(Photo above: COAR First Vice President Jack Zika and Charitable Giving Committee Memebrs Shanda Harris and Cat Zika present contribution to the Ciuncil on Aging of Central Oregon | courtesy of COAR)
The Central Oregon Association of REALTORS (COAR) and the Multiple Listing Service of Central Oregon (MLSCO) capped off over $100,000 in giving this year by donating to 36 local nonprofits through the annual giving program. This year, member’s focused giving on organizations dedicated to affordable housing, addressing homelessness, basic needs like food and medicine, job growth and healthy communities.
COAR has several charitable giving programs:
· Annual Giving-COAR accepts applications from January-April and distributes funds in October. Local non-profits that focus on basic needs can apply for program funds.
· Monthly MLSCO Tour Beneficiaries-Each month a local non-profit is selected, and funds are collected at weekly meetings.
· Realtors for Kids- COAR dedicates a portion of membership dues to help children in our communities have access to needed school supplies, clothing, dental and vision services. School counselors and Family Access Network Advocates request funds for students in need.
· Sponsorships-Each year, COAR selects signature community events to support including the Bend Fireworks Display, LaPine Frontier Days, Madras Sparklers, Redmond Old Fashioned fourth of July, Crooked River Roundup, EDCO’s Pub Talks, Sisters Folk Festival, KTVZ Holiday Lights, Author Author, the publication “What Makes Bend Special, the Bend Chamber YP Summit, and the COBA Trap Shoot for Affordable Housing. Sponsorship decisions will be made for the year in January.
· Community Grants-Through the National Association of Realtors®, COAR can apply for community-based grants in the areas of housing opportunities, walkable neighborhoods, open space preservation, transportation choices, community and stakeholder collaboration, land use, placemaking and other Smart Growth principles. The grants are most often awarded for partnerships between the association, community groups and local government.
· Oregon Home Foundation Grants-Through the Oregon Association of REALTORS, COAR is able to recommend support for local housing affordable housing projects. In 2017, grants were given to: Bend Area Habitat for Humanity, First Story, Kor Community Land Trust, Neighbor Impact and Sisters Habitat for Humanity.
In 2018, COAR contributed to: St. Vincent de Paul of Bend, Family Access Network, La Pine Community Kitchen, Council on Aging of Central Oregon, Shepard’s House, The Giving Plate, Kemple Memorial Children’s Dental Clinic, DAWNS House, Pregnancy Resource Center, High Desert Museum, High Desert Food and Farm Alliance, Healing Reins, In Our Backyard, Kits for Kids, Central Oregon Collective, Friends of the Children Central Oregon, Lifelines, Bethlehem Inn, Central Oregon Locavore, Central Oregon Public Safety Chaplaincy, Family Resource Center, Heart of Oregon Corp, Boy Scouts of America, Bend – La Pine Education Foundation, Bloom Project, Children’s Museum of Central Oregon, Oregon Adaptive Sports, Jefferson County Saturday Market, Kids Club of Jefferson County, Bend Spay and Neuter Project, Crook County Kids, Sparrow Clubs USA, Teck Trek Younity, Bend/Mt.View/Summit High Drama Programs, Great Stride, Family Kitchen, St. Charles Foundation, OSU Cascades and Kor Community Land Trust.
More information can be found at coar.com on the community involvement page. Contact kim@coar.com with any questions about these programs.
The Central Oregon Association of REALTORS® (COAR) is your voice in real estate industry in Crook, Deschutes, Jefferson and Harney counties. COAR serves REALTORS® by maintaining ethical standards, providing continuing education, promoting the value of REALTORS®, and advocating on behalf of the real estate industry. COAR serves the public by working to build better communities by supporting quality growth and seeking sustainable economies and housing opportunities that embrace the environmental qualities we cherish, while protecting a property owner’s ability to own, use, buy and sell property.
