Habitat for Humanity honored with ‘Golden Halo’ for best-in-class cause marketing and corporate partnership efforts
RYE, NEW YORK (Dec. 11, 2019) – Engage for Good has named Habitat for Humanity International its 2020 Golden Halo Award nonprofit winner, the group’s highest honor for causes that engage in activities designed to do well by doing good.
Habitat for Humanity International CEO Jonathan Reckford will accept the honor at the Engage for Good Conference on May 27-28 in Austin. The group also named Levi Strauss & Co. as the corporate winner of the award. This marks the 18th time the Golden Halo Awards have been given to a nonprofit for its outstanding achievements in the field of corporate social impact.
“With the evolution of the social impact space and rising consumer and employee expectations, it’s incredibly inspiring to see how organizations like Habitat for Humanity are raising the bar for all of us,” said Engage for Good President David Hessekiel. “The Golden Halo Awards are reserved for those companies and nonprofit organizations that manage their affairs in a manner that meaningfully and measurably yield social and financial dividends. We’re thrilled to showcase these organizations and their impressive efforts to unite and engage consumers and employees around initiatives that are making a purposeful impact in our world.”
Habitat for Humanity began in 1976 as a grassroots effort on a community farm in southern Georgia. The Christian housing organization has since grown to become a leading global nonprofit working in local communities across all 50 states in the U.S. and in more than 70 countries. To date, Habitat has helped more than 29 million people gain access to new or improved housing.
Mistakenly many people think volunteering time on a build site is the only way to give to Habitat. Few realize the scope of Habitat’s work within the affordable housing sector or are aware that Habitat relies on monetary donations to fund their critical work.
To combat this challenge, Habitat has increased its focus on cause marketing and consumer fundraising. Since concentrating its efforts in 2017 around the theme of home through the organization’s signature “Home is the Key” campaign, Habitat has dramatically increased the scope of its corporate partnerships with business allies such as Nissan, At Home stores, Chico’s FAS, and Google Nest. These cause campaigns, together with the long-standing support from other industry leaders such as The Home Depot, Lowe’s, Wayfair and Whirlpool, fuel Habitat’s work in the U.S. and abroad.
Offering varied ways of engaging has increased Habitat’s appeal to corporate partners. Companies can organize employee volunteer days on a Habitat site, donate products for sale in Habitat for Humanity ReStores, or leverage major event sponsorships that offer national media platforms. Increasingly, partners that join Habitat through one channel end up deepening and widening their work with the organization over time.
“A core tenet of Habitat’s philosophy is partnership. Whether it’s working side-by-side with a future homeowner on a build site, or Habitat’s partnership with companies to enable our work, we believe that the world is changed when we work together,” said Jonathan Reckford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity International. “The Golden Halo award represents years of work by our team and that of the entire Habitat network to engage partners in meaningful ways that help us carry out our mission. We’re honored to receive this award which recognizes not only what we have accomplished, but what we still hope to do.”
About Engage for Good
Engage for Good, producer of the Engage for Good conference and Halo Awards, is a national professional organization that helps business and nonprofit executives succeed together by providing practical information and inspiration, opportunities to build valuable relationships and recognition for outstanding work engaging employees and consumers around social good and cause-related marketing efforts. Learn more at www.engageforgood.com.
About Habitat for Humanity
Driven by the vision that everyone needs a decent place to live, Habitat for Humanity began in 1976 as a grassroots effort on a community farm in southern Georgia. The Christian housing organization has since grown to become a leading global nonprofit working in local communities across all 50 states in the U.S. and in more than 70 countries. Families and individuals in need of a hand up partner with Habitat for Humanity to build or improve a place they can call home. Habitat homeowners help build their own homes alongside volunteers and pay an affordable mortgage. Through financial support, volunteering or adding a voice to support affordable housing, everyone can help families achieve the strength, stability and self-reliance they need to build better lives for themselves. Through shelter, we empower. To learn more, visit habitat.org.