The CRE® Foundation

FOUNDATION PROFILE

Initially created as an Educational Trust Fund in 1965, the Foundation broadened its mission in 1997 as a philanthropic vehicle for the CRE organization, adding a separate international corpus endowed by Daryl Lippincott, CRE, in 2000. The current balance of the combined corpuses is about $1.6 million and over $1.2 million in grants have been funded to date both domestically and internationally.

MISSION STATEMENT

The Counselors of Real Estate Foundation supports projects that benefit positive social, community, and educational efforts that feature a meaningful connection to real estate and knowledge sharing, while enhancing the ability of The Counselors of Real Estate® to help others and give back to communities - worldwide.

GRANT PARAMETERS

Grant requests should meet the following parameters:

  1. Support the mission of The Counselors of Real Estate Foundation.
  2. Grants typically range between $10,000 and $30,000 per year per recipient but can be higher (up to $100,000) for projects approved for multi-year funding.
  3. Grant period no longer than three years.
  4. A Counselor of Real Estate must be involved in either the grant application process or in actively monitoring/implementing the project.
  5. Grant applications are accepted at any time. However, Foundation meetings typically take place in mid-February and mid-September. Applications received less than 30 days in advance of a scheduled meeting of the Foundation Trustees may be deferred to a future meeting.

GRANT RESTRICTIONS

  • Except under unusual circumstances, grants are limited to government and not-for-profit entities.
  • Except under unusual circumstances, grants are not made to fund local charities that might be more appropriately funded by local interests.
  • The CRE Foundation generally does not fund projects that:

A. Include stipends to CREs, with the possible exception of research directly connected to the commercial real estate industry ("abstract" academic research is not traditionally funded).

B. Include allocations to:

    • Salaries
    • Administrative costs
    • Travel and associated expenditures by project staff
    • For-Profit entities and commercial enterprises

C. Provide education targeted to professional audiences who have the means to cover expenses.

D. Underwrite curriculum development.

E. Advocate a specific position or point of view. (No exceptions to this provision)

DESIRED CHARACTERISTICS AND POTENTIAL IMPACTS

It is not necessary for a grant request to meet every criteria/characteristic listed below; the list is intended to provide general guidance for the projects that the Foundation is seeking to fund.

  • Having a game-changing, consequential focus on critical contemporary real estate issues.
  • Improving the level of data and data analysis used in the real estate industry.
  • Making a meaningful difference in a local community including disaster relief if directly related to a real estate issue such as housing.
  • Providing highly relevant, purposeful real estate education at the local, regional and global level.
  • Projects that can be replicated in other communities and/or serve as a template for future projects.
  • Projects that encourage the participation and engagement of under-represented groups in the field of real estate.
  • Projects that showcase and enhance The Counselors of Real Estate® brand; and potentially related to The Counselors' “Top Ten Issues”.
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PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT

Help make the CRE Foundation a force in your community by donating today.

TRUSTEES:

James S. Lee, CRE - Foundation Chair
William P.J. McCarthy, CRE - Foundation Vice Chair
John J. Baczewski, CRE - Foundation Secretary/Treasurer
Deborah J. Cloutier, CRE - Trustee
Edward W. Dinan III, CRE - Trustee
Graham C. Grady, CRE - Trustee
David Hooks, CRE - Trustee
Gregory B. Ibbetson, CRE - Trustee
Roy J. Schneiderman, CRE - Trustee
Peter E. Sockler, CRE - Trustee
A. Lloyd Thomas, CRE - Trustee
Elaine M. Worzala, CRE - Trustee
Bowen H. McCoy, CRE - Trustee Emeritus