now seeking entries — and you may know a winner.
Where to Apply
To submit an application for either the 2017 Good Neighbor Awards or the Volunteering Works programs, go to nar.realtor/gna.
Now through Friday, May 12, you can nominate yourself or a fellow REALTOR® for REALTOR® Magazine's 2017 Good Neighbor Awards, which recognizes five real estate professionals for the impact they've made through volunteering. Nominees must be NAR members in good standing, and the winners — who will be recognized at the 2017 REALTORS® Conference & Expo in Chicago — will receive $10,000 grants for their charities. Five honorable mentions will also receive $2,500 grants.
Now in its 18th year, the Good Neighbor Awards program has donated more than $1 million to REALTOR®-led charities nationwide. On top of these grants, Good Neighbor winners also can widen exposure for their causes and garnering local and national media attention. Wyn Ray, a 2016 Good Neighbor winner who helped bring clean water to the Ethiopian village of Wekin, says donations to his charity, Wells for Wekin, have skyrocketed because of his honor. "Winning the Good Neighbor Award brought an unmatched awareness to our cause of bringing clean water, sanitation, and education to rural Ethiopia," Ray said in a statement. "People were deeply moved after watching our Good Neighbor video. I obtained a 100 percent match to our $10,000 Good Neighbor grant, and many other people made generous donations. I encourage people to nominate a REALTOR® who champions a worthy cause for the 2017 Good Neighbor Awards."
To learn more about the Good Neighbor program or to submit an application for consideration, go to nar.realtor/gna.
Take Your Charity to the Next Level
For REALTORS® who are looking for ways to expand and enhance their community service efforts, REALTOR® Magazine's Volunteering Works Grant and Mentoring Program also is seeking entries now through Tues., Feb. 28. REALTORS® who work on small-scale charitable efforts with growth potential are encouraged to apply, and the winners will receive a year of one-on-one mentoring with a past Good Neighbor as well as a $1,000 grant to improve their charities.
Ben Jones, a 2016 Volunteering Works recipient, said in a statement that the program helped him overcome challenges in growing his organization, Angel Wings Memory Gowns, which donates handmade burial gowns to families who have lost an infant. "Having the ear of a person who has had the same struggles is invaluable," said Jones, whose mentor was Kathleen Peck, a 2012 Good Neighbor Honorable Mention. "Because of my mentor's great ideas, we were able to raise more than $10,000, purchase a building, and create some events that we will do yearly."
"More than almost any other profession, REALTORS® have extraordinary reach into virtually every community in America. Many of them volunteer in their communities in addition to their real estate work," says National Association of REALTORS® President William E. Brown. "NAR is honored to support those volunteers by offering mentoring, guidance, and funding."
To learn more about Volunteering Works or to submit an application, go to nar.realtor/gna.
—REALTOR® Magazine
