Staff Report

by Tim Pringle, Executive Director and Pauline Gomez, Assistant Executive Director During 2000 the Foundation experienced a 21% increase in grant applications compared to 1999 and a similar increase in the number of grants awarded. The Governors and staff capably handled this extra work load; however, we have made some changes to the application process to help us cope with increased demand. Further information is available on the back page of this report and on the Foundation website. The year 2000 also saw the dollar volume of grants awarded exceed the Foundation’s income for the year. We anticipate that this situation will be repeated in 2001 as bank prime rates edge downward, thereby reducing the interest accruing on real estate agents’ general trust accounts. Operating costs increased slightly from 1999 to 2000 and will not change significantly during 2001.
		Philip Hall (Land Centre), John Anderson (Alberta Real Estate Foundation), and Tim Pringle launch the Alberta Land Centre website.

Geographically, last year’s grants covered some new ground. Communities such as Telegraph Creek, Armstrong, Fort St. James, Midway, and others received funding support from the Real Estate Foundation for the first time. The list of grants awarded and the charts on page 10 provide details.

A sound process for making grant decisions requires clearly stated criteria regarding what projects may or may not be considered. To that end, we have developed funding guidelines for each of the four program theme areas: Housing & Finance, Environment & Land Use, Real Estate Industry Excellence, and Real Estate & Land Use Information for B.C. Communities. These can be found on the Foundation’s website under “Funding Criteria”.

During the past year the Real Estate Foundation of B.C. and the Alberta Real Estate Foundation concluded a partnership agreement to establish the Land Centre as an independent, non-profit agency. The Land Centre now has increased capacity to promote responsible land use by focusing on “best practice” (expertise) concerns faced by practitioners in real estate brokerage, community and regional planning, market and non-profit housing development, environmental protection, and other fields.

In the larger sphere of Canadian foundations, the Real Estate Foundation is pleased to be a partner in the Community Foundations of Canada Conference 2002 to be held in Kelowna. This conference will be significant for the community foundation movement as an opportunity to celebrate its growth, achievements and plans for the future. Although the Real Estate Foundation is not a community foundation, its grants address community well-being through a land use focus.