The mission of the REALTORS® Community Foundation is to improve the quality of life in the Boise region through housing-related projects and grants. The association incorporated the Foundation in 1995 as a 501(c)(3) organization. The Foundation is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Boise Regional REALTORS® managed by its own Board of Directors.
Since its inception, the Foundation has provided over $1.8 million in grants to qualifying, local non-profit organizations.
VOTE FOR 2025’S GRANTEES!
The REALTORS® Community Foundation has the unique honor of supporting four grantees each year with the help of our membership. November 14th – 28th marks the voting period for next year’s grantees — Cast YOUR vote by visiting here or clicking the button, below.
Only active members of BRR are eligible to vote. You’ll need your NRDS # to validate your vote. Don’t know it? Find it here: https://login.connect.realtor/#!/forgotmember
Mission Statement:
Boise Schools Foundation raises funds to benefit motivating and innovative programs and projects that benefit the students of the Boise School District.
Project/Program Description:
The S.A.F.E. (Student Aid Fund for Emergencies) program has a very simple and far-reaching goal, to provide emergency funds to help Boise School District students and their families with basic needs. Low-income, at-risk students in the Boise School District have a variety of needs ranging from simple school supplies, clothing and personal needs, to participating in school activities to rent and utility assistance. Although the Boise School District receives a federal grant for homeless students, the S.A.F.E. program targets those students outside the federal grant requirements who are at risk and operating at near-homelessness. The S.A.F.E. program targets kids who are falling through the cracks. Counselors and social workers at every school have access to these funds for immediate needs for students and their families.
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Mission Statement:
Boise Rescue Mission Ministries (BRMM) serves homeless men, women, children, seniors, and veterans in Idaho. BRMM’s mission is to reach out to the community by teaching the Word of God and providing food, shelter, clothing, and opportunities for men, women, and children to recover from homelessness. BRMM meets the basic needs of homeless individuals and offers effective, successful programs that inspire hope and equip individuals with the knowledge and practical skills to help them break the cycle of homelessness. BRMM believes that access to supportive services is key to social and economic mobility as well as overall health and safety for homeless individuals. Supportive services include addiction recovery; access to quality medical, dental, and mental health care; education; vocational services; financial literacy training; access to legal services; and programming tailored to children and youth.
Project/Program Description:
Implemented in 2000, BRMM’s City Light Home for Women and Children is located in Ada County and serves single women and women with children. City Light Home for Women and Children (City Light) provides emergency services such as meals, shelter, and clothing as well as education, work-search assistance, mental health counseling, supportive services for veterans, addiction recovery through the New Life Program, and children’s programs.
There is a significant need in Ada County for City Light’s services. The number of women and women with children who seek help from City Light has increased by 50% in 2024 compared to 2023. BRMM expects this number to continue increasing in 2025 due to funding from the City of Boise for a city-funded hotel that houses homeless individuals ending by September 2025. Funding from the REALTORS® Community Foundation would help BRMM as we expand our services to accommodate more women and children in Ada County who are in need of shelter and supportive services.
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Mission Statement:
To provide supplemental funding and support for educational programs and projects in classroom innovation for the benefit of students in the West Ada School District.
Project/Program Description:
The Housing + High School = Success program aims to make high school graduation possible for unaccompanied and unhoused high school students by providing small monthly housing stipends to families willing to provide room and board to these students. Most unaccompanied youth in West Ada are students who are either kicked out of their home or who have left due to some family dysfunction, including abuse and neglect. These youth live in a variety of unsafe, temporary situations, including cars, parks, and motels. Because of these unsafe conditions, many students also choose to stay with the families of their friends or classmates—this is considered “doubling up”. The H+H program works to create housing stability for the students by providing a housing stipend to the families who provide these students with housing, food, and other necessary accommodations. These housing stipends create an incentive for families to allow unaccompanied youth to stay long-term and alleviate the cost-burden of adding another member to their family.
With newfound housing stability students can increase attendance, academic achievement, and student safety. This is especially vital as homeless youth are 87% more likely to drop out of high school than their housed classmates, according to a study by Tufts University.
To qualify for the program, students must be considered unaccompanied youth, 18-21 years of age, and enrolled full-time in a West Ada high school with passing grades and attendance. The families who house these students are issued a $200 monthly stipend to help cover the costs to meet the students’ basic needs. These families must undergo a background check to qualify for the program and then sign a landlord agreement. Currently the West Ada School District reports 845 unhoused youth in need of assistance, with 20 identified high school students qualifying for H+H.
This program is an investment in the future success of these students. In the words of a former unaccompanied youth in our District, “life is easier when you’re in control over where you sleep”. By making safe, stable housing a possibility, students have the chance to succeed.
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Mission Statement:
We Feed People.
Project/Program Description:
We are asking for $5,200 to have dedicated funds for our homeless. This would allow us to spend about $100 each week to meet their specific needs.
If possible, we would also like to ask for money to upgrade some of our shelving and tables. We salvaged the shelves from a local business in 2008 and the tables show they have worked hard for over a decade. We ask for an additional $1,500 for this expense.
We are asking for funds for our homeless and housing insecure people, Most of them are in a circumstance where they have no voice. We serve teens, still in high school, who are kicked out of their home by their parents, forced to couch-surf or sleep in cars. We help people who were injured on the job and when the injury allowed them to go back to work found out their job was eliminated and now face eviction by their landlord. We see elderly people who live in a tent and cannot drive. We focus on teens as there is another backpack program for children who are in elementary school. Our school district has moved to a 4-day week, so we are providing our students 3-days of food.
If we receive this grant we will be able to purchase more food, as well as personal care items which are seldom donated. If we do not receive the grant, we will continue to give the students food from our regular donations, which sometimes falls far short of what we’d like to give them.
In 2023, you approved our request to purchase food for homeless teens and low income families. Items specifically suited to their unique needs and circumstances.
As we were getting ready to spend the money, we faced two serious equipment failures — the air conditioning unit in our pantry building went out, followed by one of our double-side commercial freezers. Because of these two unexpected expenses, we were unable to expand our homeless teen and family program.
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Mission Statement:
The Mission of Good Samaritan Home is to end homelessness for low-income veterans, adults with disabilities, and independent seniors in Boise. We offer permanent and affordable housing that includes utilities, meals, and social services to residents making less than 30% of the area median income (AMI) without using taxpayer subsidies. Our Vision is to end homelessness in the Treasure Valley and enhance health and stability for all. We at GSH believe every person should have an opportunity to fulfill their basic needs regardless of limitations, disadvantages, trauma, or lack of opportunity. When each person’s needs are met, we understand and recognize the enhancement of our community through equity, resilience, and economic efficiency.
Project/Program Description:
At Good Samaritan Home, our Food Service Program provides three nutritious meals per day at no cost to our residents. This program directly supports housing stability by addressing two critical barriers faced by low-income individuals: food insecurity and financial strain. By alleviating the burden of food costs, residents can allocate their limited resources toward other essential expenses, such as rent and healthcare, thereby reducing the risk of homelessness.
For many of our residents, particularly seniors, veterans, and those with limited incomes, food insecurity is closely tied to housing insecurity. Without reliable access to affordable meals, individuals may struggle to meet their nutritional needs, which can lead to poor health outcomes and increased reliance on emergency services. Our food program mitigates this risk by ensuring that all residents have access to consistent, healthy meals, which helps stabilize their overall living situation and promotes long-term well-being.
This program also fosters community engagement and social support, as residents gather for shared meals, building connections and reducing isolation, which is a key factor in sustaining housing stability. By integrating food security into our housing model, Good Samaritan Home reduces the demand for emergency services, such as hospitalizations and homeless shelters, and supports our residents in maintaining their housing and health over the long term.
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Mission Statement:
Jesse Tree leads the Treasure Valley in preventing eviction and homelessness by supporting our neighbors at risk of housing loss, empowering them to stay in their homes.
Project/Program Description:
Jesse Tree’s main program is the Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) program. The ERA program provides one-time emergency financial assistance and case management to families being evicted due to a temporary inability to pay rent. Case management includes financial literacy education, supportive services, and connections to needed resources and employment. Case managers work with clients to set goals and create personalized housing stability plans to establish a strategy for self-sufficiency after avoiding eviction. The ultimate goal of the ERA program is to help households avoid an eviction judgment on their record, which can be a lifelong barrier to securing future housing and employment. An additional goal is to ensure that clients gain the skills and knowledge needed to remain stable in the long term.
Demand for Jesse Tree’s resources has continued to increase due to the rising cost of rent, which has increased by 40% in recent years. Requests for one-time emergency rental assistance increased by 555% over the last four years. In 2023, average eviction cases nearly doubled when federal funds for emergency rental assistance timed out. Approximately 90% of evictions are due to a temporary inability to pay rent, and households are simply in need of a small amount of funding to stay housed. So far in 2024, Jesse Tree has fielded over 21,000 calls and texts and over 3,000 applications for assistance from Treasure Valley tenants. Jesse Tree anticipates ongoing increases in the need for our services as the Treasure Valley community continues to experience unprecedented population growth. Housing development cannot keep up with the rising population, causing rent costs to rise. It is estimated that the Boise area alone is short thousands of units that working families can afford.
Jesse Tree is requesting $10,000 in funds from the Boise REALTORS® Community Foundation for our ERA program, through which we provide one-time emergency rental assistance to low-income families at risk of eviction and homelessness. Our organization’s goal in the upcoming year is to prevent eviction for over 1,000 families, and a $10,000 grant would allow us to support five of those families.
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Mission Statement:
The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in his name without discrimination.
Project/Program Description:
The Salvation Army is requesting help to purchase workbooks for our “Getting Ahead” group for the 2025 year. The workbooks are a critical part of our group and go directly to client as they attend the group and to keep upon graduation.
Our “Getting Ahead” program, launched in 2016, is a specialized housing counseling initiative that addresses the deep-rooted issues behind housing instability, helping individuals secure and maintain stable housing by breaking the cycle of poverty. Unlike typical financial literacy or life skills classes, “Getting Ahead” is structured around Dr. Ruby Payne’s research, which highlights that poverty is the lack of critical resources—not just money, but also the educational, emotional, and social tools essential for stable housing.
This 12-week, 40-hour program provides a unique counseling experience in a welcoming, conversational setting where participants are treated as experts in their own lives. The focus is on building housing stability by helping participants understand how poverty-driven behaviors—often focused on solving immediate crises like overdue rent or avoiding eviction—make it difficult to plan for long-term housing security. Through guided discussions, participants map out their own experiences with housing instability and identify gaps in the resources needed to achieve stable housing.
“Getting Ahead” helps participants shift their perspective from crisis-based problem-solving to sustainable planning, giving them tools to prioritize and stabilize their housing situations. Through self-assessments, personal resource inventories, and targeted counseling, they gain insights into how the lack of specific resources contributes to housing instability. This approach empowers participants to build a “future story” that includes realistic steps toward securing affordable, long-term housing. By addressing the mindset and structural factors that perpetuate housing insecurity, “Getting Ahead” equips individuals with the resilience and strategies needed to overcome the cycle of poverty and achieve lasting housing stability.
The Pathway of Hope program in Boise, Idaho, has transformed the life of Ms. Jones and her two children. After two years of homelessness following her boyfriend’s arrest, Katie connected with The Salvation Army. With help from this program, she had transitioned from a homeless shelter to her own apartment. The Case Manager was instrumental in guiding Ms. Jones on her journey, assisting her in setting goals, finding resources, and addressing various issues.
In addition to weekly meetings she attended the course “Getting Ahead in a Just Gettin’ By World,” which focuses on housing stability through breaking the cycle of poverty and building a better life. She is now in her own apartment and set to train in medical billing and coding, testifies to the life-changing impact of the Pathway of Hope program.
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Mission Statement:
The mission statement of the Women’s and Children’s Alliance is to provide safety, healing, and freedom from domestic abuse and sexual assault.The vision of the Women’s and Children’s Alliance is to foster a community where individuals thrive in safe, healthy relationships.
The core values of the Women’s and Children’s Alliance are:
Project/Program Description:
The focus of this grant request is in support of the WCA’s shelter program, which provided 10,905 safe bed nights to 88 women and 120 children in 2023. Domestic violence shelters have been found to be one of the most supportive and effective resources for individuals who are in an abusive relationship. Shelter services are designed to address, and repair, the effects of the physical and psychological damage incurred. Individuals residing in a shelter experience more social support and, due to the availability of trained staff, have fewer difficulties obtaining community resources thus achieve a higher quality of life and less abuse over time. These are protective factors that enhance an individual’s safety. The focus is on addressing immediate needs, and preparation for moving forward without fear and the possibility of a better life. The goal of the WCA’s shelter program is to assist each individual to get on their feet again so that they can become able to independently care for themselves and their family. Shelters are not, in and of themselves, long-term solutions but they can put those solutions in to motion.
The WCA’s shelter complex integrates safety and security in to a comprehensive best practice program that is client-centered. Unduplicated within its service area, shelter residency increased 7% in calendar year 2023. This number reflects individuals who have fled a domestic violence relationship which is potentially the deadliest time period in an abusive relationship, both for adults and for the children. The residential shelter program was established in 1980 and has grown exponentially over the past forty-four years. It now provides both emergency and transitional housing and more than 100 beds. Client Advocates (CAs) staff the facilities 24/7. The emergency shelter, Serena’s House, opened in 2003, has individual family rooms, with several having private bathrooms that are handicap-accessible. Prior to Serena’s House, residents were housed in the WCA’s downtown location. Laura’s Home, transitional housing, was established in 2017. This two-story structure, contiguous to Serena’s House, provided needed up-stairs quarantine rooms during the pandemic. Shelter residents partake, by choice, in the program’s vast programmatic curriculum featuring the following: individual counseling (adult and children), case management, support groups, Financial Empowerment, Safety Planning, Court Advocacy, Rape Crisis Advocacy and on-site legal services. Clients may also have the opportunity to participate in a scholarship program.
According to the National Network to End Domestic Violence, domestic violence is a leading cause of homelessness for women and their children. Securing housing following an individual’s residence in the WCA shelter facilities is often critical to them gaining independence and breaking the cycle of violence for themselves and their children. The following partnerships are examples of how accessing WCA services may lead to long-term housing solutions:-Charitable Assistance to Community Homelessness (CATCH)/ Our Path Home: Works within the Ada County community to end homelessness by providing housing and resource support for families. This collaboration helps to aid families seeking new beginnings while also providing case management services.-Boise City Ada County Housing Authority (BCACHA): This is a partnership supports clients who received an Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) Housing Voucher. There is no waiting list for this program. Rather, the referrals are made by the WCA Case Managers. The WCA provides advocacy, emotional support, ongoing case management, assistance with finding housing, safety planning, and resources and referrals to meet basic needs. BCACHA provides financial assistance for rent, utilities, and other housing related costs.
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Mission Statement:
Everyone needs a home. That is why we work to create a safe, healthy, connected community by embracing Housing First best practices, empowering those without housing, building collaborative partnerships, and increasing public understanding to end homelessness.
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Mission Statement:
Our Mission is to deliver wrap-around services and a navigation network hub for veterans, active-duty military personnel, and their families, providing community resources for education, housing, entrepreneurship, workforce management, family, and wellness services.
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Mission Statement:
Life’s Kitchen is dedicated to transforming the lives of young adults by building self-sufficiency and independence through comprehensive food service and life skills training, placement in the foodservice industry, and continuing education. Our vision is to provide a space where young adults can access the educational resources, tools, and opportunities they need to enhance their self-worth, live independently, and realize their full potential.
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Mission Statement:
The WCA provides a comprehensive and secure emergency and transitional shelter program, in confidential locations with round-the-clock staff assistance. The shelters have private rooms and common living facilities for women and children who are fleeing domestic and/or sexual assault.
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Weichert, REALTORS – Cormier & Associates
Empire Title & Escrow
Fidelity National Title of Idaho
Keller Williams Realty Boise
Stack Rock Realty
Stewart Title
Silvercreek Realty Group
Silvercreek Realty Group
Evans Realty, LLC
Fathom Realty
Guardian Mortgage
Secretary/CEO
Board members as of January 1, 2024. Please note that rosters may change at any time without notice and may not be immediately updated here. Meetings of this Board are open to all BRR members in good standing; however, voting is only open to members of the Board. Please contact the staff liaison with questions.
The REALTORS® Community Foundation is a 501(c)(3) and all donations are tax-deductible. There are many options to give throughout the year. Here are some available opportunities to provide a donation to the Foundation:
Thank you for supporting the REALTORS® Community Foundation!
Boise Regional REALTORS® is committed to supporting the LEAP Housing Trust – a community land trust for affordable homeownership in the Treasure Valley.
Since announcing the partnership in July 2021, BRR and LEAP continue to work together to help more people achieve the dream of home, by creating affordably priced homeownership and rental opportunities.
Find LEAP resources here.
Avoid a $200 late fee by renewing your REALTOR® membership before Saturday, November 30th (if you haven’t already). Pay online, mail a check (1911 S Wells Ave; Meridian, ID 83642) or pay over the phone at 208-376-0363 (during business hours).
Visit here for more information about Membership Renewal and a how-to video for paying online.
*Dues, late fees, and voluntary contributions are non-refundable.*
Affiliate renewal will be available soon. We appreciate your patience.
Your NAR Code of Ethics training is DUE by December 31, 2024. Cross it off your list today, before the holiday crazies!
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