The Impact of Your Donations
Your donations make a difference. This year, your donations came at a time when someone needed them most. Let’s take a look at how your donations have moved our mission forward and brought positive change that will help Rebuild Upstate long-term.
Here’s what you helped accomplish:
Leadership Investment
Did you know 2022 is the first year we’ve ever had a full-time CEO in the history of the organization?
It’s true. In early 2022, we announced the search for a new, full-time CEO. In June, Jake Beaty joined as the first full-time CEO. The investment in full-time leadership is an investment in the homeowners we serve. The CEO is a champion for maintaining the highest quality home repair program, operational excellence, and visionary leadership – ensuring we can serve the Upstate for years to come.
Trainings & Certifications
Staff members earned powerful training & certifications including Certified Aging in Place Specialist certification and Lead Renovation, Repair & Paint Certification. These valuable trainings help us:
- Reduce wait time for repairs by holding qualifications internally
- Provide the highest quality home repair program
As we pursue new funding opportunities, many come with restrictions such as assessing for lead paint. With Seth’s certification, we can continue forward on the fastest timeline for a homeowner while continuing to outsource necessary remediations when needed.
Grant Support
Thanks to donations, our team had peace of mind, knowing that the community was committed to meeting the needs of our homeowners and the needs of the organization. Your donations allow us to prioritize pursuing grant opportunities from private and public foundations. In fact, this year we’ve been able to secure our largest grant to exclusively repair homes for veterans. The $150,000 award will repair 15 homes for Upstate veterans. If we didn’t have staff time to pursue funding opportunities, we wouldn’t be able to bring new funds into the Upstate to support repairs.
Expanding Donor Services
We’ve expanded giving options to make it easier for donors to give the best way for them.
- Donor Advised Fund holders whose fund is hosted through Fidelity Charitable, Schwab Charitable, or BNY Mellon Charitable, can request a donation to Rebuild Upstate directly through our website. You can learn more here.
- We now accept gifts of stock.
- As a Certified Development Corporation, we are eligible to work with donors to earn additional state tax credits when the opportunity is available.
- We established the Safe at Home Fund so donors and grantors interested in designating funds to repair homes for veterans can do so.
We’re grateful to have the opportunity to offer services back to donors. Pursuing and managing these services takes time and administrative support. You have many wonderful organizations to choose to give to – we’re grateful you choose us.
Case Management
Did you know each homeowner is offered a case management visit? Did you know a case management visit is also offered to some homeowners who don’t meet our criteria for repairs but who still need assistance? Our team makes referrals and recommendations for things such as budget training, weatherization tips, bill pay assistance, and more. If someone asks us for help, we’ll do everything we can to help them get it. Even if that means help doesn’t come from us.
In short, a lot has changed this year. Thanks to our donors, we’ve seen a lot of positive change that will benefit our program long-term.
You have so many deserving organizations to choose from when deciding where to give. We’re grateful you choose us.
We’re still in this. We know you are behind us every step of the way.
Thank you.