Issues Mobilization Grants

The Issues Mobilization Grant, which is part of NAR’s Campaign Services, provides financial assistance to state and local REALTOR^® associations to organize and manage effective state and local issue advocacy campaigns to promote positions on public policies (government laws, regulations, courses of action and funding priorities) that affect REALTOR^® interests. Methods of promoting a position include legislation, ordinances, referenda, and constitutional amendments.

Issues Mobilization Grants may not be applied for, nor may any portion of a grant awarded be used for, any activities related directly or indirectly to candidate elections*, electoral mechanics, or public employees.

Before you submit an application for an Issues Mobilization Grant, you may want to discuss your campaign with NAR’s Campaign Services staff. They can discuss a campaign strategy and suggest tools to use including polling, direct mail, phone calls, grassroots mobilization, advertising (online, print, radio & TV), websites/social media, voter files, etc. Many of these services are provided by NAR via our consultants at a discounted price.

You can review the campaigns funded by an Issues Mobilization Grant to get an idea of the type of campaigns funded in the past.

* NAR’s Independent Expenditure Program provides each state with funds that they can use to support candidates for political office who support REALTORS^® and the real estate industry.

Application Process & Criteria

State and local REALTOR^® associations need to submit the Issues Mobilization Grant Application. Before submitting an application, you need to review the Guidance Document which details the application requirements and procedures. NAR staff is available to assist you with the Application.

After you submit your application, it will be reviewed by NAR staff, who will contact you to discuss your application, and request any additional information, if necessary.

Once the application is finalized, the State and Local Issues Mobilization Support Committee will review your request during one of their scheduled meetings. The Committee meetings are held at NAR’s annual and mid-year conferences and via teleconference throughout the year. You will be asked to make a formal presentation and be available to answer questions from the Committee during the meeting.

Applications that do not adhere to the Guidance Document or do not include the required information, including a budget, required signatures, etc., will not be considered for review by the Committee.

Additional information is applicable to requests of $10,000 and less or for requests of $100,000 or more:

Applications $10,000 and Under

These applications will be reviewed, as they are submitted, by the Committee’s Advisory Group (Committee Chair, Vice Chair, Past Chair, a regional representative and a Realtor^® association staff representative). These applications do not need to be reviewed by the full Committee at a meeting.

Applications $100,000 and Over

If an application of $100,000 and over is approved by the Committee, it also needs to be reviewed and approved by NAR’s Executive Committee and Board, when the application is reviewed during a Committee meeting at NAR’s annual or midyear conferences; or by NAR’s Leadership, when the application is reviewed by the Committee during a teleconference meeting. Note that a review of the application by NAR’s Leadership may take several weeks to schedule.

Committee Actions & Notification of Decisions

After reviewing and discussing your application, the Committee, or Advisory Group, will take one of the following actions:

1. Approve the request in full.
2. Grant a portion of the funding request.
3. Approve all or a portion of the funding request provided special conditions are met.
4. Postpone a decision until the Committee receives and evaluates additional information.
5. Deny the request.

In making a decision, the Committee considers the following criteria:

Importance of public policy issue
Scope of impact of public policy issue
REALTOR^® involvement in the public policy issue
Winnability on public policy issue
Extent of community Support for REALTOR^® position
Association funds available and committed

You will be notified by NAR staff regarding the outcome of the Advisory Group’s, Committee’s, Leadership Team’s or Board’s decision shortly after their decision is made.

Funding and Reporting

If your request is approved by the Committee, you will receive a check or wire transfer from NAR. You need to let staff know to whom to make out the check and when the check is needed.

Funding support for lengthy campaigns may be disbursed incrementally. If incremental funding is granted, a campaign progress report must be submitted to NAR staff prior to receiving the additional funding.

A post-campaign report describing the issue campaign, support provided and outcome, if applicable, must be submitted to staff following the completion or outcome of the campaign.

Any unused funds shall be returned to NAR.