4 Roofing Foundations to Give to This December

By Cass Jacoby. 

New Coffee Conversations episode celebrates season of giving with an esteemed panel of roofing foundations who are giving back to the industry. 

In a new Coffee Conversations episode, Heidi J. Ellsworth welcomes Trent Cotney and industry foundation representatives including Kelly Van Winkle, president of the Roofing Alliance; Chuck Chapman, chairman of Davis Memorial Foundation; John Hellein with the FRSA Educational & Research Foundation and Bill McHugh of the CRCA Foundation to talk about what charity means in the roofing industry. 

This special episode is sponsored by Hunter Panels and it hits upon the heart of the roofing industry: our foundations. Learn more about the charitable foundations that are supporting the roofing industry and why it is so important to be a part of these communities.  

“This is my favorite time of the year. I really enjoy this opportunity to shed a spotlight on the key foundations that really support our industry,” says Trent. “What I want to do is make sure that we are investing in our future, that we're getting people into the industry through scholarships, that we are doing the right kind of research that needs to be done so that we're out there promoting professionalism, all these types of things.” 

Throughout the LIVE! episode on December 1, 2022, Trent matched donations for the four roofing foundations talked about on the show: The Davis Foundation, Roofing Alliance, the FRSA Educational and Research Foundation and the CRCA Foundation.  

The Davis Foundation 

The Davis Foundation was started in 1996, named after Lary and Mary Davis as a way to honor their commitment to education within the industry following their tragic deaths. 

“Since our inception, we've been able to award over 160 scholarships to the tune of over $700,000... Annually we give out ten, five thousand dollars scholarships for $50,000,” says Chuck. “We are so grateful for every one of you out there that has donated to the foundation in the past or participated in our golf and clays events or bought something at our auctions. We couldn't do this without you.” 

The Roofing Alliance 

The Roofing Alliance was also formed in 1996 by a group of manufacturers, contractors and distributors who created a permanent endowment fund for the roofing industry. On the philanthropic side of the alliance, they support a scholarship program, the Melvin Kruger Scholarship Program, to support family members of those in the industry. Additionally, the Alliance works with universities like  
Clemson, Arizona State, Florida and Gulf Coast University to engage a younger generation in learning about the industry and to get them interested in the construction management schools.  

Notably, the Roofing Alliance provides roof replacements and repairs to Ronald McDonald houses throughout the country so families with sick children don’t have to worry about a failing roof. “We have 165 of our members that work with Ronald McDonald houses all over the Western hemisphere to help repair their roofs and to replace their roofs when the time comes because Ronald McDonald, they need to spend their donations on helping the children and their families. They don't need to worry about their building,” says Kelly. “Our contractors step in and provide what they need to keep their shelter safe and dry.” 

The FRSA Educational and Research Foundation 

The FRSA Educational and Research Foundation offers a variety of ways to contribute to the industry and support industry excellence through education, from foundation membership to endowment and scholarship programs.  

The FRSA stays on the cutting-edge of industry education and quality standards. “It's wonderful to see. The scholarship program is open to anybody within FRSA membership. So you don't have to be going into the industry... A person within the past couple years who's received scholarship, is interested in being a construction lobbyist or a roofing lobbyist so that it really hits all aspects of the industry and maybe you wouldn't necessarily think of,” says John. “So as an industry, we have a lobbyist who represents the roofing contractors in front of the legislature, in front of the executive government here. And so that's very much a part of what we do. It's wonderful to see somebody young who's in school, who's expressed an interest, to be concerned about the roofing concerns of the contractors.” 

The Chicago Roofing Contractors Association (CRCA) Foundation 

The CRCA’s mission is to advance and support the construction, roofing and waterproofing industry in the Chicago area through funding and support of philanthropic causes, research and education. With an aim to change the image of the roofing industry for the better, this foundation is passionate about highlighting the good of the roofing industry and the ways it gives back.  

“I'm always amazed at the relationships and how those relationships amongst the contractors, manufacturers and associates combined result in this philanthropic give back to the industry,” says Bill. “Whether it's the technical side, the education side, the philanthropic side, it starts with members. I can't tell you how thankful we are for the passionate members we have at CRCA… it helps us give back to the industries and give back to the community through the high schools, through the scholarships, through the philanthropic work that these groups do.” 

They also have a scholarship program available to the students regardless of their connection to the roofing industry. In an effort to better suit the needs of the planet and positively contribute to the industry, the CRCA often conducts important research on topics like roof reflectivity and adapting building code development. The CRCA also works with Ronald McDonald houses around the country, has helped build the Chicago Fire Museum and works with veterans who need roofs on their homes.  

Conclusion 

Throughout this conversation, Trent matched donations made to these four roofing foundations — up to $2,500 per foundation. Giving back to our industry in order to recruit the next generation as well as help current members of this profession is essential to the roofing community. These foundations do more than help companies grow professionally and support a new generation of roofers, they elevate our industry as a whole.  

Listen to the entire podcast to hear the heartwarming ways these companies are giving back to their communities and make sure to donate and spread the love to the industry!  

About Cass  

Cass works as a reporter/writer for RoofersCoffeeShop, AskARoofer and MetalCoffeeShop. When she isn’t writing about roofs, she is putting her Master degree to work writing about movies and dancing with her plants.