The Alberta Real Estate Foundation supports initiatives that enhance the real estate industry and benefit the communities of Alberta. The Foundation was set up in 1991 under the Alberta Real Estate Act. Since then, it has awarded over 12.4 million dollars in community and industry grants to over 415 projects across Alberta.
Foundation Funds Cows, Fish And Podcasts
October 2009 - What do podcasts, white-tailed deer and brook trout have in common? Albertans wil soon be able to learn about the value of lands along streams and lakes that house Alberta's rich biodiversity via podcasts. Through a $50,000 grant awarded to Cows and Fish by the Alberta Real Estate Foundation, the sharing of information via podcasting will soon be available to reach young and technically savvy audiences. The Communicating Ecological Worth project will help create:
This community investment represents an exciting opportunity for the Foundation, according to Executive Director, Gael MacLeod. "The possibilities presented by this initiative mean that REALTORS® and interested community members can access information on their own schedules using their mobile phones and personal digital assistants," Macleod says. "Giving more Albertans access to tools to better understand and care for the environment." MacLeod adds that this project reflects the Foundation's commitment to improving land stewardship across Alberta. Other grants funded by the Board of Governors at their October 2009 meeting include:
For more information on these and other recent grants, please visit our current grants page. |
Business Students Go Beyond Location, Location, Location
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Business students at the University of Alberta are learning about the intricacies of real estate development and investment, thanks to an Alberta Real Estate Foundation initiative to create the course and Alberta REALTORS® providing hands-on industry experience. The Foundation grant, along with monies from the University of Alberta, supported the development of Business Economics: Principles in Real Estate. The course debuted in the 2008/09 academic year and this fall, was chosen as an elective course by 49 undergraduate business and five MBA students at the School of Business. “Regardless of their career paths, all students will be affected by real estate decisions in their careers,” says Dr. Paul McElhone, the Executive Director of the School of Retailing who helped develop the course and is the key instructor for the Fall 2009 session. “Whether it is operations, finance, accounting or marketing, real estate strategies have an impact on profitability and bottom line performance.” Principles in Real Estate offers business students an understanding of the complexity of the commercial real estate industry and exposure to industry experts and career options. The Foundation’s $500,000 commitment covers a five-year plan to initiate and refine the course. Industry members helped develop the course materials and served as guest instructors for the first two semesters. To gain formal approval by the University, this year’s course features a more traditional teaching model with a primary instructor and regular guest speakers. “The experience has been very positive for me,” says Edmonton REALTOR® Wayne Moen, who was involved in the initial concept and curriculum development. “Industry members are able to go beyond the theory and contribute with their everyday experiences in the marketplace.” Moen will continue his connection to the course this year, in a consulting and classroom participatory role. In fact, the practical experiences offered by industry members were an added bonus for Edmontonian Brian Menges. The former MBA student is a licensed mortgage broker who took the course during its debut year. “The insights brought to the class by instructors who work in the industry cannot be replaced by a textbook or academic teacher,” Menges says. “Much of what I learned in the class I now use in my daily work.” Menges adds that the course progression – step by step through the commercial development progress – was a useful and educational process. Foundation Governor Graham Downey was invited to bring his 40-plus years of commercial experience to both the development and delivery of the course. He says most business students will encounter leasing of space or property development at some point in their careers. “So this course provides excellent information in these areas that is not available in other courses,” says Downey, an Edmonton broker who specializes in commercial real estate. “I think the biggest thing that industry members bring to the course is real life experiences.” This is the first real estate course introduced at the School of Business in several years. McElhone says if the course is formally approved by the University of Alberta and student interest continues to rise, Principles of Real Estate may become a permanent fixture on campus. For more information about the course visit: |
REALTORS® Association of Lloydminster & District Support Community Spirit
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September 2009 - The REALTORS® Association of Lloydminster & District hosted a BBQ to kick off a city wide campaign to promote community spirit and a positive attitude toward the economic conditions in the community. The BBQ was attended by over 600 people on August 26, 2009. The Alberta Real Estate Foundation provided $1,500 in sponsorship to the Lloydminster Board to assist their efforts in promoting confidence in the real estate market and in rallying local REALTORS® to work together toward a common goal, volunteering in the community. Eileen Rohs, Executive Officer noted “with almost 100% Lloydminster membership involvement this project showed REALTORS® that working with the community promotes a positive attitude about our local economy and local real estate market. The positive feedback we received from hosting this BBQ, tells us that the goal we set was achieved and we look forward to being involved in more community projects in the future”. The BBQ was attended by numerous guests including: AREA President Bill Briggs, ASR® Incoming President Gary Busch, ASR® Executive Vice-President Bill Madder, AREA Director of Industry & Government Relations Bill Fowler, as well as local MLA's and dignitaries. The Alberta Real Estate Foundation supports local Real Estate Boards across Alberta in promoting the value of a REALTOR® through community projects and events. |
Town of Olds Focus for Habitat for Humanity
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July 2009 -The affordable housing crunch isn’t confined to Alberta’s larger metropolitan areas; indeed, the
need is just as powerful in smaller centres across the province. Thanks to a $60,000 Foundation
grant, Habitat for Humanity completed a duplex in Olds on a site previously home to the RCMP detachment. |
The Next Step on the Road to Sustainability
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May 2009 - Albertans now have new resources to move ahead in the quest for sustainability. Two new guides – The Naturday Step Sustainability Primer and Planning for Sustainability: A Starter Guide debuted in May at a sustainability conference in Cochrane. The projects – featuring tools to guide decision-making about sustainable planning, were funded in part by the Foundation. In 2006, a Foundation grant backed the research and production of Sustainability at Home: A Toolkit, a very successful and made-in-Alberta guide to forward environmental thinking for homeowners. These latest publications offer creative methods to help municipalities, businesses and organizations find the balance between planning futures and protecting the environment. The Sustainability Primer offers strategies to difficult planning challenges, while Planning for Sustainability details the framework to develop strategic and sustainable goals. “It is a perfect fit for us and the direction the Alberta Real Estate Foundation is taking,” says Executive Director, Gael MacLeod. “We helped introduce The Natural Step to Albertans with the toolkit and now, we’re pleased to play a role in the progression of sustainable thinking in Alberta.” MacLeod says these initiatives are good reflections of the Foundation’s place and purpose in Alberta. “When our grants are directed at projects that help Albertans and help plan for a healthy and sustainable future, I’d say that’s win-win on all sides.” Of particular interest in the guide are case studies from both Alberta and international businesses on determining the process and reaching acceptable solutions. |
