Our Story
The Fazendin Realtors Foundation was established in 2019 as a way to organize and increase the giving Fazendin Realtors has been doing for over 55 years. Unfortunately, shortly after the Foundation was created, COVID-19 hit and put our plans on hold, but we are back up and running now!
The Fazendin Realtors Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides financial support to organizations helping members of the Twin Cities community in need of safe shelter or housing. Our Board of Directors and Executive Committee are made up of current and former Fazendin Realtors agents and staff.
In 1965, Roger Fazendin founded what was then called Roger Fazendin Realtors – now Fazendin Realtors. Since the very beginning, our company has beaten the odds. Real estate is a challenging industry, and unlike our competitors, we have been able to survive the ups and downs of the market in the same form we were originally established. We attribute this success to the support and loyalty of our community members and clients.
To thank and show our appreciation for our community, we have always enjoyed giving back. Over the last 6 decades, we have sponsored local sports teams, organized food/ toy drives, donated to and volunteered at local nonprofit organizations, and more. Our hope in establishing the Fazendin Realtors Foundation is that we can consistently give back to the community that has always been there for us. As a real estate company, we wanted to address the need for safe housing in the Twin Cities area. The Foundation’s mission is to provide financial support to members of the Twin Cities community in need of safe shelter or housing. This includes domestic violence shelters, homeless shelters, and LGBTQAI+ safe housing.
Fazendin Realtors staff and agents will continue volunteering at local organizations, but the Foundation allows us to organize and increase our financial donations.
The Fazendin Realtors Foundation is funded by donations made by Fazendin Realtors agents and clients, as well as generous community members.
Who We Are
We are a group of current and former Fazendin Realtors agents and staff.
Executive Committee:
- Andy Fazendin
- Elizabeth Fazendin
Board of Directors:
- Dan Fazendin, Chair
- Lynn Fazendin, Vice Chair
- Grace Fleming, Secretary
- Sarah Pfeffer, Treasurer
- Sue Hewitson, Officer
- Jill Amundson, Officer
- Laura Randall, Officer
Donations and Contributions
If you would like to donate to the Fazendin Realtors Foundation, please click here.
Former Grant Recipients
In total, we have donated $21,000 to NPOs in the Twin Cities area. Here is a little bit about each of these wonderful organizations.
Meaning “Our Home” in Ojibwe, Ain Dah Yung Center (ADYC) provides a healing place within the community for Indigenous youth and families to thrive in safety and wholeness. From emergency shelters and supportive housing to after-school programs, ADYC provides services to almost 1,000 children ages 5-24.
The Fazendin Realtors Foundation’s grant assisted the organization with the utilities for and maintenance of its three shelters in St. Paul.
Edith’s House serves individuals and families experiencing homelessness in the Twin Cities who, for a variety of reasons, find themselves on the streets or struggling to navigate the shelter system. Edith’s House provides support and personal guidance to help individuals and families find the services they need. Its goal is to provide a path to self-sufficiency through stable housing, employment guidance, connections to social services, and encouragement.
With the grant from the Fazendin Realtors Foundation, Edith’s House was able to extend housing assistance to three unhoused individuals. This includes placing all individuals in housing and pre-paying rent for each person for two months.
My Very Own Bed provides new beds and linens to children of families who have recently secured stable housing. Providing beds to these families relieves some of their emotional stress seeing their children sleeping on the floor or sharing a bed with another family member. The beds also support the children by giving them a small space in their new house to call their own and to get the restorative sleep they need to grow and thrive.
The Fazendin Realtors Foundation’s grant provided 10 children a new bed and Dream Kit (bedding, book, and stuffed animal.)
Pay It Forward Fund’s (PIFF) mission is to provide financial support to breast and gynecological cancer patients in treatment who need financial help to pay essential household expenses. PIFF’s purpose is to help cancer patients focus on what’s truly important: getting well. Its motto is, “Cancer doesn’t care if you pay your bills. We do.”
In 2023, PIFF paid $414,000 in essential household expenses to 359 people undergoing treatment. With the grant from the Fazendin Realtors Foundation, PIFF was able to give its maximum payout to two individuals.
Established in 1974, Tubman provides family crisis and support services to anyone who is homeless due to domestic or sexual violence, including people of all genders, ethnicities, and ages. Nearly half of Twin Cities area victims of domestic violence report staying in an abusive home due to a lack of safe alternatives, so Tubman works to eliminate that barrier. This year, the organization anticipates helping 16,500 with its services.
The grant from the Fazendin Realtors Foundation supported Tubman’s shelter and housing programs, allowing them to continue providing services to thousands of people who need them.
Grant Request Application
If you are a nonprofit organization that could benefit from a Fazendin Realtors Foundation grant and you feel that your mission is a good fit with ours, please fill out the application below. You can also download a pdf copy here and email it to foundation@fazhomes.com.
We are currently accepting applications for grants that will be distributed in 2025.
