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NAR Grants Promoting Commercial Programs

NAR offers several grants to help state and local REALTOR® associations fund and support commercial services and programs in their local communities. View grant options, application ideas, and more. 

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Commercial Innovation Grants

Commercial Innovation Grants

Provides "kickstarter" funds to help state and local REALTOR associations create new commercial services or programs.

(Grants may be awarded in amounts ranging from $500 to $3,500)

Questions? Please contact: CommercialInnovationGrant@nar.realtor.

Learn more & apply

Application Ideas
  1. Create an event where you bring EDO and commercial practitioners together to discuss projects and future developments. 
  2. Develop a CE program that teaches best practices to engage EDOs and what incentivizes the EDO in a real estate transaction. 
  3. Build a website to engage your commercial members and include a tab that pulls in news regarding economic development projects from your state and local EDO. 
  4. Create a roundtable discussion bringing together EDO and commercial practitioners to discuss needs and actions that can be taken to make the locality more attractive and help reduce the vacancy rate. 
  5. Develop an awards program to highlight the success of commercial practitioners and EDO professionals in your market. 
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Consumer Advocacy Grant

Consumer Advocacy Grant

The Consumer Advocacy Grant allows local and state REALTOR® associations to create consumer advocacy activities in their communities that advance wise public policies that strengthen the real estate market, promote property ownership, and build strong communities leading to a healthy economy.

(Up to $25,000 may be requested if not a collaborative campaign. If collaborative campaign state and local associations, up to $75,000 may be requested.)

Learn more

Application Ideas
  1. Develop an advocacy campaign to impact an issue that could negatively impact property value and vacancy rates. 
  2. Develop an advocacy campaign that aligns with the objectives of your local EDO.
  3. Develop an advocacy campaign around a need for something that would make your community more attractive to commercial buyers and tenants. 
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Smart Growth Grant

Smart Growth Grant

Smart Growth Grants support state and local REALTOR association efforts to advance programs, policies and initiatives aligned with one or more of the 10 Smart Growth Principles.

Apply

More on Smart Growth Grants

Many small and mid-sized cities in the US are struggling because their economies were built on a single economic sector that has changed. Changing circumstances, such as resource depletion, globalization, or shifts in consumer preferences, can leave cities without a healthy tax base. Rather than seeking to attract major employers to replace lost jobs, some cities have tried a different method - a shift toward place-based approaches to economic development. This economic development approach is referred to as smart growth economic development. 

(Level 1 maximum award is $3,000. Level 2 maximum award is $7,500. Level 3 maximum award is $15,000)

Application Ideas
  1. Hire a speaker to conduct NAR’s Planning and Zoning: Advocating for Your Community's Future course.
  2. Partner with your chamber of commerce or local economic development organization to host a conference about economic development and smart growth.
  3. Partner with your local economic development organization to conduct a downtown reassessment and walkability study.
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Placemaking Grant

Placemaking Grant

NAR’s Placemaking Grant is available to REALTOR® associations to help them plan, organize, implement, and maintain Placemaking activities in collaboration with their communities. 

(Level 1 up to $3,000 may be requested. Level 2 up to $7,500 may be requested.)

What is Placemaking?

Placemaking is a way to make your community a better place to live by transforming unused sites and “eyesores” into welcoming destinations accessible to everyone in a community. Anyone in a community can undertake placemaking, but someone is often needed to take the lead or initiative. Who better to do this than a REALTOR® Association which are already engaged in their communities, know the neighborhoods and properties, and are likely to know where to focus efforts to enhance a place. Connect with your local leaders or partner with other organizations to understand community needs and create a partnership to develop a Placemaking initiative. Schedule ribbon cutting and invite your local elected officials and media representatives for ongoing community recognition.

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Application Ideas, with the general idea being to create a public, outdoor gathering place on public property:
  1. Help bring a new spark of life to your community by supporting the creation of a beautiful visual mural. This project will use the power of art to add vibrancy and creativity to a specific area in your community.
  2. Transform a vacant plot of land into a trailhead or park.
  3. Develop a community garden.
  4. Build a playground or provide amenities like shaded areas or benches to an existing playground.
  5. Visit NAR’s Spaces to Places blog for additional ideas from other associations.
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Rural Outreach Grant

Rural Outreach Grant

NAR's Rural Outreach Grant is available to state and local REALTOR associations serving communities with a population of under 30,000 people. Grants can support training, forums, events, studies, and ordinance drafting, on a wide range of issues such as broadband, well and septic, open space preservation, environmental standards, and planning and zoning issues.

(Level 1 maximum award is $3,000. Level 2 maximum award is $7,500.)

Learn more

Application Ideas
  1. Host a local or national speaker to discuss a challenge impacting your community.
  2. Provide education opportunities for members to learn about an issue impacting your community. Organize targeted training or put together a summit that covers a range of issues for your community.
  3. Bring together REALTORS®, consumers, elected officials, and community stakeholders to discuss one or more issues impacting rural communities.
  4. Hire a consultant to develop a training session for REALTORS® on a particular issue.
  5. Use a consultant to draft a plan, local ordinance, or policy on an issue impacting your community.
  6. Develop materials to educate your members or for your members to distribute to their clients and potential homebuyers.
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Transforming Neighborhoods

Transforming Neighborhoods

Does your community need help reimagining a neighborhood or town center, repurposing a brownfield or other troubled site, spurring economic development, or igniting commercial activity? Local REALTOR® associations can apply for NAR’s Transforming Neighborhoods to bring the Counselors of Real Estate’s (CRE) Consulting Corp expert real estate problem solving skills to their area. Applications open early January and close mid-February each year. NAR underwrites the cost of CRE Consulting Corp team travel and report generation.

Learn more