C.A.R. is relaunching its Champions of Home Awards with a new name and new criteria. The Champions of Home Impact Awards honor California REALTORS^® who have made a significant impact on their communities through volunteer efforts. Eligible activities include any kind of volunteer work that serves to address issues in the community at large. Examples include (but are not limited to) food insecurity, housing, educational, social and/or environmental issues. One award winner and up to two award honorees will be recognized at the REimagine! Conference & Expo in September. 

Nominations Open: March 1, 2024

Deadline to Enter: April 15, 2024 Extended to April 30, 2024

Criteria

1. Nominees must be members of the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS^® (C.A.R.) in good standing, and membership must have been active since at least Jan. 1, 2022.
2. Nominees will have made a significant impact as through volunteer efforts for a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Eligible activities include any kind of volunteer work that serves to address issues in the greater community. Examples include (but are not limited to) food insecurity, and/or housing, educational, social and/or environmental issues.
3. Nominee should have made a significant contribution of personal time, but contributions of money, materials, and other resources will be considered as well.
4. Nominees will be judged on the level, depth and impact of their personal contribution, the broadness of impact, the extent to which the nominee displayed leadership in the project or organization, and the nominee’s suitability as a role model for other REALTORS^®.
5. The award is intended to recognize individual contributions, not association- or company-wide efforts. If an individual within your company can be singled out as instrumental to the success of a group effort, they are eligible. If the achievements of two people (such as a married couple or co-founders of an organization) cannot be separated, they can enter as a pair and their entry will be considered as one.
6. Some portion of the nominee's community work must have taken place during the timeframe specified on the application form, but judges will also consider ongoing efforts outside that timeframe that demonstrate a depth of commitment.
7. Nominees will need to document the results of their individual involvement though published reports and/or testimonials from the organization they serve(d) or the people they help(ed).
8. The winning grants must be issued to U.S. 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations.

Rules

1. Nominees must be members of the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS^® (C.A.R.) in good standing. and membership must have been active since at least Jan. 1, 2022.
2. REALTORS^® may nominate themselves or may be nominated by another C.A.R. member, local association staff, or the community organization they serve. Nominees will need to verify some information about themselves so will need to contribute to the application if they are not the one initiating it. The nominator will be able to add the nominee as a collaborator on the application.
3. To enter, complete the official entry form online and submit it with any required attachments. You may collaborate with others to complete the application, but all portions must be completed in ONE application and submitted by the deadline. Incomplete nominations will not be considered.
4. Entries must be submitted online by 11:59 p.m. on April 15 April 30, 2024 to be considered for this year's awards. 
5. All information submitted on the application form is subject to verification by awards staff. Awards staff and/or judges may undertake reference checks with the organization served, the nominee’s broker and/or local board of REALTORS^® in order to validate information in nominee’s entry package.
6. Judges will be directors of C.A.R. Judges’ decisions are final. Submissions will be judged and scored according to the following criteria:
   1. Level and depth of personal contribution
   2. Impact/effect of personal contribution
   3. Broadness of impact
   4. Leadership/initiative displayed
   5. Suitability as a role model for other REALTORS^®
7. Grants will be awarded to the 501(c)3 nonprofit named on the entry form. The nonprofit must be a 501(c)3 currently registered with the Attorney General and in good standing.
8. One (1) award winner and up to two (2) award honorees will be selected. Five thousand dollars will be awarded to the winner’s 501(c)3 organization and one thousand dollars to each of the nonprofits identified by the honorees. If the nominee's work involves more than one organization, grants can be divided between two organizations, but only if the winner has documented those organizations on the entry form.
9. Award winner and honorees must agree to participate in a variety of public relations activities including a video produced for the award ceremony and an article and photographs for publication in California Real Estate magazine.  Award winner and honorees will be notified prior to the formal announcement and award presentation in September 2024.
10. The use of the name of the Champions of Home Impact Award for marketing purposes is strictly reserved for the recipients of the award.  Use of the “nomination” for publicity of any kind by candidates under consideration may result in disqualification.
11. Champions of Home Impact Awards judges and their families, and staff of C.A.R. and their families, are ineligible to participate.
12. All entries must be submitted via the online entry form. C.A.R. is not responsible for late, incomplete or misdirected entries. Winner and honorees will be notified by phone and email.

What You Will Need To Apply

The awards application will be available online on March 1, 2024. In addition to general information about the nominee and the organization served, you will need: 

• Estimated number of hours and amount of resources the nominee has contributed to the organization
• Estimated number of people who have been impacted
• Brief description of the mission of the organization the nominee serves
• 50-60 word description of the nominee's volunteer work
• 500-word essay that describes how the nominee’s efforts have made the community a better place to live
• Testimonials (with contact information) from the organization and/or people the nominee has helped (optional)
• Published reports that document the nominee's contribution (optional) 

Questions
Please email [email protected] with any questions about the award or the application process.