Not-for-profit and higher education | Audit Services
Habitat for Humanity
Foundations for a better future
Habitat for Humanity builds houses…and so much more
Shelter: a springboard for an improved life
It takes about 400 two-by-fours and 150 pounds of nails to build the average 1,200 square-foot, three-bedroom Habitat for Humanity house. From these rudimentary materials, homes are crafted and lives are transformed. The structures, quite literally, become foundations for new lives and offer hope for richer trajectories than would occur in their absence.
Half of American adults are impacted by housing insecurity at some point in their life and, according
to the MacArthur Foundation’s How Housing Matterssurvey, 68% of respondents feel that securing affordable housing is more challenging today than in prior generations. It is against these trends, and in pursuit of its vision of a world where everyone has a decent place to live, that Habitat Humanity has been laboring since its inception in 1976.
The challenge and opportunity is pronounced when considering the direct correlation between safe, quality housing and families’ ability to establish a
new cycle of possibility and progress. With it, children’s grades improve and parents realize greater financial health as they become confident in their ability to meet their children’s needs. Without it, families and communities are fractured and crime rises.
Having helped 10 million people achieve strength, stability, and independence through safe, decent, and affordable housing, Habitat for Humanity has proven game for the fight.
“Our team is committed to delivering on our client service promise. We are proud to work with Habitat for Humanity and to be associated with an organization that has such a positive impact on humanity throughout the world.”
Mark Ballew, Grant Thornton Audit Partner
Notable data
Building a lasting impact
Now the largest private home builder in the United States, and perennially among the top 20 overall, Habitat for Humanity’s success has been incredible. In honoring its founder, Millard Fuller, with the Congressional Medal of Freedom in 1996, President Clinton called Habitat “the most successful continuous community service project in the history of the United States.”
Much of the organization’s success can be
attributed to the collaboration between volunteers and new homeowners, the latter pouring 250-500 hours of ‘sweat equity’ into the homes they will inhabit. This investment of time and energy is a requirement and, along with level of need and a commitment to paying off the mortgage, is a critical determining factor in the homebuyer selection process.
Habitat for Humanity’s impact is most apparent in
the lives that are transformed through its work. Habitat houses have been childhood homes of Rhodes Scholars, C-Suite executives, national champion collegiate athletes, and thousands of successful adults who are making tremendous impacts in the communities in which they live and work. While some may look at a new home as the product of Habitat’s efforts, it’s really just the beginning.
“From the very beginning, Grant Thornton team members have treated us as if we were their most important client. Not only are they extremely capable and experienced, but also they work professionally and respectfully with our team. Grant Thornton clearly adds value in all of our interactions – calling on multiple subject matter experts within the firm to best serve our needs.”
Mike Carscaddon, Chief Financial Officer
Realizing full potential
Reflecting on the dedication ceremony that ushers homeowners into their new houses, Habitat for Humanity CEO, Jonathan Reckford, commented, “When a family slides that key into the lock of a house they’ve helped build, they’re unlocking more
than just the physical front door to their new home. They’re unlocking their fullest potential.” That’s a sentiment that resonates with Grant Thornton, whose purpose is to help people reach their full potential today so they can build a better
tomorrow. So, it is with a shared sense of purpose and tremendous pride that Grant Thornton serves as Habitat for Humanity’s accounting firm and relishes the opportunity it has to play a small part in helping Habitat continue its tremendous work.
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