GAD Institute Registration is OPEN!
NAR is excited to welcome you to Denver for GAD Institute 2021! Registration is LIVE! CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
Pre-Institute sessions start at 8:30am on July 20th and the Institute concludes with GAD Night Out hosted by the Colorado Association at 6:00pm on July 22nd.
Two pre-institute sessions will be focused on taking a deep dive into the NAR grants process and mobilizing members through Advocacy Everywhere and are part of the new NAR APEX® training series.
The other two pre-institute sessions will focus on professional development training for engaging the media and the value of getting your RCE as a GAD, these sessions will be led by members of the GAD Advisory Group.
We are also excited to announce that we will have some amazing VIP keynote speakers joining the Institute including Michael Steele and Tom Perez former Chairs of the DNC and RNC, and for the session on redistricting, the Acting Director of the U.S. Census Bureau, Ron Jarmin, and of course NAR’s own incredible Chief Advocacy Officer, Shannon McGahn.
The GAD Advisory Group has been hard at work getting these incredible speakers and sessions put together and it will be a packed agenda!
If you’re still on the fence, here are just some of the great reasons to attend:
- Networking with your fellow GADs
- Best-in-industry training and professional development sessions
- Policy discussions you won’t hear anywhere else
- Networking with NAR staff
- FOMO – It’s real
RPAC
RPAC Training Webinar: Fundraising Overview Are you new to RPAC fundraising, or ready for a refresher? Join NAR RPAC staff members on Wednesday, June 16 at 2:00pm Eastern for a training on all things RPAC fundraising, from programs and resources available to help you meet goals, to tips for staying legally compliant! This training is geared toward state and local staff and will be recorded so you can share with new staff as they come onboard! Register now! For more information, contact Liz Demorest at 202-383-1061. 2021 President’s Circle Deadline The President’s Circle launched its second round for 2021 in May, consisting of the National Party Committees and FPC’s contributions to the re-election campaign for their Member of Congress. The deadline for President’s Circle members to invest their first $500 is May 31, 2021. For more information regarding President’s Circle, contact Avery Walker (202-383-1268).Community Outreach
On Common Ground magazine to explore the concept of the 15-Minute Neighborhood, a place of mixed-use development where residents can get just about everything they need within a 15-minute walk of their residence. Articles cover adaptive reuse, strategies for increasing density, and how to keep walkability affordable. Download the OCG APP (Apple) (Google Play) to read online. Over 35,000 copies were distributed to state and local associations and elected officials. Are you on the list? If not, contact Catherine Mesick. ICYMI, also listen to Urban Roundtable – The Rise of the 15-Minute Neighborhood and read the REALTOR® Magazine article. Questions? Contact Hugh Morris at 202-383-1278. Advocate for More Walkable Communities As demand for pedestrian-friendly infrastructure continues, REALTOR® Associations can advocate to make their communities more walkable. View Walkable Community Overview for REALTORS®, Advocating for a More Walkable Communities and leverage a Smart Growth Grant to host a Walkable Community Workshop. Questions? Contact Holly Moskerintz. Turn Spaces into Places Sidewalks, streets, plazas and parking lots are spaces that can turn into valuable community assets that improve livability. Placemaking Grants are available to associations to create new public spaces and destinations in a community, such as turning a parking spot into a people spot (parklet) or a vacant lot into a pocket park or community garden. Listen to the Community Outreach Idea Exchange: Placemaking – Now More Than Ever or visit the Spaces to Places Blog for inspiration. Questions? Contact Holly Moskerintz. Equitable Revitalization Series Continues Effective, Efficient, and Equitable Code Enforcement Strategies is the fourth session in the six-part series; Policy, Practice, Process: Transforming Neighborhoods through Equitable Revitalization. The session will explore why communities should be strategic in their code enforcement efforts to ensure property owner compliance is achieved, enlist partners to help with proactive education, and center equity throughout to ensure hardships are not placed on vulnerable residents. Tune in Tuesday, June 15, at 2:00pm ET. View session details and register here. Also, view the recording of the third session in the series, Engaging the Community to Develop Equitable Solutions here. Contact Wendy Penn at wpenn@nar.realtor. Take the Lead on Expanding Housing Opportunities in Your Region Support efforts that create or improve systems, programs, and policies that expand access to housing that is affordable in your area through NAR’s Housing Opportunity grant program. View the Expanding Housing Opportunity – A Toolkit for REALTORS® and Associations for success stories and a range of activities and State and Local Policy Strategies to Advance Affordability for policy solutions. Questions? Contact Wendy Penn at 202/383-7504. Community Outreach Grants – 10% Funding Requirement Waived for 2021! Make plans to apply for Smart Growth, Housing Opportunity, Fair Housing, Placemaking and Rural Outreach Grant to position your association and REALTORS® as leaders in improving their communities through education and advocacy. As part of NAR’s Right Tools, Right Now, the 10% financial contribution requirement is waived for any association that requests reimbursement between 5/1/2021 through 12/31/2021. Need ideas on how a grant can help fund your advocacy effort? Search success stories or sign-up for a 30-minute one-on-one meeting with staff experts via Zoom to brainstorm ways your association can leverage a Community Outreach Grant. Questions? Contact Christine Windle at 202/383-1135.NAR Research and Press Releases
Conversion of Vacant Hotels/Motels Can Help Alleviate Shortage of Affordable Multifamily Housing NAR did a research study on the conversion of vacant hotels/motels into multifamily housing to draw some insights and best practices. Housing Affordability Increases in March as Incomes Surge At the national level, housing affordability increased in March compared to a year ago, but declined compared to a month ago. Impact of Higher Mortgage Payments on Housing Affordability Mortgage rates have been increasing due to rising inflation, and home prices have been appreciating strongly with not enough homes on the market. REALTORS® and Sustainability NAR surveyed its members about sustainability issues facing the industry. A majority of residential and commercial brokers said that energy efficiency promotion in listings was valuable. Tracking Housing Construction at the Local Level In March, single-family building permits rose in 42% of the metro areas across the country.Key Dates GAD Institute July 20th-22nd in Denver, CO Registration now OPEN! Upcoming All-GAD Calls: The next All-GAD Call is June 17th.
Kelli Starrett GAD Chair New Orleans Metropolitan Association Of REALTORS®
Congratulations on surviving two weeks of virtual REALTOR® Legislative Meetings! Somehow the exhaustion of two weeks of packed computer sessions from the comfort of your home or office is on par with how it feels to return home after only four or five days in DC enjoying the same sessions in person. There was no running from one hotel to the next or from a session to a dinner to an event, and yet I was wiped out after so many interesting committee meetings, dynamic speakers, and spending a couple of hours on a Tuesday with some of the best government affairs professionals in the country.
You now have about two months to relax and regroup, because the next conference we attend will be very different. Will you leave exhausted? Absolutely. But I bet you’ll also leave inspired and exhilarated. The GAD Institute is such a rewarding conference, and I am beyond thrilled that we get to be back together this year for the experience. Sure, we’ve mastered the “pivot” to virtual. We’ve adjusted and adapted. We’ve learned how to get our brainstorming and problem solving done in Facebook groups and through virtual breakout sessions. It’s just so much better when you’re face to face.
The GAD Institute is built for you by you, and the GAD Advisory Group has worked incredibly hard over the past year to put together a program that is incredibly relevant. Thinking about the census? Inventory problems got you down? We’ve got you covered. Have some burning questions for NAR leadership? Want to take a deeper dive into REALTOR® Party programs? We’ve got you there, too. We’ll also be talking about cancel culture and creepy data, and hearing from some former GADs who have gone on to become elected officials and AEs. And if you’re thinking that all sounds great but what you really wish is to have breakout sessions in person to really get down to brass tacks on some of the challenges you’re facing, you’ll be glad to know that’s on the agenda, too.
For those who have not attended a GAD Institute before, rest assured that we will play as hard as we work, and we will give back even harder. This year the GADs Give Back campaign will be supporting The Marigold Project, a foundation started by musician Nathaniel Rateliff that supports organizations working to address racial, social, and economic justice and equity. You can read more about this organization here and make a donation through our direct link.
Get ready and get registered! GAD Nation will be taking over Denver before you know it. I cannot wait to see you there!
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