The Real Estate Foundation’s Board of Governors approved 16 grants at the April grants meeting, totalling $510,915, including $332,179 for Real Estate Industry Grants (located at the end of the list). This list is ordered alphabetically, by recipient organization.

BC Wildlife Federation to support delivery of six workshops in four regions of BC aimed at wetlands conservation and restoration initiatives. $20,000

Cowichan Social Planning Society to develop a business case to demonstrate the viability, benefits and limitations of an Affordable Housing Trust Fund in the Cowichan Valley. $8,986

Engineering Leadership Council Canada for ten case studies on capital infrastructure projects that set precedents for new engineering practice by integrating sustainability goals. $20,000

Evergreen to facilitate resident-led community initiatives that demonstrate the reduction of the ecological footprint of a neighbourhood by 25%. $20,000

FarmFolk CityFolk Society to develop a program strategy and offer events throughout BC to support new farmers in BC and link them to farmland. $20,000

Fraser Valley Watersheds Coalition to expand on-the-ground case studies identifying and valuing ecosystem services on agricultural lands in the Fraser Valley. $17,250

Islands Trust to facilitate ongoing collaborative communication and decision making in the management of Salt Spring Island’s seven watersheds. $20,000

Lake Windermere Ambassadors Society to improve local involvement in watershed protection by developing a Columbia Headwaters watershed governance group. $15,000

Nature Conservancy of Canada to create a plan that highlights high priority lands for conservation and improved crown and private land stewardship. $17,500

Wildsight to support a task force, consultation and creation of a work plan to create a Columbia Basin watershed board by 2019. $20,000

Real Estate Industry Grants

The Real Estate Foundation earmarks a percentage of its yearly grants budget to help fund projects put forward by the BC Real Estate Association, the Real Estate Council of BC, the Real Estate Institute of BC, and the regional real estate boards and associations. These are the organizations that participated in the Foundation’s creation and through the work of whose members the Foundation’s revenue stream is generated. Below are the successful grant applications for 2014.

BC Northern Real Estate Board for speaker costs associated with delivering professional education to real estate board members in 2014. $3,935

BC Real Estate Association to research trends, challenges and opportunities in REALTOR® practice, to prepare for joint BCREA-real estate board strategic planning. $150,000

Kootenay Real Estate Board for speaker costs associated with delivering professional education to real estate board members in 2014. $6,050

Real Estate Council of BC for year two development of a Strata Dispute Online Self-help Tool to assist strata owners, renters, council members and property managers. $147,894

South Okanagan Real Estate Board for seminars for REALTORS®, builders, developers and homeowners on best practices for developing land near streams and other sensitive habitats. $14,300

Vancouver Island Real Estate Board to develop an online format for VIREB buyer profile research, distributed to REALTORS®, business groups, local governments and the public. $10,000