Residential Estate Industry Journal | Page 33

Global Global Standards Standards ARC, representing the residential estate industry ARC, representing the residential estate industry in South Africa, together with representatives in South Africa, together with representatives from Australia, the UAE and the U.S.A. is is part from Australia, the UAE and the U.S.A. part of of an international committee for conducting an international committee for conducting research, aligning global best practices and research, aligning global best practices and developing global standards across allall areas of developing global standards across areas of community leadership and management. This community leadership and management. This initiative extend to to include Canada, Brazil and initiative willwill extend include Canada, Brazil and other countries in Africa. The inaugural meeting other countries in Africa. The inaugural meeting was held in Orlando May 2014. Authoritative was held in Orlando in in May 2014. Authoritative research sponsored Foundation for research sponsored byby theFoundation for the Community Association Research supports the Community Association Research supports the aspirations more than 63 million Americans aspirations of of more than 63 million Americans who and work in in estimated 320,000 U.S. who livelive and work anan estimated 320,000 U.S. community associations. community associations. Their mission to provide research-based Their mission is is to provideresearch-based information for homeowners, association board information for homeowners, association board members, community managers, developers members, community managers, developers and other individuals and groups. Since the and other individuals and groups. Since the foundation’s inception in 1975, it has built a solid foundation’s inception in 1975, it has built a solid reputation for producing accurate, insightful and reputation for producing accurate, insightful and timely information and offer: timely information and offer: • Sponsor needs-based research to provide • Sponsor needs-based research to provide ongoing assistance and information to the ongoing assistance and stakeholders, to the community association information address community challenges and prepare for address specific association stakeholders, emerging specific challenges and prepare for emerging issues. issues. • Publish best practices reports on critical topics • Publish best practices reports on critical financial like energy efficiency, governance, topics likeoperations and strategic planning. energy efficiency, governance, financial operations and strategicscholarships for graduate • Provide research planning. • Provide research scholarships for graduate students. students. • Collect historical data on the development, • Collect historical data on the common-interest operation and management of development, operation and management of common-interest communities, this includes surveys analysing homeowner satisfaction as well as community communities, this includes surveys analysing manager satisfaction as homeowner compensation. well as community manager compensation. InIn short, this worksupports homeowner volunteer short, this work supports homeowner volunteer leaders and industry professionals who share leaders and industry professionals who share a a stake in the success of common-interest stake in the success of common-interest communities. communities. The foundation supports the Community The foundation supports the Community Associations Institute (CAI) -- a national Associations Institute (CAI) a organisation dedicated to fostering organisation dedicated to fostering vibrant, competent and and harmonious harmonious community community competent associations. For more than 40 years, associations. For more than 40 years, CAI has been the leader in providing has been the leader in providing education and resources to the volunteer homeowners and resources to the volunteer homeowners who govern community associations and the who govern community associations and the professionals who support them. professionals who support them. CAI members include community association CAI members include community association volunteer leaders, professional managers, volunteer lead