Someone recently asked me why Habitat for Humanity Saint Louis isn’t building even more houses in St. Louis. I explained that we can only build as many homes as funds will allow.
This person seemed confused by my answer then said, “Don’t you have millions of dollars? I send you a contribution every year, myself.” I then asked this person if they were making their gift to our local office in St. Louis, or to our parent organization, Habitat for Humanity International in Americus, Georgia. It turns out, they were sending their gifts to Georgia, not realizing that those funds are not automatically earmarked for our local community – in fact, that money is used for Habitat International’s work around the world.
I realize that many people think a gift to Habitat for Humanity International has the same effect as a gift to their local affiliate…but that’s simply not the way it works. In fact, Habitat Saint Louis only receives about 5% of our funding from Habitat for Humanity International: we must raise the remaining 95% ourselves. Where you send your gift determines where it is used…and we really need your contributions to keep building homes in St. Louis.
I share this information with you as a matter of transparency, and to help you choose how you want your investment used. Gifts made to our parent organization do good work around the world – but if you put your stamp on an envelope with a Georgia address, it will not build homes for families in our community. If you want your contribution to stay in Saint Louis, it is imperative that you send it directly to our office at:
Habitat for Humanity Saint Louis
3830 South Grand Blvd
St. Louis, MO 63118
If you make donations online to Habitat for Humanity Saint Louis, please make sure to use our local office’s web address, which is www.habitatSTL.org.
As a good steward of the resources entrusted to us, know that Habitat for Humanity Saint Louis is deeply grateful for the support we receive…and the more money we can raise locally, the more homes we can build right here in St. Louis City and County. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us here.
In partnership,
Kimberly McKinney, CEO