The Greater Baltimore Board of REALTORS® is the nation’s first and oldest real estate association. GBBR was founded in 1858 and is celebrating its 160th anniversary this year!  They are a founding member of the National Association of REALTORS® as well as Maryland REALTORS® and they have over 4,500 members from the Baltimore metropolitan area.

In 1998, GBBR founded the Greater Baltimore Board of REALTORS® Charitable Foundation, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. The GBBR Charitable Foundation supports and engages in charitable, civic, educational and humanitarian activities and programs designed to improve the quality of life in neighborhoods within the Baltimore area.

Since its foundation in 1998, the GBBR Foundation has strived to improve Baltimore area communities through a variety of programs and initiatives that they support. Some of these programs include: College Bound, Habitat for Humanity, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Adopt a Classroom, and House of Ruth. The GBBR Foundation has also partnered with local community associations like New Greenmount West Community Association and Jubilee Baltimore, to make community parks a reality for neighborhoods long challenged by vacancy and lack of access to play areas. They also spearheaded the development of the Playground at Stadium Place. The GBBR Foundation has contributed both financial support as well as our time and man power to help make each of these programs a success. Over the last 20 years, they have donated more than $1.4 million to a variety of charities and causes and they are proud to say that 100% of the money they raise goes directly to the charities they support.

In addition to their involvement with the above organizations and projects, the GBBR Foundation has also donated financial support to communities outside the Baltimore Metropolitan area that suffered damage during recent storms. Most recently, the Foundation donated to the West Virginia (REALTOR® Association), Red Cross to assist with relief to victims of Hurricane Harvey as well as to the Ellicott City Relief Fund to help rebuild their communities. They have also donated funds to local families who have suffered devastating loss, such as the Malone family who lost six of their nine children as well as their home in a house fire and to the family of Baltimore County Police Officer Sgt. Prothero, who left behind a wife and five children when he was killed in the line of duty.

GBBR Charitable Foundation Initiatives

To celebrate their 20th anniversary in 2018, the Foundation has been running a Capital Campaign to raise awareness about our Foundation and our initiatives as well as to raise funds to help support those initiatives and to support new charities and causes as situations and circumstances arise. Below are some examples of their recent contributions to notable programs in the Baltimore area.

  • College Bound
  • Habitat for Humanity
  • Adopt A Classroom
  • Big Brothers Big Sisters
  • Pets on Wheels
  • New Greenmount West Community Association
  • Barclay Street Park
  • Jubilee Baltimore
  • Mana House
  • Playground at Stadium Place
  • West Virginia REALTOR® Association
  • Ellicott City Relief Fund
  • Baltimore City Mentorship Program
  • Malone Family
  • Live Baltimore
  • Empower410
  • Family of Sargent Bruce A. Prothero

College Bound

The GBBR Charitable Foundation has partnered with the College Bound Foundation and has awarded a total of six, 4-year, $5,000 scholarships totaling $120,000. The Foundation chose its first two students to receive scholarships during the summer of 2016. These scholarships are both need and merit based and are specific to students in the Baltimore City/Baltimore County area. They feel that by giving students the opportunity to attend college, they will develop the skills necessary to better themselves and their future. Our hope is that they will return to Baltimore to give back to their communities when they are finished with their education.

Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake

The GBBR Charitable Foundation is renewing its partnership with Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake.  They feel that this is another great opportunity for the Foundation to make a positive impact on Baltimore’s neighborhoods and communities. Families that take part in the Habitat program help their own communities by committing to 250-350 sweat equity hours as well as learning about financing their home and home ownership and maintenance. Including the families in the rebuild process and providing them with the knowledge to be responsible and proud homeowners not only helps individual families, but it also helps Baltimore communities as a whole. They want to help “give a hand up” to qualified and deserving Baltimore City residents to help them achieve the dream of home ownership.

Adopt-A-Classrom

Many of Baltimore City and County schools are challenged and do not receive the materials needed for teachers to successfully teach their students. Today, 91% of teachers buy supplies for their classrooms, spending more than $600 of their own money each year. They are helping Adopt-A-Classroom take some of that burden away from teachers. GBBR’s Foundation has awarded dozens of teachers in Baltimore area schools with $500 each to purchase some of the supplies they need to help children love learning and succeed every day!

Board of Trustees

  • Nancy Hofmann, Chairperson
  • Robin Ballinger
  • Peggy Castle
  • Katie Grove
  • Ashley Hess
  • Melvin Knight
  • Martha Lessner
  • Thomas Mooney IV
  • Daniel Motz
  • Kevin Murphy
  • Tim Reinhart
  • Ashley Richardson
  • Michael Schmidt
  • Genie Schwind
  • Bob Simon
  • Georgiana Tyler
  • Craig Wolf

Staff Contacts

  • Alan Ingraham, Chief Executive Officer
  • Jenifer League, Chief Operations Officer
  • Jacqueline Heil, Director of Marketing and Development