Make a Difference for Neighbors in Your Community

January 12, 2023
by Elizabeth Fries, Senior Manager, Affiliate Launch at Rebuilding Together National

For 35 years, Rebuilding Together has been providing essential home repairs for neighbors in need. What started as a small group of neighbors helping neighbors in Midland, Texas, has grown into more than 120 affiliates serving their communities across the country. 

Rebuilding Together affiliates have the opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of their neighbors. Although each of our affiliates is an independent, local, 501c3 nonprofit organization, our national office provides every affiliate with resources, trainings and individualized support. Affiliates learn from a mentor within the affiliate network, and also connect with peers. 

If you or someone you know is interested in starting a Rebuilding Together affiliate in your community, we invite you to learn more about our process for applying and launching an affiliate. There are three ways to start an affiliate:

  1. Launch - Start a New Nonprofit: In this process, you will start a new nonprofit organization. This will require recruiting a committed steering committee to head up the launch process and handling the state and federal legal requirements that come with incorporating and filing for 501c3 status. This scenario is best when there is not an existing organization already doing home repair work and there is a significant need for this work in the community. The application for this process will be open from January 1 to April 28, 2023. You can apply here.
  2. [Re]Brand an Existing Housing Nonprofit: In this process, you already have a nonprofit organization that is focused on home repairs, and you would like to affiliate with Rebuilding Together and change your name. This is a good option for an organization who already has a mission of repairing homes and would like to affiliate to receive the benefits of being part of a national network. The application for this process is open year-round. Check out the step-by-step guide and apply today.
  3. [Re]Engage - Start a Rebuilding Together affiliate as a program of an already existing nonprofit: In this process, you already have a nonprofit organization and would like to start a home repair program and market it as a program of Rebuilding Together. You will keep your 501c3 status as-is, but will expand your programming and market the program using the Rebuilding Together brand. This is a good option for an existing organization looking to expand their services and help further their mission. The application for this process is open year-round. Check out the step-by-step guide and apply today.

Once you have decided which of these three options is the best process for you, you can apply on our website.

Starting an affiliate is no small task, but the national office is here to guide you through the steps to affiliation and provide support throughout. For more information, contact me at efries@rebuildingtogether.org.