Diversity, equity and inclusion
Diversity, equity and inclusion is central and imperative for Habitat for Humanity. We believe in a world where everyone — no matter who we are or where we come from — deserves a decent place to live. And we recognize that, to create this world, our work must always break down barriers, bring people of all backgrounds together, and generate equity, respect and lasting change.
In the tradition of the radical inclusivity that infused our birthplace Koinonia Farm, Habitat’s leaders have committed to creating an environment where humility, open communication, dialogue and listening are our standard. As a space where people of all races, all faiths and all backgrounds come together in common cause, we also commit to being actively anti-racist.
In our dedication to diversity, we celebrate, represent and value the differences of those we work with and serve in communities around the world. In our drive for equity, we create processes and practices that ensure everyone involved gets what they need to achieve greater access and fairness in treatment and outcomes. And in our practice of inclusion, we commit to seeing and hearing all those we work with and serve by including the voices and needs of our diverse workforce, communities and residents to build hope and transform lives.
Our vision and values
Habitat’s vision is a world where everyone has a decent place to live.
As we work to fulfill our mission of building homes, communities and hope and putting God’s love into action, we are guided by our core values: humility, courage and accountability.
Habitat’s vision is audacious in its scope. To see a world where everyone has a decent place to live is clearly bigger than any of us at Habitat, and it is bigger than all of us collectively. Being called to something so massive and inspiring is humbling.
Courage coupled with humility allows us to take the necessary risks to live into our mission and move ever closer to our vision. Humility and courage provide the foundation to act wisely.
Holding ourselves and one another accountable from a posture of humility allows us to learn from our mistakes and continually improve our programs, policies and procedures.
Habitat for Humanity International’s diversity statement
All are welcome.
Walls. Our mission is to raise them so a family can find comfort, security, an affordable place to call home.
Walls. Our ethos is to remove them so that all can feel welcome, visible, respected, supported and valued.
Whether on a work site or in the workplace, we are committed to removing the visible and invisible barriers to opportunity and self-expression — barriers that limit a person, a family or an employee from reaching their full potential.
Wherever you find us, we stand tireless in our commitment to foster a culture where diversity, equity and inclusion are core to our thinking, strategies and actions.
Ethics and safeguarding
Habitat is measured not just by the number of families we serve, but by the integrity and quality with which we serve them.
We respect and safeguard the rights and dignities of all people and protect our staff, volunteers, the families with whom we partner and community members from any form of harm, exploitation or abuse. We treat all individuals fairly.
Read our full ethics covenant and code of conduct and our safeguarding policy.
Learn more about raising concerns and how to confidentially and anonymously report any issue or concern that may arise.
Our culture
Habitat for Humanity International is committed to building a diverse, inclusive workforce, and that begins with our talent acquisition team. We endeavor to reach diverse audiences for our openings, are committed to having diverse interviewer panels for candidates and work to educate hiring managers about important issues such as unconscious bias and how to conduct fair and equitable interviewing and hiring processes.
On our journey, we have created employee resource groups to encourage employee engagement, provide opportunities for professional development and internal networking, and inform the implementation of our cultural values and diversity, equity and inclusion strategy. These groups provide for the inclusion of diverse ideas and solutions and create opportunities for mentoring and career development. ERG leaders and the Habitat for Humanity International senior leadership team form our diversity, equity and inclusion council, intended to leverage the diversity of the organization to improve organizational performance as a part of our broader diversity, equity and inclusion strategy.
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The Black Employee Success Team promotes the spirit of Koinonia by increasing Black presence within the organization and to prepare members for meaningful interactions with other employee resource groups.
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DiversAbility fosters positive interactions and shares experiences among members while serving as an advocate for special needs and unique challenges faced by employees with disabilities.
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NextGen supports the development of Habitat’s next generation of leaders by investing in Habitat for Humanity International’s young professionals through professional development, networking and leadership opportunities.
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Nuestro Hogar promotes a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion by intentionally creating a safe space that focuses on continual learning and representation. This Latinx and Hispanic ERG advances the understanding and inclusion of employees with a common background, set of interests and/or goals.
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R.E.A.C.H. (Remote Employees Advocating and Communicating at Habitat) fosters positive interactions and shares best practices among members while serving as an advocate for the special interests and unique challenges faced by remote staff, helping remote employees be more efficient and effective in their daily work while connecting and engaging with colleagues nationwide.
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Spectrum is the employee resource group for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer employees and their allies. Spectrum seeks to build an inclusive and accepting environment for employees of all genders, gender identities and expressions, and sexualities by creating space for LGBTQ+ employees to communicate and collaborate, advocating for policies that address the needs of the LGBTQ+ community at Habitat for Humanity International, and providing educational training and resources around LGBTQ+ topics and experiences.
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Women in the Workplace empowers all staff at our respective Habitat for Humanity International U.S. locations — including remote locations — to better understand and facilitate a work culture that celebrates the contributions and strengths that women bring to our organization’s efforts to achieve a world in which everyone has a decent place to live.
Our commitment
While much has been done, so much more work remains. This will never be a world of equality, of fairness and of human decency that leaves no room for poverty, prejudice or violence, unless we build it.
Making homeownership accessible and affordable for families is a critical component in creating that world. The need for our hands, voices, prayers and active participation is greater than ever.
