Local realtors donate to charity of client’s choice
CAPITAL REGION, N.Y.>> Local realtors are making it their business to give back to the community.
With a new program called Agents for Change, Capital Region home buyers and sellers have the opportunity to donate to the causes they care about most.
Albany-based realtor Dave Chidyllo is no stranger to giving back, which is why he’s come up with a new way to help those in need.
Chidyllo, a realtor for Falvey Real Estate Group and founder of Agents for Change, has Hemophilia A. As a child he attended summer camp at the Double H Ranch, an Adirondack camp for kids with rare and fatal diseases. It was a powerful experience that inspired Chidyllo to do meaningful work. So as a young adult, he worked at Double H Ranch for 10 summers—and it was then that philanthropy became one of his core values.
Meanwhile his partner at Falvey, seasoned realtor Jim Rosenberger, wanted to make his work more meaningful. Rosenberger has sold more than 100 houses in the Capital Region, and he’s learned that buying real estate is a major milestone in a person’s life. Both agents wondered if they could they make the purchase or sale of real estate more socially impactful.
Together, the two Falvey Real Estate Group colleagues formed Agents for Change. Every time a client buys or sells a house, Chidyllo and Rosenberger will donate 10 percent of their personal commission to a charity of the client’s choice.
“Maybe you’re passionate about animal welfare, or maybe you care deeply about hunger relief. We’re giving people the opportunity to put their money where their values are,” Chidyllo said in a press release.
Rosenberger agrees. “I already get to change somebody’s life by helping them find a home. We’re adding another level of meaning and substance to that,” he added.
When a buyer or seller chooses either Chidyllo or Rosenberger to be their real estate agent, upon the purchase or sale of their home, the buyer/seller chooses a 501(c)(3) charity to which they’d like to donate. Chidyllo and Rosenberger then give 10 percent of their personal commission to that charity of choice.
“At the end of the day,” Chidyllo said in the release, “there are two places for that money to go: into the realtor’s pocket or back to a charity. Isn’t that nicer that it goes to produce some good in the world?”
The program, Rosenberger noted, helps people make sizeable donations to causes they support. “We’re empowering them to make a large gift that they might not otherwise be able to make,” he said.
The two realtors’ philanthropic endeavor resonated with Troy home buyers Stephanie and Wendy Distefano. Wendy is a technologist at Albany Medical Center, and saw firsthand how kids benefitted from having art supplies, games, and music available during their stay at the hospital. So when they purchased their home in Troy this month, Chidyllo and Rosenberger made a $299.38 donation to the Child Life Program at Albany Medical Center in the Distefanos’ name.
Stephanie is grateful for the care and attention she received during the homebuying process. “It is a rarity that you find someone that extends themselves above and beyond to make sure you feel comfortable and that you are well taken care of throughout the process,” she said in the release. “We would never have been able to move forward without their help and knowing that we can settle down is a wonderful feeling.” The donation, she said, was the perfect happy ending.
Likewise, the Green Island-based Prime Companies and Coldwell Banker Prime Properties recently announced in its 30th anniversary year that locallyowned development company and full service real estate firm achieved a fiveyear goal of returning more than $2 million to local charities, institutions and not-for-profits in 2016.
That support over the past five years has included contributions to Albany Medical Center, St. Peter’s Hospital, Catholic Charities, HopeClub of the Capital Region (formerly known as Gilda’s Club), Coaches vs. Cancer, American Cancer Society, Siena and Paul Smith Colleges.
Ken Raymond, founder & CEO of Prime Companies and partner of Coldwell Banker Prime Properties, said in a press release that he and his staff understand that their role in the community is important. “It is for this reason that our team offers our time and talents to support various community programs,” he said. “For the past 30 years, community involvement has been at the forefront of our mission. We pride ourselves in assisting our communities and are fortunate to be in a position where we can give back. It’s what we enjoy and we’re happy to do what we can to help.”
The companies particularly take great pride in the funding of Camp Scully for underprivileged children and donations to Camp Wildwood and The Community Hospice’s Camp Erin, an overnight camp for kids who have experienced the passing of a family member.
Furthermore, in 2016 Coldwell Banker Prime Properties began an initiative to assist veterans and their spouses on the road to becoming real estate agents. The company is now covering costs for these individuals to complete real estate licensing classes and exams, as well as memberships to applicable industry groups.
Additionally, Prime Companies has made major contributions, along with the management and sales associates matching contribution funds, to the Make-AWish Foundation of Northeast New York, Habitat For Humanity Capital District and Play it Foreward 518, a fundraising organization founded by the family of one of its employees.
More information about Agents for Change can be found at www.agentsforchangecr.com, and addition details on Coldwell Banker Prime Properties and its charitable efforts is available at coldwellbankerprime.com.