Daily Real Estate News  |  September 14, 2005  |   Katrina Donations Surpass $3 Million, Overall Impact Much Greater In communities across the United States, real estate professionals are organizing fundraising drives, donating a portion of their commissions, and challenging their colleagues to step up and help victims of Hurricane Katrina. The outpouring of generosity from practitioners, private companies, and state and local REALTORŪ associations boosted the REALTORSŪ Relief Foundation to more than $3 million in donations Wednesday. The foundation has collected a total of $3,157,887 from 8,065 contributors. But the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORSŪ, which administers the fund, expects the amount to be much higher in the coming weeks. Furthermore, the REALTORŪ family’s overall impact on relief efforts is substantially more because many real estate companies, associations, and individual practitioners are donating money directly to the three relief funds of the state REALTORŪ associations in Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi—which were hardest hit by the Aug. 29 hurricane—as well as to other relief organizations like the American Red Cross and Salvation Army. Current estimates show that state and local REALTORŪ associations have pledged a total of $1.7 million to all relief efforts, including the REALTORSŪ Relief Foundation, the three individual state relief funds, and other nonprofit organizations. A number of state and local REALTORŪ associations are holding their annual meetings this month and plan to discuss making additional donations. Individuals, associations, and companies also are donating supplies, finding housing for displaced victims, and volunteering time to help hurricane victims with other necessities. Certain companies and associations have have shown a tremendous amount of generosity and fund-raising prowess. They include:

A la mode inc., an Oklahoma City-based software developer of appraisal, real estate, mortgage, and inspection tools, donated $150,000 to the REALTORSŪ Relief Foundation for the three state REALTORŪ Associations and challenged its customers to donate money on its Web site toward relief efforts, with Chairman Dave Biggers pledging to match the donations. To date with Biggers’ matching funds, a total of $522,907 has been raised and will be donated to the American Red Cross.

In addition to donating $10,000 to the REALTORSŪ Relief Foundation, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORSŪ announced last week that it will donate an additional $300,000 directly to the three state REALTORŪ association relief funds in Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi.

The Virginia Association of REALTORS has donated $220,000 directly to the three state REALTORŪ association relief funds and another $30,000 worth of supplies, which they trucked down to the devastated areas in the days after the storm.

As he did with the REALTORŪ Tsunami Relief Project, eNeighborhoods CEO Stuart Siegel has pledged to match up to $20,000 in contributions from his customers. NAR President Al Mansell sent out three appeals by e-mail to the association’s 1.2 million members to donate money toward the relief efforts. In his latest letter sent this week, Mansell writes: “As you read this letter, I am in the Gulf Coast region helping to distribute the first checks from the REALTORSŪ Relief Foundation to provide emergency relief for victims of Katrina for REALTORSŪ and other residents of Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi. Our funds are going directly to foundations set up by the REALTORŪ associations in those states to help those in greatest need to get back on their feet.” As Mansell's letter points out, the REALTORSŪ Relief Foundation and the state association funds are the only ones specifically tasked with helping thousands of REALTORSŪ and other hurricane victims in need. “Our friends and fellow REALTORSŪ are hurting. They need us. Can you help? Every penny donated will go directly to help victims of Hurricane Katrina get back on their feet.” Contributions are tax deductible and can be made on the secure REALTORSŪ Relief Foundation Web Site. To donate by mail, send a check, payable to the REALTORSŪ Relief Foundation, to REALTORSŪ Relief Foundation, Attn: NAR Finance Division, 430 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago IL 60611. Read More on REALTORŪ Response For more information on how REALTORSŪ can help, visit the Hurricane Katrina Relief page at REALTOR.org. Join the Online Discussion at REALTOR.org NAR also has set up a Hurricane Katrina Discussion Board at REALTOR.org for you to share ideas on how to help victims of Hurricane Katrina. —By Haley M. Hwang for REALTORŪ Magazine Online