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, 2023.
2. Nominees will have made a significant impact 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. Nominees must 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 they displayed leadership in the project or organization, and their suitability as role models 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 past 14 months, 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. To qualify for consideration, the nominee's organization must be a valid 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization under all relevant laws, and all applicable registrations and filings must be up to date. The organization must be currently registered with the California Attorney General's Office and have active status under the California Secretary of State.

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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, 2023.
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 March 31, 2025 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 valid 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization under all relevant laws, and all applicable registrations and filings must be up to date. The organization must be currently registered with the California Attorney General's Office and have active status under the California Secretary of State. 
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 on C.A.R.'s website.  Award winner and honorees will be notified prior to the formal announcement in August and award presentation in September 2025.
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.

Who can make a nomination?
Anyone can make a nomination – a colleague, broker, family member, local association staff or the non-profit organization the member serves. The nominee must be a REALTOR® and have been a member of C.A.R. in good standing since at least Jan. 1, 2023.

What if I’m nominating someone but don’t have all the information asked for in the application?
You will have the opportunity to invite others to complete the application with you – including the nominee – who can collaborate and fill in any information you don’t have.

Can I nominate myself?
Yes. You are encouraged to do so. While you may not feel comfortable writing about your good work, you are in a unique position to describe the work you do for your organization. If you do nominate yourself, we recommend including at least one testimonial from someone who’s familiar with your work and may be able to speak in more glowing terms than you might use to describe yourself.

Can a group be nominated?
While there are many deserving groups, this award is specifically intended to recognize individual REALTORS®. The only exception would be if two people – such as a married couple – work together equally on a project. If their work truly cannot be separated, they can be nominated together. I applied last year, and my nominee wasn’t selected to be honored.

I applied last year, and my nominee wasn’t selected to be honored. Can I nominate them again?
Absolutely. In its first year, the Champions of Home Impact Awards received many applications but only a small number of members can be recognized each year. If you (or your nominee) fits the award criteria, you are encouraged to keep trying. You might also encourage your nominee to self-nominate.  

I submitted a nomination last year. Do I still have an account?
If you have previously submitted (or contributed to) a nomination, you will have created an account, and the nomination platform will remember your email address. If you do not remember your password, click “Login” and use the “Forgot Password” function.

How can I make my nomination stand out?
The essay and the testimonial letters are the most valuable parts of your application so pay close attention to them. Here are some tips for writing the most effective essay:

• Be as specific as possible. For example, give a close estimate of the number of hours volunteered, the number of people the nominee helped, the number of dollars raised, etc. Vague words like "countless" "incalculable" or even "thousands" are of little use to the judges.
• Don't rely on adjectives. Superlatives like "kindest," "most dedicated,” "most generous” don't help the judges evaluate a nominee's achievements. Instead, describe something specific the nominee did that illustrates how kind or dedicated they are.
• Don't be modest. If you’re uncomfortable talking about your achievements, have someone else write the essay portion for you and/or provide detailed testimonials. Testimonials from someone you've helped are particularly valuable.
• Focus on the nominee’s accomplishments, rather than those of the organization. The judges need to evaluate the impact the nominee has personally made. Don't make the mistake of only emphasizing how much good the organization has done; instead, focus on what the nominee has done for the organization.

When will the winner and honorees be announced?
One winner and up to two honorees will be announced in mid-August and recognized in September at C.A.R.’s REimagine! Conference and Expo.

What do the award recipients receive?
The winner will receive:

• $5,000 donation to the non-profit organization 501(c)3 they serve
• Travel expenses to REimagine! Conference & Expo for two
• Physical trophy
• Story video to be shown at awards presentation
• Article on C.A.R.’s website, car.org Press release, newsletter stories, shareable social media content
• Promotional communication supplied to local association

Up to 2 honorees will receive:

• $1,000 donation to the non-profit organization 501(c)3 they serve
• Travel expenses to REimagine! Conference & Expo for one
• Framed certificate
• Recognition at awards presentation
• Article on C.A.R.’s website, car.org
• Press release, newsletter stories, shareable social media content
• Promotional communication supplied to local association

Can I mail or email my application?
No, all nominations must be submitted online through the nomination platform.

Who can I contact with questions about the award or the nomination process?
Reach out to Melissa Hanson-O’Hare at [email protected] with any questions

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)