You might be wondering whether it’s best for you donate to Habitat for Humanity through making a corporate donation or an individual donation. Habitat locations across the GTA offer one-of-a-kind donation experiences. You can be confident that however you choose to donate to Habitat, your time, money or product will help build houses for local families in need of a place to call home. Here’s a rundown of some of the donation options and experiences that Habitat for Humanity offers.
Corporate donations
Make a monetary donation
When your corporation donates to Habitat, your money is going directly into our Affordable HomeOwnership program. By donating, you help Habitat cover the costs of purchasing land, construction materials and services. When the home is finished and our partner family has moved in, they pay a long term, no-interest mortgage (as well as having already volunteered 500 hours during the construction of their home).
Since all of the construction costs have been paid up to this point, the family’s mortgage payments go back into Habitat’s revolving fund. Your company’s donations are a vital part of that cycle, since you help Habitat purchase the land, items and services which have not been donated to us at that point.
Helping out your community is a great reason to donate to your local Habitat for Humanity, and Habitat also offers several incentives for your corporation to donate. Depending on the amount you choose to give, Habitat can coordinate various forms of recognition, mementos or experiences. To learn more about how to donate financially to Habitat for Humanity, contact Melissa Foley, Habitat’s Team Experiences Lead, by emailing mfoley@habitathm.ca or calling (905) 637-4446 ext. 231.
Give a Gift-in-Kind donation
If your corporation has overstock or imperfect or returned items, consider donating them to Habitat for Humanity. We accept gift-in-kind donations of products for our build sites. These donations can include things like tools, hard hats, safety shoes, safety glasses, gloves and food. We also look for material donations for our build sites, such as bricks, shingles, drywall, flooring, windows, doors, kitchen and bathroom cabinetry, bathroom fixtures, lighting fixtures and paint. To donate goods or materials to Habitat, you can fill out the gift-in-kind form on our website to set up a meeting with our Gift-in-Kind Manager, Lindsay Tuttle.
Donate to a Habitat ReStore
Habitat also accepts corporate donations to our ReStores, which sell new and gently used products for between 30 per cent and 70 per cent of their original value. For donations valued at over $100, you will be eligible for a charitable tax receipt. To see a list of items we accept as donations to our ReStores, visit our ReStore website.
Take part in a Team Build Day experience
Looking to strengthen your team at the same time as your corporation helps out your community? Habitat offers several exciting team building experiences for corporate teams. In addition to being a great way for you to donate financially to Habitat’s vision of creating a world where everyone has a safe and decent place to live, participating in a team building day is also a great way to bond with colleagues and learn new skills.
One great option is for you to team build on a build site with Habitat. These build site experiences, called Adopt-A-Days, can accommodate up to 20 people. Throughout your build day, you’ll receive safety training and personal protective equipment, lunch and coffee. You’ll learn about Habitat’s construction process, and have the opportunity to work alongside your colleagues in a new environment.
Habitat also offers corporate team building experiences at our new ReVive Centre in Mississauga. At the ReVive Centre, your team will flex their creative muscles while upcycling products to be sold in our ReStore or building new products. Our ReVive days are suitable for teams of up to 25 people, and can either be half day or full day experiences.
Start a workplace giving program
Your corporate team can also choose your own fundraising path to help Habitat for Humanity. You can set a goal for donations and work with Habitat to figure out which fundraising initiatives can best help you achieve that goal. We’re happy to work with you to find a unique way for your company or organization to contribute to our organization. To get started with your own workplace giving program, contact Melissa Foley through the workplace giving program form on our website.
Individual donations
Make a financial donation
Habitat offers either one-time giving or monthly donation giving options. To make a one-time financial donation to help Habitat build homes for local families, visit the donation page on our website. All donations will receive a charitable tax receipt via email, so make sure you check your inbox after donating. You can also become a monthly Hope Builder so that your recurring donation can make a continued difference in the lives of families.
When you donate to Habitat, you’re not helping cover administration costs, as is the case for some other charities. We guarantee that 100 per cent of your financial donation goes towards our home build projects. This means we can help more local families build a life they love in a home that is safe and affordable.
Donate to a ReStore
You can also donate new or gently used items to Habitat ReStores, effectively making a positive contribution to your community and doing some spring cleaning at the same time. Our ReStores accept a variety of items, including furniture, appliances, home decor and more. You can find a full list of accepted items on Habitat’s ReStore website.
You can also donate clothing in the bright blue clothing donation boxes in our ReStore parking lots, or schedule a home pickup for items you would like to donate to the ReStore.
Volunteer with Habitat
As an individual, you can also donate your time, effort and expertise to Habitat for Humanity by joining our amazing team of volunteers. We have a plethora of volunteer opportunities, from working in a ReStore to an office. Check out our volunteer website to learn more about some of the volunteer roles we’re currently looking to fill, and sign up to be a volunteer today in under 30 minutes or less.
Find your local Habitat for Humanity
Whether you’re looking to donate to charity as a corporation or as an individual, Habitat locations in the GTA have lots of options for you. Habitat for Humanity Halton-Mississauga serves the Halton region, including Burlington, Milton, Halton Hills, and the Peel region, including the Western GTA and Mississauga. Habitat GTA serves Brampton, Caledon, Toronto, Scarborough and the region of York. Habitat Durham serves Ajax, Oshawa and Uxbridge. Habitat Hamilton serves Hamilton and the surrounding region.
Your local Habitat will be thrilled to receive your individual or corporate donation. You can feel good about donating to an organization that will use your donation to build homes in your local community. To learn more about Habitat’s mission, visit our website.