The vision for creating Spark Giving was born from friendship.
Sean Hall and Rob Weston had been friends for over a decade having met serendipitously at a leadership conference. Sean came from a professional background in the Nonprofit sector while Rob had been working as a Realtor for 20 years.
Our Story
Sean Hall and Rob Weston had been friends for over a decade having met serendipitously at a leadership conference. Sean came from a professional background in the nonprofit sector while Rob had been working as a Realtor for 20 years.
Sean and Rob had both served on various boards for non-profits. Sean also had years of fundraising experience with non-profits. While working in these roles they saw clearly the agonizing toll that endless fundraising takes on the leaders and staff of these wonderful and needed organizations. As their friendship continued to grow over the years, a dream emerged. What if a business could be created in real estate to help lighten the load for these leaders? What would that look like?
Together they began fleshing out this vision in the form of a local business called 2roofs Real Estate located in Bellingham, WA. 2roofs began by forming partnerships with dozens of local and international non-profits, organizations like Habitat for Humanity and Union Gospel Mission. 2roofs’ unique model was to donate from every real estate transaction to help house a person in need through one of these partner non-profits. In turn, the non-profits helped spread the word about this “give back” approach 2roofs was taking.
Within a few years, 2roofs had forged partnerships with over 50 nonprofits
…working all over the world, and had helped fund housing for hundreds of people through these networks while growing to be in the top 1% of Realtors in their area. This way of doing business turned out to be not only good for the non-profits, but for the business itself. It was truly a win-win situation. In addition, the clients who bought and sold houses with 2roofs found the experience of choosing a Realtor who gave to a non-profit on their behalf to be both joy filled and meaningful.
Donations from 2roofs contributed towards several house builds and the construction of a malnourished children’s hospital in Guatemala. Housing programs were funded through many local and international non-profits. Transitional housing was funded. A youth shelter’s building campaign was funded. Food programs and child sponsorships, job training programs and house maintenance for the elderly – all received vital donations.
Over time, more and more non-profits reached out to Sean and Rob to get involved in the giving program.
Realtors from around the country were also hearing about this new way of doing business and calling for a platform to give back to their own local non-profits. 2roofs had created a ground swell of momentum.
Spark Giving has been launched to spread this vision, freeing up non-profit leaders to do the important work on their hearts, and to give more real estate professionals the ability to connect with these organizations and become a part of this movement of generosity.
