ATLANTA, GA - Habitat for Humanity International Board Chairman Ron Terwilliger has given the organization $100 million - the biggest donation in Habitat history. Habitat for Humanity International estimates the donation will help 60,000 families with access to improved housing.
"In my professional life, I've seen housing strengthen health, education, families, communities and economies," Terwilliger said in a statement. "With this legacy gift to Habitat for Humanity, I want to help ensure a leveraged, sustained impact beyond my lifetime and inspire others to make the commitment to support affordable housing. There are more than 1.6 billion people around the world who live in poverty housing and they need our help."
Within five years of the funds being transferred by Terwilliger's estate, 70 percent of the legacy commitment will be used by Habitat for housing micro-financing so that families in countries around the world can improve their living conditions. The remaining 30 percent will be used for the "J. Ronald Terwilliger Leveraged Impact Fund." This endowment for Habitat for Humanity International will make annual distributions to help support affordable-housing efforts.
From 1999 to 2001, Terwilliger was chairman of the Urban Land Institute (ULI). In February 2007, Terwilliger made the single largest financial contribution to the Urban Land Institute in its 72-year history to combat the lack of affordable housing. His grant established The ULI J. Ronald Terwilliger Center for Workforce Housing, which aims to create 3,500 new units of workforce housing by 2012 in Atlanta, southeast Florida, and Washington, D.C.
Terwilliger joined Habitat's board of directors in 2000, he has already given more than $3 million to Habitat.
He is a past chairman of the Atlanta Neighborhood Development Partnership and the National Association of Home Builders Multifamily Leadership Board. He owns the Atlanta Dream, the WNBA's local franchise.
Source: Atlanta Business Chronicle