Continuing the Momentum: CCMS Philanthropic Committee’s Efforts for the Opens Doors Foundation Grow

We’re really hoping to continue the momentum, and raise awareness,” said the Commercial Certified Mortgage Servicing Society Philanthropic Committee Outgoing Chair Marcy Thomas, Vice President, Portfolio Loan Manager, with Grandbridge Real Estate Capital.

That sums up the ethos of the still-young CCMS Philanthropic Committee, and its incoming leadership.

The new Chair, Richard Pardoe, Senior Vice President at M&T Realty Capital Corp., and Vice Chair, Elizabeth Burnett, Managing Director of Loan Servicing for Slatt Capital, are assuming those roles in October.

Other group leadership includes Crystal Kalinowski, Managing Director at District Capital, and Amelia Rice, Senior Loan Servicing Specialist with Thrivent Financial. Thomas will remain with the group as Past Chair.

With all the changes and new developments–and desire to keep that momentum going–related to the CCMS Philanthropic Committee, Thomas, Pardoe and Burnett sat down with MBA NewsLink to provide some updates.

MBA NewsLink: What is the CCMS Philanthropic Committee and what has it been working on?

The CCMS Philanthropic Committee, a part of the CCMS Society, is currently in its inaugural year. It has focused its efforts on an enthusiastic partnership with the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Opens Doors Foundation, which provides mortgage and rental payment assistance grants to families with a critically ill or injured child, helping to keep them in their homes while their child is in treatment.

The Committee’s inaugural campaign–CCMS Cares: Supporting Families in Need–so far has garnered more than $13,000. The campaign, with a goal of $10,000, was launched in May.

MBA NewsLink: What are the goals for the group in the next couple years?

Pardoe and Burnett have a few overarching goals, largely centered around awareness and involvement.

They want to work to encourage donations both from member companies and individuals, as a true team effort from the industry.

In terms of fundraising, every little bit counts, Pardoe said, and it adds up quickly. Let’s say “an individual can just give $25,” he stated as an example. “If we’re at an MBA conference and there’s 1,000 people there, and they all give $25, then obviously we’ve got a $25,000 impact and that’s huge.”

Per Deborah Dubois, President of MBA Opens Doors Foundation, the average grant given to a family to cover a rental or a mortgage payment is around $1,550–highlighting how far even small donations can go toward aiding a family.

“None of us got here just on our own. We’ve all had support and help along the way. And I think that’s part of the reason why we feel so strongly that it’s not only our obligation to give back directly within the MBA but also in a broader sense to our communities,” Burnett said.

Thomas also wanted to note that anyone can give to the CCMS Cares campaign. “We want to make sure we’re raising awareness for past, present and future CCMS designees, but also anybody can contribute through the CCMS Cares campaign, whether you’re a designee or not,” she said.

Moving forward, Pardoe and Burnett pointed to potentially holding events at various MBA conferences, or exploring other kinds of fundraising efforts.

Awareness is also a key goal over the coming years. They noted the CCMS Designee Society as a whole is growing–and just last year it rolled out its new name, among other updates.

With those changes in mind, they’re cognizant of the need to raise awareness for people in the industry.

“In two years–this might be a little ambitious–but a goal would be that those who attend the MBA conferences come away being able to explain to someone else what the CCMS Philanthropic Committee is,” Pardoe said.

And, as new members earn their designations and join the ranks, Pardoe and Burnett encouraged them to get involved with the Philanthropic Committee.

MBA NewsLink: What do these kinds of efforts mean for MBA Opens Doors?

“It’s a powerful statement when people get together to form a committee for the express purpose of raising funds to help families caring for a critically ill or injured child,” Dubois told MBA NewsLink.  “The CCMS Philanthropic Committee has made that their mission–one step at a time, one donation at a time. Every dollar raised, no matter how big or small, has the power to make an impact for a family in need of housing support. We could not be more grateful for the support that comes from the CCMS Philanthropic Committee.”

MBA NewsLink: Is there anything else the CCMS Philanthropic Committee leadership team wanted to share with readers?

As always, it’s been a team effort.

“It’s been great getting to partner with Kelli Burke from the MBA and with Deb Dubois to really kind of launch this group, and hopefully we can continue those collaborative efforts as we move into next year to not only grow awareness, but hopefully provide more opportunities where we can raise money that will support Opens Doors,” Burnett said.

The leadership also want to thank all their donors this year, including the individual sponsors and designees, as well as the companies that contributed as Gold Sponsors to the CCMS Cares Campaign (Slatt Capital and Grandbridge), in addition to the other MBA member companies that have provided their support.

“We’re so grateful for the donations and support thus far and are excited about the future of the partnership between the CCMS Philanthropic Committee and the Opens Doors Foundation,” Burnett and Pardoe emphasized. “Marcy really helped get things moving during this inaugural year and we’re so appreciative of all her efforts. We look forward to continuing the call to action as we move into next year.”

“CCMS Cares…please care today, too! We have grown in our careers together,” Thomas noted. “Let’s now grow in our philanthropic giving together!”