How to submit donations and fundraise for your Global Village or Habitat and Thrivent Worldwide program
Thank you for choosing to serve with Habitat for Humanity! On this page you will find details about submitting donations, fundraising and tax deductibility.
What is included in your program donation
Each Global Village or Habitat and Thrivent Worldwide program has a required program donation that covers most costs associated with your participation and includes a direct contribution to the Habitat country or affiliate program you are visiting to facilitate Habitat’s work. Find more details about your program donation.
Deposit and balance
Once you join a Global Village or Habitat and Thrivent Worldwide program, you will confirm your spot by submitting a nonrefundable and nontransferable deposit to Habitat for Humanity International in the amount of $250, unless you are part of an organized group that is paying on your behalf. The remaining balance is due no later than 45 days before departure and is also nonrefundable.
If you are joining a team from a school, church, workplace, local Habitat affiliate or other organization, please confirm the deposit amount and payment process with your team leader, and understand that it is nonrefundable.
Submitting donations
You and/or your donors may submit funds by accessing the link provided once you set up a fundraising page for your program. Details on setting up your fundraising page will be provided with your program registration confirmation, if applicable. All payments toward your program must be made in U.S. dollars to Habitat for Humanity International and designated appropriately.
Checks and money orders must be made payable to Habitat for Humanity International, should include your Habitat ID and event code for your program and mailed to:
Habitat for Humanity International
Global Village
322 West Lamar St.
Americus, GA 31709
Coding wire transfers or mailed check payments and donations
In order for you to receive proper credit, your personal Habitat ID and event code must be included on all payments and donations submitted on your behalf by wire transfer or mail.
- Personal checks or money orders: Write the Habitat ID above the name and address in the upper left corner of the check; write the event code on the memo line.
- Wire payments should have documentation that includes your Habitat ID and event code.
If you are uncertain of your Habitat ID or event code, please contact our office at [email protected] or by calling (800) HABITAT.
Funding your program
- Make a bigger difference: mobilize supporters and fundraise – Tell your friends, family and colleagues about your work with Habitat. Many people will want to support you, and our peer-to-peer fundraising platform makes sharing your story simple and easy. In just a few minutes you can create a personalized fundraising web page for your program. You will be able to easily share across your social media sites and with your donors. Details on setting up your fundraising page will be provided with your program registration confirmation, if applicable.
- Employer matching gifts – More than 1,400 companies match employee gifts to Habitat, and these funds could be applied to your program. Check to see if your company matches donations to Habitat. Inquire with your program contact or human resources department before completing a matching gift form since not all companies’ matching gift policies allow for matching of program donations. If eligible, please request that your employer clearly indicate your event code and Habitat ID with the matching gift payment. Matching gifts can only be applied toward your program donation if they are received by the payment deadline, 45 days before the program’s start date.
- Tax deductibility – Funds raised toward the program donation includes the cost of meals, accommodations and ground transportation during the program. A portion of the required program donation supports Habitat’s essential operational costs. Depending on the volunteer’s country of origin, the program donation may or may not be tax-deductible. Please consult a tax advisor concerning your specific situations.
- Acknowledging donations – All donors, whether via check, money order or credit card, are sent acknowledgment letters. Discourage your supporters from donating cash, as Habitat cannot acknowledge cash donations. We also discourage supporters from giving checks made payable directly to you.
- Funds raised in addition to the published program donation – Volunteers fundraise each year so that Habitat for Humanity can continue serving families long after the team returns home. To best support our mission, we are not able to roll additional funds over to a future program or reimburse program donations paid by volunteers when minimum financial obligations are exceeded. Habitat will direct any additional funds you raise beyond the published program donation to support our programs throughout the world.
- Fundraising for airfare – Funds raised in excess of the program donation cannot be used to pay for airfare. If you would like to raise money for airfare costs, you must do so on your own. You may still be able to claim airfare as a tax-deductible expense even if the funds are paid directly from the participant to a vendor, as long as the program is in pursuit of a charitable purpose. However, a tax advisor should be contacted.
Once you join a Habitat program, we hope that you are able to build with us. However, unexpected events may come up. Please review our cancellation policies for deadlines and how we can help. We strongly urge all volunteers travelling domestically to purchase “cancel for any reason” trip cancellation insurance to cover your travel expenses in the event you have to postpone or cancel your participation in the program. For volunteers traveling internationally, trip cancellation insurance is included in the required program donation.
Your donations will help build strength, stability and self-reliance for homeowners across the globe. If you have any questions about donations or cancellations, please contact us via email at [email protected] or by telephone (800) HABITAT.
