Supporters like you

Seeing such injustice led Eric to begin supporting Habitat for Humanity. Our model of giving people a hand up, not a handout, helps families obtain healthy, affordable homes. That struck a chord with him. Eric and his wife decided to name Habitat as one of the recipients of their charitable remainder trust because they appreciate that we go beyond building homes to customize our work to the needs of each community. This generous trust gift will help others in their community and around the world in perpetuity.

Most of the $100 million legacy commitment will be used by Habitat for microfinance programs to improve living conditions for families around the world. The rest will fund an endowment to support affordable housing efforts.

“As long as God gives me good health,” Ron says, “I ought to use my talents and my energies and my money to help other people. So, I’ve chosen to dedicate the rest of my life to help provide housing solutions to people around the world.”

But the rewards were even greater as change came to the South. “We defied the stereotype of the Southern Baptist,” Robert says. “And I think the future, despite all the negative things going on in the world, has a very positive potential.”

Robert’s relationship with Habitat began in the 1980s when Habitat founder Millard Fuller helped the congregation at Binkley Memorial, where Robert was pastor, organize a building project.

Soon after, Robert made a very generous legacy gift to Habitat. It’s a gift that has benefitted both him and Habitat for Humanity. He continues to receive payments from the gift, and when he passes away, the principal will go toward building homes for people in need.

“I determined it to be a good way to invest money in a good cause by which everyone benefits,” Robert says.

After his successful career, Mark decided to move to Bloomington, Indiana, to build a home for his retirement. Soon after, he was diagnosed with cancer. “As Mark became ill, we talked about philanthropy, and he thought Habitat was a good cause,” says Dan Drew, a close friend.

Plans were made. When Mark passed away, his estate provided for his family members and also included an extraordinarily generous gift for Habitat — after providing for his family members. “He loved the idea of people having homes that they would be safe and comfortable in,” Dan said.

Andy went on to become an influential physicist. Among many roles, he directed the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory at the University of California from 1973 to 1980, establishing the lab’s Energy and Environment Division. One of his enduring accomplishments was to elevate environmental science and energy-technology research and development as fields of study.

Late in his distinguished career, Andy was invited to the White House again. This time it was to receive the Department of Energy’s prestigious Enrico Fermi Award from President Obama, who said, “Welcome back.”

Throughout his life, Andy deeply believed in and contributed to humanitarian causes, leaving a very generous gift in his will for Habitat. “Philanthropy was something he always took seriously,” said Andy’s son, Daniel, a physician. “He lived modestly, with conscious intent to give away as much money as possible. He gave away millions.”