Real Estate Company Manages Community Involvement Program with SignUpGenius Enterprise

About S.L. Nusbaum Realty Co.

Founded in 1906 in Norfolk, Virginia, S.L. Nusbaum Realty Co. (SLN) is one of the largest full-service real estate companies in the southeastern United States. Over five generations, the company has built a reputation around property management, commercial development, multifamily communities, and leasing across Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. That long legacy of local investment made the launch of SLN CARES, the company's employee volunteer program, a natural extension of who they already were.

SLN CARES was established in 2021 with a straightforward mission: engage employees in meaningful volunteer activities that make a tangible difference in the communities where SLN operates. What began with 14 volunteers supporting two nonprofit organizations has grown into a thriving program, with more than 100 regular volunteers now serving 22 nonprofits across the Hampton Roads and Richmond regions. The program has earned external recognition as well, being named one of the most community-minded companies in Hampton Roads by Volunteer Hampton Roads and Points of Light.

The Problem

When SLN leadership asked how the company could give back while deepening connections among employees, residents, tenants, clients, and vendors, the answer was organized community service. Kristen Larrea, a training specialist at SLN, joined a small team of dedicated employees to bring that vision to life.

What they did not anticipate was how fast it would take off. As SLN CARES gained momentum, the volunteer roster grew quickly and so did the logistical complexity behind it. Coordinating dozens of opportunities across multiple nonprofits via email threads and shared calendars became unmanageable. The team needed a system that could scale with the program without creating additional burden for organizers who were already balancing full workloads.

The Solution

A colleague pointed Kristen toward SignUpGenius. After researching alternatives and speaking with other companies about their experiences, SLN selected a SignUpGenius Enterprise plan, a fully customizable sign up solution built around the specific needs of each organization.

The platform gave the SLN CARES team the tools to create and manage volunteer opportunities efficiently, collect custom data from participants, and track program activity over time. The ability to add custom questions to registration forms meant organizers could capture details that mattered, such as whether a volunteer had received supervisor approval before signing up. Setup was fast and the learning curve was minimal, allowing Kristen and her colleagues to adopt the platform without pulling time from other responsibilities.

The Results

SLN CARES grew tenfold from its original cohort of 14 volunteers. Today, more than 100 employees regularly show up to serve across 22 nonprofit partners, logging hundreds of hours of community service each year. In 2023 alone, SLN volunteers contributed 970 hours to organizations ranging from the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia to Feed More, the American Red Cross, and the Boys and Girls Club of America.

Beyond the numbers, the program has reshaped internal culture. Employees who rarely interacted across departments now share regular volunteer experiences, building relationships that carry back into the workplace. Recognition within SLN CARES extends past professional titles and career achievements, giving every participant a way to contribute meaningfully and feel valued. The program has become a point of pride company-wide.

SignUpGenius made that growth manageable. The platform's reporting features allow organizers to track volunteer hours and participation counts by opportunity, giving the SLN CARES team real data to measure impact and plan ahead. Creating a new registration form, Kristen says, takes virtually no time at all.

In Their Words

"We would not be where we are now without SignUpGenius. It's been a blessing to our program."

Kristen Larrea, Training Specialist, S.L. Nusbaum Realty Co.

"People want to make a difference. They want to have a direct impact."

Kristen Larrea, Training Specialist, S.L. Nusbaum Realty Co.