On March 11, 2025, the CREB® REALTOR® Community Foundation opened applications for its 2025 grants. It will award $590,000 this year, $90,000 more than in 2024, to housing and shelter initiatives in Calgary and the surrounding area.
Three grant streams
- Legacy Grants: the largest investment, for new housing and shelter options. Multi-year projects can receive up to $1 million over three years.
- Community Grants: major repairs or renovations to existing housing or shelters, to keep people housed.
- Transformation Grants: minor renovations that improve housing quality for the most vulnerable.
How to apply
Organizations should review the funding guidelines and complete a pre-application. Applications are open from March 11 to May 20, 2025.
Foundation chair Christian Twomey said REALTORS® “are passionate about housing” and that the grants are how they give back to those who need it most.
Why it matters: with rents and prices still high, funding for shelters and supportive housing helps the people the market serves least.
CREB® REALTOR® Community Foundation grant budget
Compared with 2024
The foundation is offering $590,000 this year, up from $500,000 in 2024, an increase of 18%. Twomey said the foundation is “thrilled to be able to offer more in funding than we ever have before.” Last year’s awards showed how the money is used. In September 2024, Community Grants of $115,500 went to local non-profits for major repairs and renovations. In November 2024, three Transformation Grants of $15,000 each, $45,000 in total, paid for new shelter flooring, a shared kitchen and plumbing work.
A long record of giving
Since 1987, Calgary REALTORS® have collectively invested more than $8.1 million in Calgary and area communities through the foundation. The grants focus on housing and shelter because that is where REALTORS® see the need most directly. Twomey said the foundation “is always looking for ways they can reach further and help more Calgarians.”
How the three streams differ
Legacy Grants create new housing and shelter options and can fund multi-year projects. Community Grants pay for major repairs to keep existing homes and shelters in use. Transformation Grants support smaller renovations that improve the quality of housing for the most vulnerable. Organizations should first complete a pre-application to see whether they qualify.
Why it matters for Calgary’s housing market
Calgary’s market is shifting: CREB reported 4,145 homes for sale in February, 76% more than a year earlier. But more listings at market prices do not help everyone. Shelters and supportive housing serve people who cannot compete in the resale or rental market at all, and repairs to existing buildings keep beds and suites available.
What it means for the community
For buyers and sellers, the foundation is a reminder that part of every REALTOR® community goes back into housing for those who need it most. For non-profits, the larger budget means more room for projects this year.
Practical takeaways
Non-profits in Calgary and the surrounding area should review the funding guidelines now and complete the pre-application well before the May 20, 2025 deadline. Projects that create new spaces should look at the Legacy stream; repair projects should consider Community or Transformation Grants.
What last year’s grants paid for
The 2024 Transformation Grants went to Radiance Family Society, the Calgary Drop-In Centre and Onward Homes Society. Radiance used its grant to update flooring in a shelter for women and children fleeing domestic violence so it could offer pet-friendly suites. The society explained that people experiencing violence will sometimes stay in their home out of fear for the safety of their pet, so the change removes a real barrier to leaving.
Applications open on March 11, and the foundation encourages organizations to check the guidelines before they apply.
