Our Story

For more than 75 years, California REALTORS® have gone beyond buying and selling homes – we invested in the people and communities that make California thrive. At the California Association of REALTORS® (C.A.R.), we support a family of charitable causes that expand access to affordable housing, keep families and neighborhoods whole during times of disaster, open doors to real estate careers through scholarships, and uphold the highest standards of professionalism and integrity through educational grants. Together, these efforts reflect our belief that thriving communities are the foundation of a strong and vibrant California. See CARES in Action and how we're making a difference for California communities.

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Scholarship Foundation: Provides scholarships to California students pursuing real estate-related degrees by lessening the cost of education. Reduced educational expenses can help recipients enter the profession with greater focus and fewer immediate financial challenges.

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Housing Affordability Fund: Expands pathways to homeownership by offering financial assistance that helps first-time buyers enter the market and handle initial housing costs. These efforts support Californians during a critical transition and align with broader goals of fostering stable, engaged, and economically active communities.

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Disaster Relief Fund: Provides grants to members of the REALTOR® community impacted by disasters and contributes to a closely aligned partner foundation that is equipped to serve the public. These coordinated efforts help strengthen recovery across impacted regions, delivering much-needed assistance to Californians during times of crisis. 

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Education Foundation: The Education Foundation provides support for REALTOR® education and training, to enhance knowledge and reinforce the profession’s emphasis on integrity. With deeper expertise, REALTORS® are better positioned to help Californians uncover potential pathways to homeownership when the opportunities may not be obvious.

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Now, we are building on that legacy with CARES – a new framework that connects C.A.R.’s charitable foundations and empowers members to live out their philanthropic values. More than an initiative, CARES is a movement that highlights how deeply REALTORS® care for the communities they serve.

With CARES, we are centralizing fundraising, expanding awareness, and inspiring broader support across the REALTOR® family and beyond. Through CARES, C.A.R.’s charitable organizations can concentrate on what matters most – delivering programs that create real impact.