WASHINGTON — The National Association of Realtors has been preaching the gospel of agent safety in recent years and now the trade group is putting some money where its mouth is.
On June 1, NAR will launch a grant program geared at helping state and local Realtor associations promote the safety of its 1.2 million members.
This follows a requirement put in place a year ago that all Realtor associations must hold at least one Realtor safety activity annually in order to meet the trade group’s core standards.
“The goal of the NAR Safety Program Reimbursement Grant is to provide funding assistance to state and local Realtor associations to help implement a safety program or feature for their members, and to encourage ongoing awareness of Realtor safety,” according to the grant program’s web page.
Realtor associations can apply for grants of between $500 and $2,500. The total funds available for safety reimbursement grants in 2017 is $10,000.
The types of association safety initiatives that could qualify for the grants include:
- Hiring a professional speaker to present to members
- Creating a safety manual or marketing materials
- Creating a safety webinar for members
The grants will be part of the Realtor Safety program, which NAR created around 10 years ago and offers safety guides and videos with tips to stay safe on the job, among other resources, Ashley Stinton, NAR’s managing director of marketing, told conference attendees at the Realtors Legislative Meetings and Trade Expo this week.
“Not all grant applications will be accepted so make sure you spend some quality time on those applications before submitting them,” Stinton said. (Ashley Stinton is the daughter of NAR CEO Dale Stinton.)
According to NAR, the criteria for the grants are that the idea:
- Creates a new or enhanced product, program, process or service to encourage and promote Realtor safety
- Educates Realtors on the importance of having, and ways to implement, a safety plan
- Demonstrates a realistic budget and timeline necessary to complete the initiative in 2017
- Is adaptable to other Realtor associations
Applications are available for download on NAR’s website here. The program will not fund an association’s general operating expenses, the trade group said on its website.
The trade group will accept applications for 2017 grants between June 1 and July 15 and notify reimbursement grant recipients on August 15. All receipts and requests for reimbursement are due by November 30, which means the money must have been spent by this date.
Within one month after an association completes the project, it must email photos and a summary of its association safety program, including an outline of the program, key takeaways, and the number of attendees, if applicable, according to NAR. That information will be posted on nar.realtor/safety as an example of how Realtor associations successfully used the safety grant, the trade group said.
By applying to NAR for funds, a Realtor association “agrees to accept counsel and advice from NAR, including, but not limited to, alternatives or alterations to their application and plan prior to being awarded funding,” the application says.
Whether they receive a grant or not, Realtor associations will be able to re-apply for funding in 2018, according to Stinton.
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