JAMES R WEBB AMERICAN REAL ESTATE SOCIETY FOUNDATION

The ARES Foundation was created by the ARES Board of Directors in 1986 and was renamed in honor of founder James R. Webb in 2009.  It is an entity capable of developing an endowment and using that endowment and the income it produces to support ARES long-term interests. At the most general level, this means furthering the interests of real estate education and research. Currently, the primary activities of the Foundation include funding the Doctoral Seminar, providing travel grants to the ARES Meeting for scholars from Less Developed Countries and funding manuscript prizes at various IRES affiliated meetings. ARES Foundation grants and prizes have helped hundreds of scholars and the ARES Foundation Board will increase these activities with your help.

The ARES Foundation is an entity distinct from ARES with its own corporate charter, bank accounts, and investments. Because stability, continuity, and a working knowledge of ARES are of critical importance in the governance of the Foundation, the ARES Board of Directors in 1986 provided that past presidents of ARES serve twelve-year terms on the Foundation Board. A predetermined schedule was established so that each ARES past president serves as vice-president and president of the Foundation.  Within the Foundation Board, the important four person investment committee consists of Glenn Mueller, Joseph Lipscomb, Chris Manning and Arthur L. Schwartz, Jr. Joseph Lipscomb serves as Treasurer of the Foundation, Glenn Mueller is Director of Development, Elaine Worzala is Secretary and Graeme Newell and John Williams are Co - International Liasons. Arthur L. Schwartz, Jr. serves as Executive Director. The Foundation Board holds its annual meeting in conjunction with the ARES meeting each year. The Officers and Board of the Foundation are dedicated to vigorously pursuing the Foundation's educational mission as set forth by our founder, James R. Webb.

When the ARES Board created the Foundation, it also created the ARES Fellows program to fund it. Revenue from the strictly voluntary Fellows program goes to the ARES Foundation. A goal from the outset has been the development of an endowment sufficient to assure an adequate level of support of ARES long-term activities. The Foundation's Board wishes to increase funding for both the Doctoral Seminar and the International Scholar program. Basically, we hope to introduce more doctoral students to ARES and to increase the diversity of the ARES Meeting by offering more scholars travel grants.

Programs supported by the Foundation have focused on assisting individual participation in ARES activities as well on educational publications. The Foundation funds the Doctoral Dissertation Seminar by defraying costs for graduate students to attend the Seminar and ARES Annual Meeting and holding a luncheon in their honor the day of the Seminar. These graduate students are the future leaders of ARES and the Seminar activities enable new scholars to be exposed to ARES. The Foundation has also funded the participation of real estate scholars from Africa, Latin America, Asia and Eastern Europe at ARES annual meetings. Involving these scholars has enhanced the meeting experience for all ARES members. In the spirit of joining academics and practicing professionals, the Foundation funds a $1,000 manuscript prize for the best paper presented by a practicing professional at each ARES Annual Meeting and a manuscript prize for the European Real Estate Society Annual Meeting, the Asian Real Estate Society Annual Meeting and the Pacific Rim Real Estate Society Annual Meeting. Additionally, the Foundation occasionally funds publications that further real estate education and this will continue with your help.

The Foundation depends upon the support of the ARES Fellows and other Foundation contributors. Each ARES Fellow currently contributes $250 per year, each ARES Distinguished Fellow contributes $500 per year, and each Benefactor contributes $1000 per year over and above ARES dues. In addition, each Endowed Doctoral Sponsor contributed $10,000 to the Foundation.  An Endowed Doctoral Sponsorship enables annual funding for a doctoral candidate to travel to the ARES Annual Meetings to present his/her research. A $25,000 contribution endows an International Scholar Sponsorship which will annually provide travel funding for a scholar from a Less Developed Country to present his/her research at the ARES Meeting. Individuals who endow a Sponsorship are lifetime Fellows and are invited to offer their views on the direction of the Foundation at the annual Foundation Board Meeting.

If you are not contributing to the James R. Webb ARES Foundation, we encourage you to consider doing so. Your gift will help a scholar immediately. As contributions grow, the Foundation will fund more doctoral students and international scholars.