For the 10th year, the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) is accepting nominations for the Canadian REALTORS Care® Award.
Since 2016, this award has honoured REALTORS® across Canada who have gone above and beyond to make their community a better place. From rallying their fellow REALTORS® for good, to game-changing philanthropy and creating critical resources for local non-profits, each of our past recipients has embodied the REALTORS Care® spirit in their own, unique way.
Last year’s recipient, Kelly Byers of Woodstock, Ontario, created the REALTORS Care® Food Drive, a county-wide event through which she’s rallied hundreds of her fellow REALTORS® to collect and donate more than 250,000 pounds of food to local Salvation Army food banks. She’s also a staunch advocate for women and new immigrants in her community as an organizer, donor and refugee sponsor.
If there’s a REALTOR® in your life whose commitment to their community reminds you of Kelly Byers, we encourage you to complete the nomination form found on REALTORSCare.ca so they can be in the running for the Canadian REALTORS Care® Award 2025 Proudly Presented by REALTOR.ca.
Each year, the recipient is announced at CREA’s annual general meeting in April, and they’re celebrated nationally for their outstanding work. In honour of 10 years of celebrating REALTOR® impact, we’ve doubled the donation that the recipient’s charity of choice will receive to $10,000.
While the submission deadline is not until Sunday, December 1, 2024, putting together a nomination package that will stand out to our selection committee (made up of REALTORS®) can take some time. To help you gather the right information, we’ve put together the following list of tips.
Paint the full picture
In the nomination form, you’ll be asked to provide a high-level look into how your community is a better place thanks to your nominee. We want to know what makes this REALTOR® inspiring, and why you were moved to submit a nomination.
You’ll also have the opportunity to go into detail about the impact they’ve made with specific organizations. While it’s only mandatory to provide detailed information around one registered charity (more on the registered piece a bit later), you should try to give us as clear of a picture as possible of the ways your nominee is supporting local organizations.
Stellar volunteers often work in silence, so you may be unaware of some of the organizations they’re supporting. Try reaching out to their friends, colleagues, families, or fellow volunteers to help guarantee your application tells the whole story.
Talk to their favourite charities, non-profits or community groups
When you’re looking for details of your nominee’s support of individual charities or community groups, it can never hurt to reach out directly to these organizations. You’ll find more often than not they’re happy to support your nomination efforts, and can provide helpful information or documents to include in your nomination package. They’re the best source of information for the ways your nominee supports them.
Include multiple perspectives
You’re required to include at least one letter of reference, dated 2024, from a representative of a Canadian registered charity in support of your nominee. To confirm they’re a registered charity, look for their charitable registration number on their website or you can search for them in the Canadian Revenue Agency’s charity database.
While only one letter of reference is required, sourcing many is a great idea. These can come from representatives of other supported organizations, community leaders or those close to the nominee. By including more letters, you’re sharing multiple voices that will provide a different perspective on the impact your nominee has made.
A picture is worth a thousand words
The final requirement for your nomination package is supporting documentation that can help demonstrate the impact made by your nominee.
This can come in many forms, including, but not limited to, photos, video, social media posts and media coverage. Consider grabbing original screenshots that show how they advocated and volunteer or including links to publicly accessible videos or articles featuring your nominee.
By following these tips, you’ll have created a complete nomination package that will you give your nominee the best opportunity to be featured on a national stage!
If you have any questions about the award, be sure to reach out to CREA’s REALTORS Care® team at REALTORSCare@CREA.ca before December 1, 2024.
