Did you know that nearly half the ramps installed by our program were sponsored by local businesses or community groups? That’s right. 37 ramps were sponsored last year. Many of those sponsors brought both funds and volunteers alongside to complete critical repair projects.
Most build day sponsors are small, locally-owned businesses choosing to invest their hard-earned money back into the community where they live and work.
One exemplary organization is LMG Architects, a Greenville-based and part-woman-owned architectural firm designing residential and commercial builds across the upstate.
You may not personally know Lura or Mark Godfrey, co-owners of LMG Architects, but if you live in Greenville, you’ve definitely seen their work around town. From Lewis Barbeque to Kitchen Sync to office renovations for nonprofit Pendleton Place, LMG Architects is known for their bold designs and business integrity.
Lura and Mark started the business together 10 years ago and have grown to complete many new construction builds and also more than two hundred additions and renovations to existing homes. Lura also recently joined the board of directors of Rebuild Upstate after longtime service on the Greenville Advisory Council.
This aspect of their business, renovations to existing homes, drives Lura Godfrey the most because “I can help ensure homeowners have equity in their homes and see the value in staying in the neighborhood they love – that’s my favorite work!”
Alongside preserving homeownership, Lura’s passion for sustainability informed her interest in home repair work long before starting LMG Architects. She realized the economic and environmental impact that tearing down the old to create something new had on communities, from the loss of “embodied energy” and materials to the landfill to how much further a dollar could be stretched when an existing building is used to occupy.
Lura’s passion for preservation went so far as to consider establishing a home repair nonprofit. “We were going to call it ‘Little Pink Houses,’ although I doubt John Mellencamp would have agreed to it.”
Then, an architect buddy and former Rebuild Upstate board chair, Burgess Metcalf, told Lura about Rebuild Upstate. “That was all I needed to hear. I was in and have been trying to promote and advocate for Rebuild ever since. Not to mention getting my hands dirty doing some projects, too!”
Since then, Lura’s portfolio of work (and LMG Architects) with Rebuild Upstate has spanned hundreds of hours and many significant donations, including:
- Donated More than $10k in Repair Funds And Equal Amount in Volunteer Time
- Greenville Advisory Council Service (2014-2024)
- Rebuild Upstate Board of Directors Service – Engagement Committee Chair (2025-2027)
- Donated Architectural Design Work for Repair Warehouse Renovations (2024)
- Annual Sponsor of & Donated Decor for A Toast To Home Fundraiser
- Sponsor for Annual Wake Up With Rebuild Event
- Repeat Volunteer with Trinity Lutheran Church on Build Sites
- Repeat Volunteer with LMG Architects on Build Sites
Plus, LMG Architects was the first small business to become a monthly Porch Partner donor, creating reliable funds for Rebuild Upstate to draw on to complete critical repairs. Lura has also established numerous meaningful connections with other local professionals to aid the organization’s growth.
The philanthropic mindset is embraced throughout the family. Lura’s parents Bob & Donna DiAntonio, have a long history of investing their time and money into various nonprofit organizations and were recognized in 2024 by the Governor of South Carolina with the Family Impact Award .
On why she continues to invest in community work like Rebuild Upstate, Lura says, “The gratitude that exudes from the homeowners when you’re sweeping off their ramp or new floor just before you leave is so rewarding and contagious! It makes me grateful to have the ability, time, and resources to be able to help.”
Rebuild Upstate’s volunteer projects are strongly backed by small businesses and locally organized groups. Their sponsorship dollars have a direct tie to a vulnerable person experiencing safety again, whether it be through a new accessibility ramp or a leak-free roof. Sponsored Build Day opportunities showcase the exceptional business leaders amongst us who have pride in the network that supports them and are willing to reinvest locally to strengthen the community as a whole.
To learn more about how your business can become a Build Day Sponsor and increase your local community investment, submit an inquiry here.
You can also visit our Volunteer Resource Hub for more information about Rebuild Upstate’s volunteer experience.
