ShareThe REALTORS® Political Action Committee (RPAC) has a proud history of being one of the most powerful advocacy organizations in America. Throughout its 46-year history, RPAC has leveraged the grassroots power of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® to advance property ownership and the free enterprise system. RPAC has been tremendously successful in this noble quest.
However, the cost of making the collective voice of our association’s one million members heard at the National, State and Local levels grew dramatically with the Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission Supreme Court ruling in 2010. Now that unlimited soft dollars can be used when communicating with the public to influence voter opinions, competing in today’s new political landscape is more challenging – and expensive – than ever.
With this in mind, NAR’s Leadership Team formed a Presidential Advisory Group (PAG) to take a hard look at the way RPAC fundraising goals are set and met. The PAG recommended that NAR move from its traditional “fair share” form of goal setting, which is arbitrary, to a needs-based strategy. This needs-based strategy would mean determining, every two year election cycle, what RPAC really needs to be effective in the campaigns in which NAR must engage. In addition, the PAG recommended new ways to attract soft dollars – from corporate entities and Multiple Listing Services.
The recommendations have been approved by the NAR Leadership Team, affirmed by the RPAC Disbursements and Fundraising Trustees, and approved by the NAR Board of Directors in November 2014.
Comprehensive materials on the recommendations are availablepdf (PDF). Additional information will be posted as it becomes available.