The REALTOR® Community contributes tens of millions to charity every year

For two years now, the Canadian REALTORS Care® Foundation has tracked how our REALTOR® members are out volunteering their time, money and passion for the local and national charities close to their hearts. And for the second year running, the cumulative total of those efforts is in the tens of millions. The REALTOR® community reported more than $23.2 million in funds raised and donated to charity in 2013. Added to our 2012 tally, it brings our grand total to $53.8 million in only two years.

"From raising money for local charities through events in their communities to opening their hearts and wallets and responding so generously to national disaster events, REALTORS® really are making a difference," said Calvin Lindberg, Chair of the Canadian REALTORS Care® Foundation.

More than 120 individual stories of compassion and caring were shared this year about the charitable activities of REALTORS® and real estate practices reaching out to help others in their communities. A highlight was the 20th anniversary of the Blanket Drive, an annual effort by individual REALTORS® and more than 100 real estate offices across the Lower Mainland of British Columbia to collect blankets and warm clothing for the homeless in their communities.

The story of the Blanket Drive begins back in 1995, when a group of REALTORS® called on their colleagues to gather blankets to help the homeless in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver. This altruistic act inspired a local tradition that expanded to cover the entire Lower Mainland by 2006. More than 41,000 bags of donations have been collected and over 250,000 people have benefitted as a result over the past two decades.

As impressive as our annual totals have been, we know that they represent just a fraction of the massive contributions REALTORS® make to their communities. Help us get a more complete tally of all this impressive work by using this form to tell us about your charitable activities in 2014.