Every November, when REALTOR® magazine announces the five winners of its Good Neighbor Awards and tells their inspiring stories, readers are reminded of how one person can make a difference through community service.

But when it comes to taking a budding nonprofit to the next level, many practitioners find that it’s easier said than done. From juggling work and family commitments to gaining the special skills needed to grow a volunteer-based organization, many hurdles can stand in the way of success.

With these everyday challenges in mind, REALTOR® magazine has launched a new mentorship program that matches real estate practitioners who want to expand their work on charitable projects with some of the best volunteer leaders in the country—the past recipients of the magazine’s Good Neighbor Awards. "Mentors will share their knowledge and help motivate other REALTORS® to action," says Craig Conant, a 2001 winner of the Good Neighbor Award and chair of the Good Neighbor Society Advisory Council.

The new Volunteering Works program gives an extra push to REALTORS® who have potential to improve their community. Five winners each receive a $1,000 grant and a year of invaluable one-on-one mentoring from a member of the Good Neighbor Society, which includes all past recipients of the Good Neighbor Award. The inaugural round of winners is below. To apply for the 2010 program, and to read profiles of past Good Neighbor Award winners, visit REALTOR.org/GNA.

Volunteering Works: The 2009 Winners

Funded by The Stuart & Jill Siegel Charitable Foundation

Robin Grimm, SRES, of Grimanda Realty in West Linn, Ore., is cofounder and president of Clackamas County Meals on Wheels, which serves more than 700 seniors per month. Since 2006, the organization has raised over $50,000. Grimm got involved after witnessing the struggles of her parents. "The elderly often have diminishing retirement funds. It can take only one medical catastrophe" to sap all their financial resources, she says. Grimm plans to use the $1,000 grant for a bulk mail permit that will help the organization get its message out. Her mentor is 2001 Good Neighbor Debra Parmenter of Durango, Colo.

Clarence Horst, ABR®, CRB, of Coldwell Banker Innovations in Hagerstown, Md., founded Celebration Ministries in 2008 to help people overcome homelessness and addiction. "A lot of people who we help have come to believe that society has given up on them," he says. "For our organization to come along and say ‘We’re not going to kick you to the curb; we’re going to walk this journey with you’ helps people make a change." The grant will help establish a residential program for women who are pregnant or have young children. Horst is partnered with 2008 Good Neighbor Caroline McCartney of Norfolk, Va.

Ellen Kiss of Kiss Properties in Del Mar, Calif., created Adopt-A-Classroom in 2005, empowering teachers in a poverty-stricken elementary school in South East San Diego by matching school wish lists with community donors. "It doesn’t take a lot of money to make things happen," Kiss says. In addition to addressing physical needs like books and clothing, Kiss stresses the importance of positive thinking. "I teach the children to set goals and reach for the stars." The grant will be used for classroom supplies. Kiss is partnered with 2001 Good Neighbor Craig Conant from Warrensburg, Mo.

Janis Marquardt of John L. Scott Real Estate in Port Townsend, Wash., learned in 2008 that her community’s energy-assistance funds had run out and people were having trouble heating their homes. She created Heart to Hearth, which provides low-income residents with firewood donated by local home owners. "It’s a small town and everybody is keenly aware of helping their neighbor," she says. The grant will be used to provide liability insurance for volunteer tree cutters and log splitters, encouraging more home owners to donate felled trees. Marquardt’s mentor is 2007 Good Neighbor Ted Gilbert of Portland, Ore.

Madeline F. Richard of Citrona Homes in Fernandina Beach, Fla., knows that even a delightful resort area isn’t exempt from poverty and homelessness. The Coalition for the Homeless Nassau County feeds an average of 40 people three nights a week and is planning a cold-night shelter for when the temperature drops below 40 degrees. The grant will be used to purchase washable sleeping mats. "If people don’t have food and shelter, they can’t go to the higher level of enjoying the great things in life," Richard says. Her mentor is 2001 Good Neighbor finalist Claudette Bruck of Tamarac, Fla.

The 2009 Good Neighbor Awards winners will be announced in the November/December issue of REALTOR® magazine. To learn more, visit REALTOR.org/GNA.