AUSTIN, TEXAS July 5, 2015 —Keller Williams, the world’s largest real estate franchise by agent count, is aggressively raising funds to rebuild homes and renew lives in areas of West Virginia devastated by recent flooding.
Under the leadership of co-founder and chairman of the board Gary Keller, the company has already distributed more than half a million dollars directly to people in need, with the company’s associates pledging to raise at least $1.7 million more.
Gary and his wife, Mary, kick-started the campaign with a large personal contribution and the company’s associates are rallying to help the people of West Virginia
“The community of White Sulphur Springs was one of the hardest hit areas,” Gary said. “This region of the country has been our family’s home away from home for almost 20 years and the people who live here are some of the finest and dearest people we’ve ever met. We are eternally grateful for the response from our business associates and even more humbled by their heart. Since the company began our business family has always thought big and this is just another example of how that manifests itself outside of our day-to-day work.”
In addition to donating money, Keller Williams associates from around the country are volunteering their time, energy, and expertise – assisting with clean-up and recovery efforts and helping residents fill out FEMA forms.
Keller Williams maintains a rapid response unit stocked with disaster relief resources like generators, pumps, and bottled water. Within 48 hours, the company had deployed an 18-wheeler filled with disaster relief resources to Greenbrier County. It has since distributed additional truckloads of items like detergent, clothing, and other needed materials to storm-ravaged areas.
“As Gary Keller teaches us, ‘Money is only good for the good it can do,'” Keller Williams President John Davis said. “That ethic of abundance, stewardship, and action is ingrained in culture. It’s what inspires us to give back to our communities and create opportunities for people and their families.”
On a conference call on June 30, the company’s Regions quickly pledged to raise at least $50,000 each. Associates are being encouraged to direct their contributions to KW Cares, the company’s charitable 501(c)(3) organization, which is working with relief organizations that contribute 100 percent of donations directly to people in need.
The outpouring of support is the latest chapter in a strong legacy of giving by the company and its associates. Following Hurricane Katrina, for example, the company’s associates raised more than $5.3 million for hurricane victims and their families. Researchers at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business have published a series of four reports in recent years on the company’s culture and success.
“We’re incredibly proud of our associates and their compassion and conviction,” Keller Williams CEO Chris Heller said. “The people of West Virginia need our help. Very few have flood insurance and the local economy has been devastated. We’re going to do everything we can to help people get back into homes and rebuild their lives.”
For more information and to donate to Keller Williams West Virginia Flood Relief campaign, visit kwcares.org.
Austin, Texas-based Keller Williams Realty, Inc. is the world’s largest real estate franchise by agent count, with more than 800 offices and 140,000 associates across the Americas, Europe, Africa and Asia. In 2015, Training Magazine named Keller Williams the No. 1 training organization across all industries in the world.
Since 1983, Keller Williams has grown exponentially and continues to cultivate an agent-centric, education-based, technology-driven culture that rewards agents as stakeholders. The company also provides specialized agents in luxury homes, commercial and farm and ranch properties.For more information, visit kw.com.
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