MBA gives back to communities

Foundation starts off small

“Since that time, MBA members and the industry have really come together to support foundation,” she told MPA during a telephone interview. “Like any fledgling nonprofit, you start with a small amount,” she added. “We received a $50,000 grant from the Mortgage Bankers Association. Over time, we just had leadership and really high-profile people in the mortgage industry – really writ large the real estate finance industry – who took up the cause. the industry in terms of a charitable organization that gives back to families in the communities where our members work.”

The wine auction is an example of the foundation’s fundraising tactics, but by no means is it isolated, Dubois noted. “Over time, fundraisers like the wine auction have really taken off, but it’s not the only fundraiser we do throughout the year. We have a couple of big ones.”

The amount raised at the wine auction is made that much more remarkable given its relatively low attendance, Dubois suggested. “It was very low-key,” she said. “The wine auction was launched in 2019 at the Chairman’s Conference because we were in Napa Valley. And what do you do in Napa Valley? You drink wine!”

Donations roared back after the pandemic

The pandemic frustrated efforts to stage the event, but Dubois said her goal was to raise $112,000 – around $2,000 more than the original version of the event. Needless to say, she and her colleagues were flabbergasted by the $234,536 haul. “It was a small group of people who participated in the wine auction. There couldn’t have been more than 75 people at the auction,” she said.