The ASHI Foundation of Change

With nearly 20 years as an ASHI member, I have had the opportunity to learn many things about the personalities of home inspectors. We are independent, yet cooperative; we see the big picture, yet we focus on the details; we teach, yet we learn continuously. We take significant pride in our profession and we truly care about helping others make informed decisions.
Some might say that a home inspector is the salt of a community. We work hard, sponsor local kids’ sports teams, volunteer for school boards, raise families, help neighbors and contribute to the success of numerous programs that enrich our surroundings. We have a deep passion for what we do and how we do it.
In 2009, the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) established The ASHI Foundation as a separate 501(C)(3) not-for-profit corporation. The original purpose for the Foundation was to leverage its nonprofit status to apply for grants that would fund educational and research endeavors. This task proved to be unsustainable, as it was significantly more challenging than anticipated. Over the past nine years, the Foundation’s goal was never realized and the cause faded into the background. The future of the ASHI Foundation was at risk.
During the July 2018 board meeting of the ASHI Foundation, board members established a task force to revitalize the ASHI Foundation and significantly change its mission. The ASHI Foundation Board provided overwhelming support for the suggested changes, which included restructuring the ASHI Foundation as a charitable arm for home inspectors and related professionals to give back to the communities that enable all of us to make a living.
The new mission of the ASHI Foundation is
“helping people in need through giving and education.”
Our vision is to establish a simple, sustainable, donation-based charity platform that provides all members of our inspection community with the opportunity to give back in a meaningful, organized way. The ASHI Foundation will offer ways for home inspection professionals to have a direct impact on charities that serve veterans in need, people who are homeless, families at risk and people who’ve experienced natural disasters, just to name a few.
With your help, each year the ASHI Foundation will consider supporting a charity located in the host city of ASHI’s InspectionWorld®. This support could provide an opportunity for ASHI members and their friends to hear and see firsthand how home inspectors make a real difference in their communities. Regional and local charities also will benefit throughout the year as ASHI chapters organize charity events under the umbrella of the ASHI Foundation. The refreshed ASHI Foundation also can explore opportunities to support educational scholarships for people in need who are seeking a career in home inspection.
Winston Churchill once said,
“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.”
The value of charitable giving is immeasurable and the rewards are limitless. Individually, many of us already make a difference. Collectively, with the support of more than 8,000 members, the re-energized ASHI Foundation will have the power to inspire and to change many lives. Positively affecting people’s lives is a privilege that we can all support and take pride in as a profession.
The revitalization of the ASHI Foundation is a work in progress. We have a goal to plan exciting events and activities that will help people who live in the San Diego community during IW in January 2019.
Watch for more details to come—we hope you will consider offering your support for this new and exciting cause. In the meantime, please contact me with comments or suggestions (mwagner@ralis.com or 317-201-5859).
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