Thrivent Builds

Thrivent Builds Homes is expanding the home-building capacity of Habitat for Humanity affiliates and engaging thousands of volunteers nationwide. The program is part of a four-year, $105 million home-building alliance between Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and Habitat for Humanity International called Thrivent Builds with Habitat for Humanity.

“Thrivent Builds” homes mirror other Habitat homes but have a greater focus on volunteers from local Thrivent volunteer chapters and Lutheran congregations. Those groups and other volunteers from the community including Habitat partner families, come together to build simple, decent affordable homes. But it’s not a giveaway program. The homes are sold to partner families at no profit. In addition to monthly mortgage payments, each home-buyer family invests hundreds of hours of labor into building their home and other Habitat houses.

In 2007:

  • Up to 355 homes will be built in 43 states
  • Nearly 400 Thrivent Financial for Lutherans chapter-geographically-based
  • Volunteer groups of Thrivent Financial members will be involved
  • Homes will be built with 256 Habitat for Humanity affiliates-independent locally run nonprofit organizations that coordinate all aspects of Habitat home building within specific geographical areas

It will cost approximately $47.7 million to build the 355 homes:

  • Thrivent Financial is funding approximately $24.5 million, or 65%
  • Habitat affiliates need to raise nearly $9.4 million, or 25%
  • Thrivent chapters need to raise nearly $3.8 million, or 10%
  • It will take roughly 1.4 million volunteer hours from more than 159,000 volunteers to build the 355 homes - approximately 4,000 volunteer hours from 450 volunteers per house, according to Habitat affiliate experience
  • State with the most Thrivent Builds homes planned: Wisconsin at 39
  • New States: Hawaii, West Virginia and Vermont
  • Home locations were chosen based on existence of Thrivent volunteer chapters, Lutheran population and Habitat affiliate’s ability to build more homes

Habitat for Humanity of Greene County, Ohio will be submitting our application for participation in this exciting program next summer. We are looking forward to partnering with Thrivent, Peace Lutheran Church of Beavercreek, and other area Lutheran congregations in building a home in 2009.