Fuller Center For Housing Inc

I don't mind saying up front for full disclosure that I've been serving (working) with this organization for the past 8 years and continue to do so. No one asked me to write this, I just wanted to share thoughts as an employee, donor, and at many times a volunteer since I just saw these other reviews. I've gotten more of an inside scoop than just about anyone.

Because we're volunteer-driven, we can get a lot done with a relatively little money. What is given to us is leveraged to help get as much done as possible. I think about 80% of our US projects have no paid staff at all -- just volunteer Board of Directors.

We're very frugal. Anyone who has spent time around other organizations at conferences or on-the-ground will notice that we spend a lot less on branding, staff travel and the like than almost anyone else. We're based in a small town where our roots are, which allows us staff to be able to work here at much lower cost than organizations who have employees living in big expensive cities Washington, D.C. or Atlanta. This all stems from our history with Millard Fuller, who was one of the most frugal men you'd ever meet! He lived almost his whole life refusing to take the level of pay he deserved and living in a house without air conditioning in the deep south. I may not be quite at his level (confession: I have air conditioning!), but we do follow in that tradition.

An earlier review over-stated the income of the organization in the earlier days and under-stated the results , leaving out the fact that much of the funds were used to support other like-minded organizations as well, which is why the Fuller Center did not directly build as many homes in the early days.

Not that the Fuller Center wasn't also building. All you have to do is visit the Allendale neighborhood of Shreveport, Louisiana, the organization's first signature project, to see just how well the funds were and are being used. It's made a huge, lasting change in what had been one of the most troubled neighborhoods in the country, while also helping many Hurricane Katrina evacuees who had lost everything in New Orleans. Can you imagine what FEMA would have spent on an endeavor of that magnitude? We got it done for a small fraction of that cost.

Let me also share about the work more recently.

I work with the international projects, so I'll focus on those -- although I know we have actually completed work on more houses in the United States than in the rest of the world combined. We have now completed over 1,000 houses outside of the United States. Here is how they breakdown:

As of June 30, 2015 (only including non-U.S.A. houses):
1,042 houses - Total
557 new houses
324 major house projects (similar to building an entirely
new house)
161 minor repairs

We completed exactly 250 projects internationally in the last fiscal year -- a new record for us -- in an organization that is also working in over 60 communities in the United States on just a few million dollars. And we do it all through empowering local, sustainable grassroots organizations that ensure that we're not just throwing money at a problem.

It's primarily made possible because of all the volunteer energy behind it. Plus, the donations get repaid when the families pay back the homes at no profit and no interest, so each donation continues to make an impact for years to come. Sounds like a pretty good investment to me.

The Fuller Center takes its "grass-roots" approach very seriously. All you have to do is look at its simple little international headquarters in Americus, a building that was donated to the organization. Donations to them don't go to build and furnish lavish offices or support highly paid executives. They've built or repaired homes for 2,400 families around the world since 2005, a number that continues to grow. Their covenant partners across the nation are staffed almost entirely by volunteers. When you donate to them, you can rest easy knowing that the money overwhelmingly goes to help folks have simple, decent houses.

This non profit ministry serving the very low income families is making a difference in over 60 communities nationwide with their volunteer based program. This program helps families that are unable financially or physically to do the critical and very necessary repairs to their homes. Thus saving many families from having to live in conditions that are less than decent. They have very few paid staff and their affiliates are mostly volunteered staffed. The involvement of churces and other non profits in their communities pull together to make a difference. If you are looking for a place to make a difference and donate The Fuller Center for Housing would be one of those places.

This is one of the leanest and most effective organizations in the nonprofit world today. Its growth is phenomenal. Launched in 2005, it now has affiliates in over 62 U.S. locations and is building in 17 nations around the world. Most recently, it launched a campaign to build houses in Haiti for $3,000 each. The previous review was from an unhappy former employee who has her facts wrong. The organization has built and repaired over 500 homes around the world. The financials are available on the website and the staff salaries are among the most modest in the nonprofit housing industry. Its volunteers are among the most loyal and hard working among all charities. Join this effort, it will be well worth your time!

After almost five years in business and between 3-5 million dollars per year raised, Fuller Center has built fewer than 150 houses, most of these are low-cost houses overseas which have taken 2-3 years to complete. The Fuller Center publishes almost no information about their "numbers," but they do publish lots of praise for founder Millard Fuller. Having spent time at their headquarters, I can say that the organization exists primarily to vindicate Fuller, who was ousted from Habitat for Humanity, and to keep his family and acolytes employed. Access to budgets showed me that this organization spends a tremendous amount of money on fundraising and failed marketing schemes as well as consultants who underperform. Sadly, I was one of them. Their idea for rehabbing houses versus building new ones is great, but take a look at Rebuilding Together, a great performer in that area.