Be The Gift, Inc

Stated Purpose:
"Be the Gift is a faith based, community wide organization that provides home repair for Widows, Single Mom home owners and their children as a gift, with no cost to them.
We give them a safer, healthier and better functioning home in which to raise their children. Combined with care and compassion, our goal is to raise their quality of life."

Year, State Incorporated:
2008, CO

1) Home repair for widows, single moms and their children.
Be the Gift serves a varied population of women and children, often times with three generations of ladies all living in one home. Thirty five percent of its projects involve helping single moms who are disabled and assisting those with special needs children. 
The situation and issue in these single mom homes often comes down to basic economics. Research shows that single mothers only have one third the financial assets as married mothers and half of all children in single parent homes live below the poverty line. These families make hard decisions on a regular basis about paying for necessities like food, clothing, health care and transportation, making home repairs prohibitive; not by choice but because of basic economics.  To make housing more affordable, families may forego necessary home repairs in order to pay for other needs, allowing their homes to fall further into disrepair.  Over time, the stresses associated with cost burdened or indecent housing can endanger occupants’ health and safety, erode their sense of self-worth and impair professional and academic success of their children.
Be the Gift with its team of professionals and volunteers become the solution by providing at no charge a gift of home repair to single moms and their children. It uses a blend of professionals and volunteers who completely donate their time.  Its project managers are professional builders, carpenters, masons, and electricians etc. who participate in our program and utilize their skill in running the projects. It replaces and fixes broken windows, repair plumbing and leaks, fix dangerous electrical situations, install, remove broken trees, clean up debris, yard work, repair fencing and damaged walls and anything else that the single mom needs to help their home and household be safe, healthy and function properly. 

2)  Community Involvement/Volunteerism.
The second goal is to organize, facilitate and implement programs and projects that mobilize individuals, community volunteers and organizations in providing for these household repairs for single mom families. Its volunteers are really the “back bone” of Be the Gift. Many are willing and are looking for opportunities to serve.  The organization believes that everyone has a dream and desire to do something significant with his or her life.  It is uniting every day ordinary people with an opportunity to do extraordinary things by facilitating acceptance, compassion, kindness and change in their community through single mom home repairs. It knows that “service changes the server” and Be the Gift helps fulfill their goal of community involvement and team building where it connects those who want to help with those who need help.  One of the greatest gifts we can give another is our time.

3) Self-sufficiency through Education
Be the Gift believes in helping a single mom become self-sufficient. It educates and teaches her about her home with the result of being able to do simple fixes as well as recognize and resolve home issues on her own. Its services aid in the well-being of all members in the household.  The single mothers will live in the knowledge that her home is safe for her children. The organization sees fear leave and self-respect rise up as its team teaches them how they themselves can maintain their home and enjoy a sense of accomplishment. Its goal is to instill pride and a desire to remain in their existing housing rather than move or leave the problem behind which then can trigger that same feeling of failure. As they focus on their abilities rather than on their problems their confidence and self-worth is increased.  They realize there are people who care and are willing to invest in their lives and are excited to see the progress these mothers make each day in each situation.  The children reap the ripple effect and grow emotionally and relationally.

For the year ended December 31, 2024, Be The Gift, Inc's program expenses were:

Chief Executive
Marilyn Johnson, Executive Director

Compensation*
$96,702

Chair of the Board
Teddy Ezzell, Community Volunteer

Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation

Board Size
8

Paid Staff Size
5

* Compensation includes annual salary and, if applicable, benefit plans, expense accounts and other allowances.

Method(s) Used:
Direct mail appeals, Door-to-door solicitation, Special events, Grant proposals, Internet

This organization is tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. It is eligible to receive contributions deductible as charitable donations for federal income tax purposes.

The following information is based on Be The Gift, Inc's audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2024.

Source of Funds

Programs: 66% Fundraising: 17% Administrative: 17%