Clay County Habitat for Humanity

What is the core mission of your organization?Clay County Habitat for Humanity Mission is building safe, decent and affordable housing in partnership with the community and God’s people in need.

How do you measure impact and success in your programs?The home dedications that are done once the family has successfully completed our Home Ownership Program. This is when we know they have worked hard to build/maintain their credit, put in 200 sweat equity hours to help build their home, and we are on the road to an affordable mortgage for their home ownership. We invite the community to be apart of this dedication as it means so much to them they like to share that their dream has come true.

What are your biggest fundraising or outreach challenges? Our biggest fundraising and outreach challenges center on increasing awareness and securing sustainable funding in a competitive nonprofit landscape. While the need for affordable housing continues to grow, donor fatigue, rising construction costs, and limited discretionary giving make it more difficult to engage new donors and maintain long-term support.

To address this, we are intentionally building long-term partnerships with local businesses, focusing on relationships rather than one-time funding requests. Many of these businesses employ members of the local workforce who may themselves be seeking affordable homeownership opportunities. By engaging employers as partners, we create shared investment in solutions that strengthen employees, families, and the broader community.

Expanding our reach while maintaining meaningful donor stewardship with limited staff capacity remains an ongoing challenge.

How do you build long-term relationships with donors and supporters? We are building long-term relationships with donors and supporters by focusing on trust, transparency, and meaningful engagement. Donors are treated as partners in our mission, not one-time contributors. We prioritize regular communication that clearly shows how their support is making a difference through project updates, impact stories, and invitations to see the work firsthand through

We also host three major fundraising events each year that bring businesses and individuals together to work side by side on our homes. These hands-on build experiences allow supporters to see what we do and who we do it for, creating a deeper personal connection to our mission.

By listening to donor interests and aligning them with our programs, we foster authentic, lasting partnerships. Consistent stewardship, gratitude, and accountability are central to our approach, ensuring donors feel valued, informed, and confident that their investment is creating long-term change.

What trends are influencing the nonprofit world today? Several key trends are shaping the nonprofit world today. Donors want transparency, measurable impact, and a clear understanding of how their support creates long-term change.

The current economic climate is also having a significant impact on nonprofits. Inflation, higher interest rates, and increased costs of goods and services have strained both donor capacity and organizational budgets. At the same time, demand for nonprofit services continues to rise, placing added pressure on limited resources.

Nonprofits are also navigating donor fatigue and increased competition for funding, while businesses are placing greater emphasis on corporate social responsibility and local community investment. Additionally, organizations are relying more on digital outreach and storytelling to connect with supporters and demonstrate impact. These trends are pushing nonprofits to be more adaptive, transparent, and collaborative in how they engage donors and deliver their mission.

Can you share a story that shows your mission in action? February 6, 2024 by Clay Habitat news letter.

Keri is employed in logistics at a well-known national company. Despite having a good job, she finds it difficult to afford housing for her family. The escalating costs of rent and homes have made it challenging for her and many families like hers to find a place to call their own. They are constantly under the threat of their landlord raising the rent, making it hard for them to make ends meet.

Keri is a mother of four children, who depend on her for food, shelter, school supplies, and medical needs. It is unimaginable to choose between paying rent and putting food on the table. No parent should ever be placed in such a situation.

“I am looking forward to having a home to call ours. I have never had that nor know the feeling of being able to call anything ours. To also be able to be in a home that is fresh and has no leaking faucets or running toilets. No leaking roof! It sounds like simple stuff to some but being a single mom of 4, these things are a lot to deal with especially when they aren’t yours. And lastly being able to decorate how we want to decorate without needing permission. Can’t wait!” – Keri

You have the power to assist Keri and many families like hers in Clay County. By investing in their future, you are not just donating to a nonprofit – you are helping families secure a better life.

What keeps you motivated in this work? What keeps me motivated is seeing future homeowners working side by side with volunteers to build their own homes. Witnessing their gratitude and pride as they invest in their future is incredibly inspiring.

I’m also deeply motivated by the sense of community that forms on our build sites. Events like Women Build 2025 brought women leaders together to help a mother and her son on one home and a mother with her three children on another. Seeing people give back, form meaningful connections, and build friendships while creating something that truly changes lives is a powerful reminder of why this work matters.