Wow – our community stepped up AGAIN to help us surpass last year’s amazing fundraising goals at this year’s Beyond the Build virtual event. We are thrilled to announce that we raised $1.64 million – even more than the record-breaking $1.42 million raised last year.
The June 3rd event was emceed by Dave Wagner of KIRO 7, and featured a keynote by Matthew Desmond, winner of the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction, the 2017 PEN/John Kenneth Galbraith Award, and the 2016 National Book Critics Circle Award for Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City. Funds raised will support Habitat’s partner families and ensure the ability for Habitat to continue to move forward with an ambitious agenda to provide solutions to the Puget Sound region’s affordable housing and homeless crisis. Attendees donating $1,000 or more also gained entrance to an exclusive live VIP reception with Mr. Desmond following the event. View individual presentations, the full hour-long program and the VIP reception here
“Our community has again stepped up with amazing support during an unprecedented time in our region where housing affordability is increasingly unstable and homelessness at crisis levels. It is clear we were able to communicate the urgency of our mission, and we couldn’t be more thrilled with and grateful for this result.”
Brett D’Antonio, Habitat SKC CEO
This year Habitat for Humanity Seattle–King County is celebrating 35 years serving hard-working and deserving families in King County, and while the organization is proud of what it has accomplished, it recognizes the urgency to address an even more significant need in the region. With 200 units in eight projects currently in its development pipeline, the organization has implemented innovative partnerships with private and public entities in order to help meet the need. Projects sites include those in South Park, Lake City, Renton, North and Central Seattle, North Bend and Burien. Additionally, two more will come online soon in West Seattle and Capitol Hill.
Brett added, “We couldn’t have achieved this amazing result without the support of our corporate and foundation partners, that at the platinum and gold levels included Microsoft, Bank of America, HomeStreet Bank, Regence, BECU, Blueprint Capital, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, The ROMA Foundation, Lenore Hanauer Foundation, Credit Union Home Mortgage Solutions, FHLB, KLB Construction, The John C. & Karyl Kay Hughes Foundation, Satterberg Foundation, Suskin Foundation, Joshua Green Foundation and the Harnish Foundation.”
The Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties (MBAKS) was honored with its Community Leader of the Year award, and Nancy Williams with its Volunteer of the Year award for serving as the local leader for Habitat’s annual Women Build Week. Nancy has been instrumental in volunteer recruitment, event support, and providing supplies to our build sites. In 2019, she recruited over 40 volunteers to join us at Habitat’s Sammamish site for a Women Build that raised $250,000 for the affiliate.
MBAKS’ partnership with Habitat has spanned 20 years, and incorporates engagement of its employees and members with significant financial support. Former MBAKS Executive Director Kat Sims is a valued Habitat Board Member, and Habitat credits MBAKS’ COVID construction toolkit as critical in ensuring that construction was able to continue on Habitat project sites.