NAR Awards Grants to Promote Local and State Diversity Activities

WASHINGTON, DC - May 13, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) — The National Association of Realtors^® is awarding $37,900 to nine local and state Realtor^® associations through its Diversity Initiative Grant Program.

NAR’s Diversity Initiative Grant Program provides local and state Realtor^® associations with up to $5,000 in matching funds for activities that reinforce the role of Realtors^® as leaders in our country’s increasingly diverse communities and that extend the benefits of homeownership to more Americans. The awards were announced during the Realtors^® Midyear Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo here through Saturday.

“Realtors^® are community builders and leaders in our increasingly diverse communities,” said NAR President Charles McMillan, a broker with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Dallas-Fort Worth. “NAR remains committed to furthering and sustaining minority homeownership as well as bringing more diversity into the real estate business and the leadership of the Realtor^® community, and these grants help further that commitment.”

The Diversity Initiative Grant Program was established in 2004 to help fund outreach efforts to minority consumers and bring more diversity into Realtor^® association membership and leadership. Grants of up to $5,000 are awarded twice a year to local and state Realtor^®  associations. Applications for the next round of grants are due October 2, 2009.

The NAR Diversity Initiative Grant award winners are:

Chicago Association of Realtors^® (Chicago): $5,000 to host a summit to highlight the variety of minority real estate organizations in the city and help address the business and political issues faced by minority real estate professionals. The goal is to develop an advocacy plan for the future and an ongoing working group.

Dayton Area Board of Realtors^® (Dayton, Ohio): $5,000 to increase interaction between the Realtor^® association and the local Realtist chapter.

Dearborn Area Board of Realtors® (Dearborn, Mich.): $5,000 to fund an effort to increase the representation of Arab-Americans in the Realtor^® association, given the high proportion of Arab-Americans in the local community.

Hinesville Area Board of Realtors^® (Hinesville, Ga.): $5,000 to create an Equal Opportunity-Cultural Diversity committee at the association to help educate the community about diversity.

North Carolina Association of Realtors^® (Greensboro, N.C.): $3,100 to support a multiphase outreach program to educate local Realtor^® association leadership and members about incorporating diversity into their businesses, to increase the diversity of the membership so that it more closely mirrors the general population of the state.

Northeast Atlanta Metro Association of Realtors^® (Duluth, Ga.): $5,000 to create a comprehensive resource guide for residents of Gwinnett County about first-time home buyer services, loan modification services, and foreclosure resources. These resources will be translated into a variety of languages.

Pennsylvania Association of Realtors^® (Lemoyne, Pa.): $5,000 to support the next phase of development and implementation of a multicultural strategic plan.

Rockford Area Association of Realtors^® (Rockford, Ill.): $2,000 to develop a fair housing brochure specific to the Rockford community.

Ulster County Board of Realtors^® (Kingston, N.Y.): $2,800 to fund a multicultural outreach mixer.

For additional information on the At Home with Diversity course or to download a Diversity Initiative Grant application, visit www.realtor.org/diversity.

 

 

 

USGBC - U.S. Green Building Council

HUD - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

NAR - National Association of REALTOR

RealtyTrac

FHFA - Federal Housing Finance Agency

Freddie Mac

MBA - Mortgage Bankers Association