The S.B. Questionnaire: Renee Grubb
Chatting Real Estate and Teacher Support with the Founder of Village Properties
“I’ve always had this sense of giving back, and that’s what I love about Santa Barbara,” says Renee Grubb, the owner of Village Properties Realtors. “I’m impressed by the number of nonprofits and how many giving people live in this community. When we first opened Village Properties, we wanted a real estate company that gave back, and we decided the focus was going to be children and education.”
In 2002, after Renee had met teachers that used their own money to buy basic supplies, Village Properties established the Teacher’s Fund, which empowered instructors to buy classroom staples that were not otherwise covered by school funds.
The idea exploded: To date, the nonprofit Teacher’s Fund has granted more than $1.6 million dollars to Santa Barbara County public and private school teachers, requiring only a simple form about why supplies are needed and why. “It’s extremely gratifying,” says Grubb.
