Committed to Global Stewardship

Habitat for Humanity is committed to working toward the day that all people have a simple, decent place to live. By using wisely all funds that are entrusted to it, the organization is better able to touch the lives of individuals, communities, nations and the world.

Revenue
Habitat for Humanity International is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation supported by those who believe in its work. This support comes in the form of contributions from individuals (cash, stock gifts, estate gifts and an annuity program), corporations (both cash and donated assets and services), foundations and other organizations.

Government assistance is welcomed to develop infrastructure and set the stage for house building. Habitat for Humanity participates in select government initiatives such as the Self-help Homeownership Opportunity Program and the AmeriCorps program in the United States.

Total revenue in FY 2003 was $158.4 million, down 2 percent from FY 2002. Total contributions in FY 2003 were $120.7 million, up $0.3 million from FY 2002. Unrestricted contributions to the organization during FY 2003 totaled $86.6 million, up $2.6 million from FY 2002. The primary decline in revenue came in the area of government grants, which had a decline of $5.4 million to a total of $16.5 million in FY 2003. This decline was primarily due to timing in the use of available grant funds by HFHI and its affiliates rather than a reduction in award amounts. Also included in total revenue is $11.4 million in donations-in-kind and $9.8 million in other income.

Expense
Habitat for Humanity International classifies expense in three primary categories: program expense, fund-raising expense, and management and general expense. Program expense is further divided into three subcategories: U.S. affiliates, international affiliates, and public awareness and education. Total expense amounted to $161.5 million—up $1.9 million (1 percent) from FY 2002.

Program Expense
In FY 2003, Habitat for Humanity International spent a total of $115.3 million on program expense, representing 71 percent of total expense. These funds were used for direct cash and gift-in-kind transfers to affiliates and national organizations around the world for house construction and other expenses. HFHI’s program expense in FY 2003 included costs for programs that directly benefit affiliates and national organizations, such as youth programs, prison partnerships, disaster response, training seminars and information materials. Additionally, program expense includes the cost of monitoring and evaluating the work of affiliates and national organizations, along with providing technical assistance and other program support.

Included in international transfer expense is $9.6 million in tithe funds collected from U.S. affiliates and used to support the work of affiliates in other countries. Tithing on locally raised income is a commitment set forth in covenants signed by all Habitat for Humanity affiliates. Affiliates outside the United States also tithed to support Habitat for Humanity’s work in other countries, often making direct contributions that are not reflected in these financial statements.

Habitat for Humanity International’s program expense also includes costs associated with HFHI’s goal of making decent shelter a matter of conscience and action. Public awareness and education expense includes special events like the Jimmy Carter Work Project, Global Village work trips, our Web site, videos, Habitat World magazine and other costs associated with responding to inquiries from the public and media.

Fund-raising Expense
In FY 2003, fund-raising expense totaled $40.9 million, representing 25 percent of total expense. Major fund- raising programs include direct mail and telemarketing campaigns and direct contact with major donors, foundations and corporations. FY 2003 saw a continued emphasis on targeted proposals to major donors, and HFHI continued to support fund-raising efforts in Western Europe.

Many of HFHI’s fund-raising appeals result in donations made directly to U.S. affiliates or other national organizations. In such cases, HFHI bears the fund-raising expense but does not reflect the resulting donations as revenue.

Management and General Expense
For FY 2003, management and general expense totaled $5.2 million, representing 3 percent of total expense. This includes costs of staffing (other than program and fund-raising staff), supplies, utilities, building maintenance and other costs incurred in the day-to-day operations of HFHI.

Habitat for Humanity’s Unaudited Combined Financials
The audited financial statements of Habitat for Humanity International reflect only part of the story of Habitat for Humanity’s scope of work around the world. As autonomous nonprofit organizations, Habitat for Humanity affiliates and national organizations keep their own records of revenues and expenditures; those figures are not included in the financial statements of Habitat for Humanity International.

To better demonstrate the magnitude of the movement, HFHI annually compiles combined financial statements for Habitat for Humanity in total. This unaudited report includes financial information from many of the largest U.S. affiliates, along with estimates for smaller U.S. affiliates and international efforts, to produce organization-wide totals.

For the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2002, we estimate the entire Habitat for Humanity movement grossed $747.9 million in revenue: $438.2 million in cash contributions and grants, $34.7 million in gifts-in-kind, $237.8 million in sales of houses and $37.2 million in other support. Overall, Habitat for Humanity’s estimated expense ratios in FY 2002 were 81 percent program, 10 percent fund raising, and 9 percent management and general expense.