Today is May 1st.  Hard to believe that 2012 is a third over!  My CRM software tells me that it is day 122 of 2012 and that there are 244 days left - so we are exactly 1/3 of the way through the year today.

My email program tells me that in those 122 days I have received 139 emails from Molly Hahn.  I'm not surprised.  Several years ago when Roger Lundy served as the President of the REALTOR® Foundation, he told us at the December Board meeting how many emails he had received that year from Molly. I was awe struck then but at least I was prepared.

After this Friday, I will no longer be getting emails from Molly.  I will miss them!

As I'm sure most of you know, Molly soon will be having her 3^rd child and has made the decision to stay home with the baby and her 2 boys, Doyle and Leo.  When Molly joined the REALTOR® Foundation in November 2006, she and Noah had been married less than a year.  My how time flies.

Molly has in her tenure at the REALTOR® Foundation accomplished a lot.  She has lead us through growth of our Annual Fund and the completion of our first and only capital campaign. We have all benefited from her guidance and dedication to this organization and each of us.

To honor Molly's work, the Board of Directors established a gift to the endowment. It is fitting that the gift go directly to the endowment since the focus of the newly created strategic plan – which Molly shepherded – is on endowment building.  If you would like to recognize Molly's tenure with the Foundation, please join the Board of Directors in honoring Molly with your contribution.

As one of the 7 Foundation Presidents to work with Molly, I think I have have a little better insight into all the things she does to further the mission of the Foundation while helping guide the many volunteers.  While I realize I probably don't really have a clue as to how many things Molly does behind the scenes, I have witnessed how she tactfully guides the Presidents through their respective terms while adapting to our individual styles and needs.

I think I can safely speak for Pat Williams, Mark Dudley, Roger Lundy, Kaye Hirt Eggleston, Regina Jones, and Joyce Scotten when I say THANK YOU MOLLY!  You are leaving the REALTOR® Foundation in better shape than when you arrived.  You have helped the Foundation to help hundreds of homeless individuals and families in Central Indiana.  We will miss you!

Editor's note: Thank you for the kind words, Bruce!! Thanks also the Foundation board for their gifts to the endowment. I am deeply touched and will miss everyone. - Molly

Congratulation to one of our grant recipients - Project Home Indy!

Project Home Indy has received a $40,000 grant from the Indianapolis Foundation for general operating support to help provide housing and comprehensive services to homeless pregnant and parenting teen mothers.

Check out this video to learn more about Project Home Indy (filmed before the REALTOR Foundation decided to make its grant!).  http://youtu.be/4DSKj-WWEh8

Did you know that Indianapolis has a Blueprint to End Homelessness? The Coalition for Homelessness Intervention and Prevention (CHIP) has a ten-year strategy to both prevent and end homelessness in Indianapolis. The Blueprint focuses on the following goals:

• Strengthening efforts to prevent people from becoming homeless;
• Improving access to, and coordination of, housing and services;
• Enhancing services in specific areas of need; and
• Coordinating service systems for special populations, including families, veterans, youth and survivors of domestic violence.

As part of our annual granting process The REALTOR Foundation's grant committees looks at the Marion County based charities requesting assistance to make sure they participate in the Blueprint. If you would like to know about the Blueprint to End Homelessness visit http://www.chipindy.org/pdf/Blueprint.pdf

Ok, fess up: did you buy a Mega Millions ticket this week or not? With the pot growing over $500,000,000, it’s quite tempting to think about what one could do with the winnings. What would you do? Buy a new car and house? Take vacations? Fund an education or pay back loans? Gift some to charity?

For the last several years, I have been part of the Foundation grants process. Every year, we agree that we wish we had more money to grant and we mourn the financial state of shelters dependent on government funding and a declining economy. There are organizations in our area with budgets in a barely balanced state who are working to stretch every dollar they have. So as I see the headlines about the Mega Millions pot this week, I think – what could we do for the homeless with $500,000,000?

Have a great weekend!

On Friday, March 9^th I represented the REALTOR® Foundation at the Central Indiana Board Chair Summit.  This gathering of over 150 Board Chairs, Executive Directors and Board Members of not-for-profit organizations came together to share experiences and resources while learning how to improve themselves, their Boards, and their organizations.

One of the concepts that stuck with me was the importance of Social Capital and how Social Capital may impact the REALTOR® Foundation's Financial Capital.

When I heard the concept my first reaction was about how important Financial Capital is to the mission of the REALTOR® Foundation.  Without your financial support we could not have helped the 19 Central Indiana Charities to whom we recently granted a total of $100,000.

But as I heard and thought more about Social Capital I realized that without the Social Capital the REALTOR® Foundation has earned we would not have been able to achieve the level of Financial Capital we have come to enjoy.  As the REALTOR® Foundation continues to grow its capital stability and broaden its outreach we first need to invest in our Social Capital.

The REALTOR Foundation's Marketing Committee, Donor Relations Committee, Endowment Committee and our many Ambassadors and Liaisons are working hard to continue to build the Foundation’s Social Capital.  Thanks to the many volunteers who continue to help the Foundation build upon its solid base.  If you have any ideas about how the REALTOR® Foundation can expand its Social Capital please send me your thoughts.

This week, we celebrated Leap Day with the REALTOR® Day of Service. Many REALTORS® were out giving blood or donating items or doing work in various organizations around town. Great work!!

So much for our slow time, right? I don’t know about you, but I feel like life hasn’t slowed down one bit since December. As we head into our busy season, how can we keep in mind those who are in great need? Here are some suggestions:

1. Suggest the Adopt a House program to clients who are leaving furniture behind
2. Plan to join in our Volunteer Day on June 8
3. Talk to someone who doesn’t know about the Foundation’s work and connect them to the Foundation website (www.realtorfoundation.org)

Last but certainly not least, I want to welcome Dean Hicks from Prudential Indiana to our Foundation board. He joins six other new board members this year. For a list of all board members, click here: http://realtorfoundation.org/index.php/about-us/board-of-directors/

Be sure to email me if you have ideas for the Foundation at bruce@brightsideteam.com

Finally – It’s here! It seems that many of us have been waiting for 2012 for one reason or another. There are so many exciting things going on this year, and that’s why my blog is all about the ‘buzz’ that we’re creating here in Indy. As REALTORS®, we should be proud of all that our city has to offer and proud to be part of the biggest event in the world on February 5.

Already this year, I have seen indications that great events are upon us. Just last weekend, I attended the opening and dedication of the CommonWealth, which is a mixed use apartment building built out of a historic school on the Near Eastside. This project is one of at least 20 that the REALTOR® Foundation will affect this year. There were three media outlets present at the dedication – here is a sample of what they reported: http://www.wthr.com/story/16521727/super-bowl-project-turns-school-into-housing#.TxLz-wCXl7g.facebook

I was there just about a year ago when we presented our first check, and I shot this video while I was there: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iFkv9BWHkY&feature=youtu.be  What an amazing transformation and preservation of the building!

I look forward to being your Foundation president in this momentous year. I feel particularly lucky to be part of the Foundation’s work each time I visit a new grant recipient and learn about all of the different kinds of people who are being served. It’s truly eye-opening to understand that homelessness extends far beyond the beggars you see on the street in downtown Indy. As we highlight those organizations this year, feel free to connect with me on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/#!/BrightSideTeam