Outstanding Corporate Philanthropy

Hubbell Realty Company

Nominated by Easterseals Iowa

Hubbell Realty has been a backbone of the Des Moines philanthropic community and a catalyst for growth for more than 165 years. Today led by Rick Tollakson, Hubbell Realty is at the forefront of housing equity advocacy in Greater Des Moines and a strong example of an employer empowering its workers to give back to the community every day.

In 2006, “Hubbell Extreme Builds” was born when the company partnered with ABC television on an episode of the TV series Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. The company has kept the spirit and tradition of the build alive over many years with projects such as “9 Homes in 9 Days for 9 Families” with Anawim Housing, Easterseals Iowa’s “Cabins for Campers,” and the 2017 construction of the new Ronald McDonald House near Blank Children’s Hospital. In years when an extreme build it not held, Hubbell hosts a full-day charity golf classic that has thusfar raised $245,000 for local charities.

Hubbell Realty team members are encouraged to serve on boards and in volunteer positions across the community; employees collectively donate 2,800 volunteer hours each year. The company also regularly boasts 100 percent employee participation in the United Way of Central Iowa campaign. 

Hubbell Realty is the 2018 recipient of the Better Business Bureau’s Torch Award for Ethics and has been named the Des Moines Business Record’s best development company nine of the last 10 years.