This post was published on August 9, 2021. Details such as events, prices, and availability may have changed since.
Kathi Jobson and her husband Michael sat, dressed in their freshly pressed evening wear at the Elks Tower in downtown Sacramento. Waiters served dishes from top Sacramento
restaurants as guests at the charity gala mingled. The event, hosted to raise money for Shriners Hospital by a friend and former colleague, was everything Kathi expected.
Then a video played hushing the noise.
“They showed a video of a little girl and her family that got in a car wreck and her legs were injured very badly. It was one of the most moving videos and after the father got up to speak. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house. It really inspired Michael and I.”
Kathi isn’t new to nonprofit work, she sat on the UC Davis Hospital Board for 10 years with the current Director of Development at Shriners Hospital, but hearing this father’s story sparked an idea that she had been mulling around for some time. How could she combine her thriving real estate career with her lifelong passion of giving back? The answer was Realtors Who Shrine.
“Realtors Who Shrine works by inviting real estate buyers and sellers across the state to simply select a member of our agent network, and by doing so, receive top notch service and support children in need, all with no cost to them! The process works exactly the same but upon closing the transaction, a percentage of the agent’s commission will be instantly donated directly to Shriners Hospital via a dedicated payment from the real estate escrow account to Shriners Hospital.” explains Jobson.
The program empowers everyday people to gift a portion of the real estate sale commission to a worthy cause. Clients have found the process to be simple and transparent, a way to give creatively and to a caliber that would generally be out of reach.
Now, Kathi’s passion-project has developed into a full-fledged team of agents who have donated over $92,000 to Shriners. And she is far from slowing down, Kathi and Shriners are in talks to roll out the program nationally.
Amber Fortier partnered with Realtors Who Shrine after meeting Kathi and hearing about her work.
“I heard about what she was doing for Shriners Hospital and knew I wanted to be a part of it. In real estate we have the ability to make a huge impact on our clients and community in ways I never thought possible when I started” said Fortier.
“The staff go so far beyond health care in what they provide for the patients and their families. I feel fortunate to be able to support their mission. Being part of something bigger than you and knowing the impact you make in a child’s life is what gets me through those challenging days in this industry.” said Fortier.
In addition to offering world-class medical services, Shriners takes patients regardless of their family’s ability to pay.
“At other hospitals the nurses and doctors are limited on what treatments they can give the kids based on if insurance will pay for it. Not so at Shriners. They do what’s best for the child, if insurance doesn’t cover it, they pay for it. It’s a very special feel when you’re inside of there.” says Jobson.
If you’re not looking to buy or sell in the future, you can support the organization by refinancing with their partnered lenders or attending their rotating list of sponsored events (including an upcoming Cornhole Tournament in October) by visiting their website.
Realtors Who Shrine Graphic