FUND
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“ here is no exercise better for the heart
than reaching down and lifting people up.”
P
rior to moving into their Habitat home, the Lopez family
found it very difficult to find safe, decent housing they
could afford on their low incomes. This family of five was
living in a converted garage in a house they shared with other
family members. The limited space and lack of privacy made life
extremely difficult. Desperate to provide a better life for their
children, they turned to Habitat for Humanity of Collier County.
It was a dream come true for Sergio and Rosa when they were
approved to become a Habitat partner family. As they invested
their 500 sweat equity hours, they hoped it would help to teach
their three children, Norma (11), Sergio, Jr. (8) and Jennifer
(6), that with hard work anything is possible. Now, they are the
proud homeowners in the Naples Manor neighborhood. Sergio
continues his work as an irrigation technician and Rosa has
found a new and better job with Arthrex.
— John Holmes
New homeowners are required to place a down payment and
maintain a no-interest monthly mortgage according to a sliding
scale. That money, along with generous donations, is recycled
to help build new homes.
“Every house is an endowment and
every dollar stays at work,” Lisa says.
Owning a home can embody many things—stability, security,
safety. For many, it also creates a sense of pride. Good housing
in communities attracts economic investment and development;
contributes to thriving school systems and community organizations; and acts as a catalyst for civic activism.
Habitat for Humanity International was founded in 1976 by
Millard and Linda Fuller on these basic principles. Today, the
organization is a world leader in addressing the issues of poverty and housing. The Habitat for Humanity of Collier County
affiliate was formed shortly after the inception of the nonprofit
organization. Today, over 100 homes are constructed in Collier
County per year.
“We live in a very unique community where there is an immense amount of wealth, and an immense amount of poverty.
Through donations and proper money management we are able
to provide a ‘hand-up’ through home ownership—not a ‘hand
out,’” Lisa Lefkow, executive vice president, development says.
The Habitat business model is a logical and well-oiled machine.
Staff from Naples Yacht Club raising the walls on a Habitat home in
Naples Manor.
So why create an Agency Endowment Fund at the Community
Foundation of Collier County? “We wanted to know that in
times of crisis we would have a safety net. Our unique strategic
business model makes us sustainable, but a Community Foundation endowment provides another level of sustainability. If
homes are damaged by natural causes or another recession hits,
we want to be prepared,” Lisa says. “We also find that donors
may prefer to invest in a traditional endowment—essentially
everyone feels secure knowing the Community Foundation of
Collier County will support Habitat’s efforts, forever.”
Benefits of Agency Endowments at the
Community Foundation of Collier County
‚ Sophisticated Professional
Investment Management
‚ Community Foundation’s Strong
Reputation for Fiscal Stewardship
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