HopeBuilders FAQs

Who can become a HopeBuilder?
How does HopeBuilding work?
How do I become a HopeBuilder?
Why £1235?
Where will my money go?
What will my money achieve?
How do I know my donation of £1235 will result in a house being built?
How will I be kept updated?
What support will I get?
How can businesses get involved?
What are the benefits to businesses in getting involved?

Who can become a HopeBuilder?

Anyone can become a HopeBuilder – individuals, families, clubs, churches, schools and universities, companies or just a group of friends. Everyone can join in and help fight the global crisis that is poverty housing!

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How does HopeBuilding work?

Your HopeBuilder commitment covers the cost of building a new house including all the materials.
A family in the developing world is selected by our local organisation to live in that house.
Individuals, families and communities get involved in building the house.
Having a stable home breaks the cycle of poverty and creates independent living where people have control over their own future.
The new homeowners pay back the costs of materials over time.
These costs are recycled to enable another family to build a home.

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How do I become a HopeBuilder?

You can choose to become a HopeBuilder in a variety of ways that best suits you:

Donate £1235.
Raise £1235 (with your friends, colleagues and neighbours support).
Make a monthly gift of £12.35 or more.
Volunteer – go overseas with us and help a homepartner family build their own house.
Leave a legacy of £1235.

Simply click onto Become a HopeBuilder on the website.

You can also fill out one of our HopeBuilder forms or call us on 0845 606 1235.

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Why £1235?

Because that’s the average cost to build a typical Habitat house in the developing world. You can of course raise funds to build more than one house!

To you or me £1235 is the price of a decent laptop, or a couple of monthly mortgage payments, but to someone living in poverty housing it could transform their lives – forever. That’s what being a HopeBuilder and giving £1235 can achieve.

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Where will my money go?

Wherever you want – you can choose either:

Africa and the Middle East
Asia and the Pacific
Europe and Central Asia
Latin America and the Caribbean.

However, we would prefer it if you can leave it to us to use your gift to build a home wherever the need is greatest.

All HopeBuilders income (over and above the cost of promoting and managing the campaign) goes towards building homes for families in need. Whilst you can choose a destination for your HopeBuilders gifts it may sometimes be necessary (e.g. at times of natural disaster) to divert the money to where the need is greatest.

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What will my money achieve?

Your money will:

Buy materials for a new house and enable a family to help build a decent and affordable home of their own.
Help to revitalise individuals, families and communities who get involved in the build of a new home.
Give someone a safe and affordable home where they can raise their children and look forward to a better future.
Break the cycle of poverty.
Give people a hand up, not a hand out, by giving them back control over their own destiny.
Restore people’s dignity and improve their self-esteem.

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How do I know my donation of £1235 will result in a house being built?

Some houses in some locations are less expensive to build than others. But £1235 is the average cost of building a typical Habitat for Humanity house in the developing world. This includes the cost of materials, tools and labour, together with all management and local infrastructure. Because costs vary from one location to another we will redistribute excess funds from the less expensive areas (that cost less than £1235) to the more expensive areas when needed.

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How will I be kept updated?

On signing up you will receive a HopeBuilder Welcome Pack that includes, amongst other things:

A HopeBuilder campaign booklet
A HopeBuilder tax disc holder
A HopeBuilder keyring – to carry round with you and signal your commitment to nailing poverty housing.
A fundraising toolkit packed with ideas to help you raise funds.

On an ongoing basis we will send you:

A bi-monthly e-newsletter detailing latest campaign information and stories from families and volunteers from all over the world.
Access to www.hopebuilders.org.uk for regular campaign updates and additional fundraising tools and tips.

Once you have built your house (you can build as many as you want!) we will want to thank you for being a HopeBuilder and will send you a photograph of a family whose home has recently been built from the region your money has gone to help.

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What support will I get?

However you decide to become a HopeBuilder – by fundraising, giving a one-off donation or any of the other ways, you will have the benefit of our 30-plus years of knowledge and expertise in the fight against poverty housing backing you with all the ideas, support and fundraising activities to get you started. Everything you need is here on the website – we’re just a click away.

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How can businesses get involved?

If you want to make HopeBuilding your business you can:

Commit to giving or raising £1,235 or as much as you can.
Commit to match the funds raised by your employees.
Promote the HopeBuilders campaign to staff, customers and suppliers: as you build hope you will find that you also build positive attitudes and goodwill from everyone towards your company.
We will provide you with all the resources for you and your staff to be successful HopeBuilders.
Send a volunteer team.

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What are the benefits to businesses in getting involved?

It’s a brilliant and inspiring way for employees to get involved personally and together in making a real difference. In volunteering their time and transferring their passion to benefit others individuals are renewed and changed.
You can give more than your money. A partnership with Habitat for Humanity values your time, energy, product and expertise as well.
It will raise the profile of your business in your community and marketplace – and impact a community thousands of miles away for ever!
And perhaps most of all, it’s absolutely guaranteed that staff morale will be built – along with the houses! By raising funds together and perhaps even going on a volunteer trip you will see the barriers that exist at work disappear and relationships will never be the same again.

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