Evaluation of Habitat for Humanity AmeriCorps

Program 2016-2019

Judah Viola, Ph.D., Daniel Cooper, Ph.D., and Bradley Olson, Ph.D.

December 17, 2018
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Evaluation of Habitat for Humanity AmeriCorps Program 2016-2019 2

Executive Summary 

Evaluation Overview 

The following report presents findings of an external evaluation for Habitat for Humanity’s AmeriCorps program 

from program years 2016-2018. The focus of the evaluation was to determine whether hosting AmeriCorps 

National and VISTA members expanded local Habitat for Humanity organizations’ capacity to serve 

communities across the United States. The current evaluation report includes survey findings from three 

stakeholder groups: (1) Habitat host sites (local Habitats that host AmeriCorps members) as well as a matched 

comparison group of local Habitat organizations that do not host AmeriCorps members; (2) National and 

VISTA members placed at Habitat host sites during 2017-2018; and (3) National and VISTA alumni who 

served with a Habitat for Humanity host site prior to 2017. It also includes in-depth qualitative case studies of 

both a Habitat host site with a large budget and one with a small budget to illustrate the ways Habitat 

AmeriCorps members add capacity in both unique contexts. This mixed-methods approach examines the 

capacity and value that the Habitat AmeriCorps program adds from three unique perspectives: 

Habitat AmeriCorps Members Increase the Capacity of Host Sites to Build Homes and Engage 

Volunteers

Local Habitat organizations that hosted National and VISTA members were matched to similar sized Habitats 

that did not host members. Host sites both built and rehabbed more homes compared to similar-sized nonhosting local Habitats. Over the 2017-18 fiscal year, host sites built an average of 9.3 homes and non-hosting 

Habitats built an average of 3.25 homes and only host sites saw an increase in homes built over the 3 yrs.1

Host sites engaged a significantly larger number of volunteers compared to non-host Habitats. In sum, the 

quasi- experimental matched-pair design showed, over a three-year period, that by hosting National and 

VISTA members, Habitat organizations increased builds, rehabs, and volunteers. These increases, in turn, 

contributed to the housing stability of community members throughout the U.S. 

1

Information about methods and statistical analyses contained in the body of the report

Capacity gained by 

local Habitat 

organizations who 

host Habitat AmeriCorps 

members

Value gained by Habitat 

AmeriCorps members 

in knowledge and 

experience

Importance of Habitat 

AmeriCorps in the career 

trajectory of alumni 
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Habitat AmeriCorps Members Gain Valuable Skills, Which Many Utilize in the Community Development 

Field 

All Alumni reported gaining important knowledge and experience as part of their work, including an 

understanding of solutions to community problems (82%); homebuilding experience (76%); and leadership 

skills (65%). Compared to when they began, at the end of the service year, National and VISTA members 

reported being significantly more interested in affordable housing development. In addition, 72% felt that the 

service year positively contributed to their prospects of finding a job in the future. 
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Introduction 

Background

Habitat for Humanity’s (HFH) participation in the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) 

AmeriCorps program has been touted as a model for connecting volunteering, civic engagement, and 

homeownership. Habitat for Humanity is the largest faith-based home-building program in the world, impacting 

families that include veterans, those impacted by disasters, people with disabilities, migrants, and the diverse 

American workforce at large. 

Studies indicate that the Habitat AmeriCorps program in general holds promise for addressing gaps in civic 

engagement within the U.S.

2 A previous evaluation of the Habitat AmeriCorps program demonstrated that 

service members increased the capacity of host sites to build more new homes, rehab more homes, and 

engage more volunteers than comparable local Habitat organizations who did not utilize any service 

members.3 The current evaluation replicates the previous study about the ways in which AmeriCorps members 

add value and capacity to organizations, and expands upon it by looking in-depth at two local Habitat 

organizations, from very different contexts, that host members to more fully uncover the ways in which the 

service year contributes to how the organizations function. 

Mixed-methods designs often have the rigor and credibility of quantitative designs and analysis, as well as the 

richness of qualitative approaches, and are valuable for understanding the impact of volunteering and civic 

engagement.4 The current evaluation utilizes a mixed-method approach, including a quasi-experimental design 

that compares organization-level outcomes between host sites and comparable (matched) local Habitat 

organizations who do not host AmeriCorps members. 

To better understand the rationale for this study’s multiple samples and research questions, it is helpful to 

understand some theory about volunteering and service. National service is believed to have at least four 

essential outcomes for participating members: civic engagement, personal growth, social capital, and public 

work. AmeriCorps members typically have higher rates of future volunteerism, education attainment, social 

capital and life skills than other citizens.5

2

3

Finlay, A. K., Flanagan, C., & Wray-Lake, L. (2011). Civic engagement patterns and transitions over 8 years: The AmeriCorps National Study. 

Developmental Psychology, 47, 1728-1743.

See, Olson, Cooper, and Viola (2016). Evaluation of HFH National Service Program 2013-2016. 

4 Frumkin, P. & Miller, B. (2008). Visions of National Service. Sociology. 45, 436-443. 

5 Frumkin, P. & Jastrzab, J (2010). Serving Country and Community: Who Benefits from National Service. Harvard University Press; Simon, C.A., & Wang,

C.(2002). The Impact ofAmeriCorps service on volunteer Participants. Administration and Society, 34, 522-540.; Tschirhart etal. (2001).
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Evaluation of Habitat for Humanity AmeriCorps Program 2016-2019 5

In the current evaluation, civic engagement and personal growth among AmeriCorps members might be 

demonstrated by the extent to which service impacts members’: a) desires to contribute more to the nation and 

the communities in which they work and b) individual growth in skills and knowledge. Social capital is the 

extent to which AmeriCorps members, local Habitats, and the community build greater strength through their 

interpersonal connections. Working for the public good may reflect the capacity of the collective labor to impact 

the work of the local Habitat organization and community members being served. Other evaluation studies 

have focused on social psychological variables tied to volunteer cohesion, connectedness, and sense of 

community.

6

Habitat for Humanity operates under a federated model with Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI) 

providing centralized governance to independent, local Habitat organizations, who coordinate all aspects of 

Habitat home building in their local areas. With more than 1,200 U.S. based local Habitat organizations, HFH 

provides low-income families living in substandard housing with volunteer-built, rehabilitated or repaired homes 

and affordable mortgage products. Local Habitat organizations are located in both rural and urban 

communities and target those communities' most vulnerable populations. The primary selection criteria used to 

identify homeowner families is economic need. The families have low incomes (usually 25% to 60% of area 

median income), live in sub-standard or overcrowded housing, or devote a high percentage of their income to 

housing costs. They must also demonstrate the ability to repay the no interest mortgages (for new 

construction) or loans (for repairs), and a willingness to partner with HFH to participate in financial literacy 

training and to volunteer to help construct their home and the homes of others, known as “sweat equity”.

To evaluate the effectiveness of the AmeriCorps-HFHI relationship it is important to survey leaders at local 

Habitat organizations who recruit, train, support, and guide future goals of AmeriCorps members,7 and to 

survey the individual members (current members and alumni) themselves, seeing how their service and their 

experiences have personally impacted the life course and professional trajectory of these members.8 The 

AmeriCorps program presents a model of service as a pathway to employment. The model suggests that direct 

benefits, such as increased social and human capital, lead to strong career connections and increased 

perceptions of job-ready skills and personal qualities. Initial findings indicate that AmeriCorps members believe 

their service experience will help them find a job, improve their job performance, get a promotion, and make 

successful career steps.9 The current evaluation expands previous findings showing that organizations who 

host AmeriCorps members, when compared with comparable local Habitats who don’t, report increased 

6

See, Olson, Cooper, and Viola (2016). Evaluation of HFH National Service Program 2013-2016. 

7 Allen, J. A. & Mueller, S.L. (2013). The revolving door: A closer look at major factors in volunteers’ intention to quit. Journal of Community

Psychology, 41, 139-155.

8

Jenkinson, C.E., Dikens, A.Pl, Jones, K., Thompson-Coon, J., Taylor, R.S., et al. (2013). Is volunteering a public health intervention? A

systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers. BMC Public Health, 13, 1-10.

9 CNCS (2013). Research and Evaluation Symposium. Retrieved from http://americorps2013.hbco.com/presentations/Research_Summit/Research_Summit_Slides.pdf
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capacity to build and rehab homes, and engage volunteers. Furthermore, the evaluation returns to the question 

of capacity using a similar quasi-experimental design methodology, in addition to qualitative data and in-depth 

case studies of two local Habitats who host AmeriCorps members. 

Program Overview 

Since 1994, Habitat for Humanity (HFH) has partnered with its local Habitat organizations to invest in, and 

place, AmeriCorps members in communities throughout the United States. Habitat for Humanity utilizes 

AmeriCorps members as a means of addressing the need for affordable housing by engaging volunteers and 

community members, developing resources and supporting families. These interventions, in theory, result in 

local Habitat organizations gaining capacity, developing sustainable infrastructure, increasing the number of 

families served, and increasing the ability to serve families more comprehensively. This ultimately leads to 

changes in family and neighborhood quality of life. 

AmeriCorps members provide host sites a unique human resource: motivated, passionate, hard-working 

members who can help host sites meet their goals and address community needs in a variety of ways. 

Members engage directly with volunteers, homeowner families, and other stakeholders within the community. 

Through their service year with Habitat, members also have the opportunity for personal development and skill 

improvement. The positions AmeriCorps National members take or the roles they play within Habitat are 

adapted to the needs of the host site with the goal of expanding the host site’s ability to meet community needs 

through direct service. AmeriCorps VISTA members perform more indirect service, building capacity and 

sustainable solutions. VISTA members strengthen capacity by building programs and infrastructure, expanding 

community partnerships, securing long-term resources, and coordinating trainings. Activities directly relate to 

the VISTA program’s stated mission of eliminating poverty through community awareness and involvement. 
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Logic Model 

Evaluation Model 

The purpose of this evaluation was to conduct a rigorous, independent assessment of Habitat for Humanity’s 

AmeriCorps program. The primary objective was to determine, through a matched-pair, quasi-experimental 

design, whether there was evidence that Habitat host sites (through the participation of AmeriCorps members) 

showed greater productivity and increased capacity compared to similar, non-hosting Habitats. Research 

questions, similar to the previous evaluation from 2013-2016, included the following: 

● Do AmeriCorps members increase HFH host sites’ capacity to:

o Serve morefamilies?

o Engage more volunteers?

o Offer housing-related services, including new builds and rehabs?

● Do AmeriCorps members benefit from their year of service by:

o Receiving useful workforce development training?

o Learning new and transferrable skills?

o Experiencing an increase in civic engagement?
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These questions and more were answered through multiple survey measures. The different surveys, each 

designed for this evaluation, were given to three separate samples (local Habitat organizations, current Habitat 

AmeriCorps members, and alumni).

1. Local Habitat Survey: TheexternalevaluatorsinterviewedtheHFHILong-term Volunteer program

department’s extended leadershipteamaswellasstafffromthreelocal Habitat organizations inorderto

ensurethatthesurveyquestionscoveredthe rangeoftopicsofinterestfortheevaluation.Thesurvey of local

Habitats wascollected in the fall of 2018 andexamined thedifferencebetween local Habitat

organizations that utilizeAmeriCorpsmembers (host sites)andthosethatdonot (non-host sites). Habitat

organizations from each group were paired on budget size, creating a matched, quasi-experimental

study. Outcome data includedvariablesrelatedtokeyorganizationalgoalssuchasthenumberoffamilies

served, homes built, houses rehabbed, partnerships created, and resources generated.

2. Host site surveys: Host site leadership and/or direct supervisors of AmeriCorps members received

additional survey items related to the impact members had on organization-level outcomes and added

capacity.

3. Survey of AmeriCorps members and alumni: As stated earlier, a primary goal of the Habitat

AmeriCorps program evaluation is to assess the extent to which the program is cultivating life-long

housing and community development leaders. Thus, the second component of the study utilized prepost survey data collected from currently serving AmeriCorps members and a one-time alumni survey

(two similar yet unique instruments) to better understand their experiences and what impact serving

with HFH has had on them. In collaboration with the HFH team, evaluators collected online surveys

from alumni (September 2018) and current members (August 2017 and August 2018).

These surveys were designed to answer the following questions: 

● What impact has service with AmeriCorps and Habitat for Humanity had on individuals’ perceived life

plans?

● DoAmeriCorps members plan to continue to work on housing issues following their service year?

● Have AmeriCorps alumni continued to work on housing issues?

● What perceptions do members/alumni have about their contribution to organizational capacity?

● What perceptions do members/alumni have about improved quality of life of Habitat service

recipients?

Beyond the quantitative data sets there were multiple sources of qualitative data, including both short answer 

questions from survey monkey, and more in-depth, in-person case studies of one large host site (Habitat for 
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Evaluation of Habitat for Humanity AmeriCorps Program 2016-2019 9

Humanity of Seattle King County) and one smaller local Habitat organization (Habitat for Humanity of Seminole 

County and Greater Apopka). Part of the rationale for this case study was the finding in past years that larger 

host sites tended to make use of the Habitat AmeriCorps program. Plus, it was found that some small local 

Habitats did not feel they had the staff (and other resources) to manage members and fully take advantage of 

the Habitat AmeriCorps program. The goal of the case studies was therefore to qualitatively examine a small 

vs. a large budget host site.

Both the city of Seattle and Seminole County have unique economies with significant housing and labor 

challenges. Both are growing, sprawling areas making them more difficult places for working adults to own a 

home and, for Habitat, more complicated places to build. The first concern heard, when considering applying 

for the AmeriCorps program was, “who will manage this person?” Some reluctant local Habitat organizations

are worried about the bureaucracy. We heard consistently from host sites that the application process is not 

very cumbersome. Those in Seminole believed that with the right mindset—the right mission-focus and the 

buy-in, the effort will pay off. They further argued that those who do not apply are “missing the boat” when they 

do not apply. And that “outreach and training is difficult, but with the right hire, all goes well.”
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Finding 1:Habitat AmeriCorps Members Increase the Capacity ofHost 

Sites toServe More Families byBuilding and Rehabbing More Homes

Key Quantitative Findings Related to Building Capacity 

Local Habitat organizations that hosted National and VISTA members across 2016-2018 were matched to 

similar sized Habitat organizations that did not host members to compare outcomes related to building and 

rehabbing homes. Findings show that host sites both built and rehabbed more homes compared to similarsized non-hosting Habitats.10 11 12 Over the 2017-18 fiscal year, host sites built an average of 9.3 homes and 

non-hosting Habitats built an average of 3.25 homes and only host sites saw an increase in homes built over 

the 3 yrs.13

The most rigorous aspect of the current evaluation demonstrates that whether a large or small local Habitat 

organization, utilizing AmeriCorps members adds capacity to accomplish the core mission of local Habitats to 

complete more home projects. Surveys with AmeriCorps members, shown in Figure 1 below, provide further 

evidence for this finding as well. Approximately two-thirds of host sites report strong agreement that National 

members have helped expand overall capacity to build homes, and the pace at which homes are built. These 

findings are strongest for National members, which is as expected, given that VISTA members play stronger 

roles in organizational functions outside of home building. 

An Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) test with a dependent variable of total homes built across Small vs. Large 

local Habitats showed similar impact on builds regardless of size: Small hosts built an average of 2.6 homes 

annually vs. small non-hosts which built 2.3 homes. Large hosts built and average of 9.3 homes annually vs. 

large non-hosts which built 8.2 homes. In other words, host sites built 13% more homes per year than nonhosts regardless of the size of the organization across the three-year period. 

A similar analysis was completed exploring the impact of size and hosting AmeriCorps members on the 

average number of rehabs. An ANOVA with rehabs as the dependent variable was statistically significant such 

10Host sites were randomly matched (in cases when there was more than one potential match) with similar non-host local Habitats on 

their annual expense budget. When this matching process was tested to see if the groups were different on the number of staff or part 

time staff, as expected, the two groups were statistically equivalent. This was true on comparisons of several other variables as well. 

Given that budget was the most appropriate variable to equalize the two groups, cross-sectional comparisons (baseline) were made 

between the host and non-host conditions. Three One-tailed paired t-tests, compared host and non-hosts (matched on expense budgets). 

The first t-test compared the total number of builds across 2016, 2017, and 2018. The second analysis was run on the total number of 

rehabs across 2016, 2017, and 2018. 

11 Host builds of m=20.36 and non-host builds of m=15.37; p<.10

12 Host rehabs of m=15.35 and non-host rehabs of m=7.11; p<.05

13 Hosts increased from a mean of 4.44 to 5.96, p<.05; and the non-host Habitat organizations saw no significant change from 4.05 to 4.32 
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that small host sites experienced a greater impact of hosting AmeriCorps than did large host sites. Small hosts 

rehabbed an average of 3.4 homes versus small non-hosts that rehabbed 1.3 homes whereas large hosts 

rehabbed 5.8 and large non-hosts rehabbed an average of 3.9 homes. In other words, small hosts saw a 

significantly greater difference in rehabs (162% more) than did large hosts (49% more).

1. Host Sites Perceive AmeriCorps Members Add Building Capacity

68%

32%

52%

21%

36%

21%

63%

21%

National Member

VISTA Member

National Member

VISTA Member

National Member

VISTA Member

National Member

VISTA Member

Percent Strong Agreement that National and VISTA Members increased:

Overall capacity to build homes

Number of new homes built

Number of homes rehabbed or restored

Pace of building

Key Qualitative Findings Related to Building Capacity 

Qualitatively, there is additional evidence that Habitat AmeriCorps Members improve host site capacity. The 

most comprehensive illustration of this was shown in case studies with two very different host sites. According 

to administrative staff of Habitat for Humanity of Seattle King County, they could only build at such a large 

scale with the presence of AmeriCorps members. Key organizational staff members reported, quite simply, that 

“we couldn’t exist the way we do if we didn’t have them,” and “we could hardly handle any one at our sites if 

they closed the AmeriCorps program.” Another administrator said their “portfolio [builds, rehabs, repairs] was 

100% the result of National members.”

The Seminole County HFH pointed out that the AmeriCorps program is cost-effective, and that they were able 

to double the number of builds that they would have been able to do without AmeriCorps members. 

AmeriCorps members increase the speed of building, which saves money, and this building capacity has 

increased annually. Because of member presence, the Seminole County HFH was able to service 22 
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additional families, by their estimation. Another theme which emerged was that members bring in not only an 

extra set of hands, but new energy and new ideas, which resulted in securing a new capacity building grant. 

Put simply, without members, host site leaders said they would need to cut the number of families served.

The qualitative short answers from the local Habitat organization surveys were also congruent with the case 

study interviews. Below are additional themes and quotes related to host site capacity to work on more homes 

(whether new builds, rehabs or repairs).

● “Members increased capacity (more homes built) in less time.”

● “We are able to work in more locations at once with support of AmeriCorps.”

● “Our AmeriCorps provide us a consistent source of construction labor and onsite volunteer

leadership. It would be impossible to build as many homes as we do each year without their help.”

● “They allow us to build more homes, in turn serve more families, and by being stewards and

advocates for our mission on and off site, they recruit more regular volunteers that will continue their

service well beyond their 10.5 months... We love them!”

● “The AmeriCorps members' biggest impact has been in the construction capacity area. Without

AmeriCorps members the construction team would not have been able to maintain the capacity that

they were doing.”

● “Without them, we simply would not be able to do the work we currently do.”

● “National members add value by increasing our sustainability, speed, quality, mission, and volunteer

oversight.”

● “They allow the affiliate [us] to engage more volunteers with greater customer service, thus engaging

more people as advocates and ultimately building/repairing more homes and serving more families.”

● “Though we did not increase the number of homes built this year, our [AmeriCorps National] member

was able to help us ramp up to building 5 per year in the next 5 years through her architecture

background.”
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Finding 2:AmeriCorps Members Increase Host Site Capacity toServe 

More Families by Engaging More Volunteers 

Key Quantitative Findings 

Host sites also engaged a greater number of volunteers, on average, compared to non-hosts.14 15 In sum, the 

quasi-experimental matched-pair design showed that local Habitats which hosted AmeriCorps members 

increased their capacity to engage volunteers, which, in turn, is critical for both the pace of building homes but 

also for engaging communities. Volunteers are often a direct link to the communities in which a local Habitat 

contributes. They can be instrumental in expanding the footprint of a local Habitat beyond homeowners to 

include a range of constituents that include community residents, additional future volunteers, as well as 

donors. 

Figure 2 illustrates that nearly two-thirds of host sites strongly agree that AmeriCorps Members increase the 

14 A third t-test was run on the number of volunteers engaged. In each of these cases, it was predicted that the host site group would have 

significantly greater totals than the matched non-hosting local Habitat organizations (N=59 per group).

15 Matched hosts engaged more volunteers m=1,499 than non-hosts m=1,436; p<.001.

2. Host Sites Perceive AmeriCorps National and VISTA Members Add

Capacity in Multiple Ways

44%

49%

51%

28%

55%

29%

63%

39%

65%

39%

45%

31%

18%

28%

National Member

VISTA Member

National Member

VISTA Member

National Member

VISTA Member

National Member

VISTA Member

National Member

VISTA Member

National Member

VISTA Member

National Member

VISTA Member

Percent Strong Agreement that National and VISTA Members Increased:

Number of volunteers recruited

Number of volunteers retained

Effectiveness of volunteers

Number of families served

Quality of family services

Number of community partners

Number of donors the organization has
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number of families served, as well as the quality of service. Approximately half of host sites report that VISTA 

members are strongly effective at helping recruit volunteers. These two sets of findings indicate that Habitat 

AmeriCorps members play an important role in expanding the volunteer footprint and effectively serving 

families. 

Key Qualitative Findings 

Volunteers give vital spare time and are a substantial force necessary for builds. Qualitative and case study 

data provides more nuanced understanding of how Habitat AmeriCorps members help build a host site’s 

capacity to engage volunteers. Both National and VISTA members play different, yet critical roles in the 

volunteer engagement process. VISTA members create volunteer management systems, whereas National 

members help manage and motivate volunteers. National members often manage volunteers who sometimes 

require significant attention and care to do their work well. Members work daily, full-time, and know precisely 

what tasks volunteers can help with. They possess relevant knowledge and skills and bring about more quality 

outcomes. They often have energy, passion, and excitement for the work, which can keep things fun and 

exciting for volunteers, which also keeps them coming back on a regular basis. 

Given the consistency of engagement, they can tailor the volunteer experience to the specific motivations of 

individual volunteers, while teaching valuable aspects of home building and repair. The regular engagement 

also helps in identifying volunteer-assets that could be utilized to make the most efficient home building 

impacts. In total, these aspects help ensure volunteers remained energized and engaged in the work. They 

often feel part of a team and community. 

National members tend to be in the field more than the office. They are often the first “touch point” for families, 

but they bring a strong sense of community to the volunteers, and they provide consistency in the role of 

volunteer coordinator where it is valuable having a consistent point of contact. Volunteer Coordinators require 

strong people skills. When they are trained and become effective in the role, they tend to find the reward to be 

great. 

As one local Habitat organization pointed out, “Our main focus for AmeriCorps was to get a volunteer group up 

and running. Before, people kind of came and approached us [to volunteer], and then we had a more 

organized way to deal with volunteers, and volunteer set up and the program helped us improve our 

reputation.” Without AmeriCorps members, outreach to the community would wane. Staff felt that AmeriCorps 

members are good at mobilizing young people and have their own contacts throughout the community. In 

Seminole County, members, serving as volunteer coordinators, helped obtain an influx of volunteers, the most 

reliable set coming from the two Catholic churches, and from local businesses--Coca Cola, Chase, and Rollins 

College. 
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Case studies also revealed that members’ work with volunteers was said to help the local Habitat 

organization’s reputation. One director of a host site said that a member, due to getting a volunteer program up 

and running, expanded the host site’s reputation, leading them to bring her on as permanent staff. Members 

help host sites build new relationships and increase visibility in a neighborhood. Good members have become 

a positive voice out in the community. They have been interested in educating public, private and government 

representatives to promote the work of the local Habitat organization as well as Habitat for Humanity 

International

A common theme that surveys uncovered from local Habitat staff was that the Habitat AmeriCorps program 

brought about noticeable improvements in the quality and quantity of volunteer engagement. The following 

quotes illustrate the impact that AmeriCorps members had with respect to leveraging volunteers.

● “The position where our AmeriCorps National members really shine is in the Volunteer Management

Assistant position. This member helps us to recruit, schedule, train, and retain a large percentage of

the 13,000-15,000 volunteers who engage with our mission annually.”

● “Our AmeriCorps members have made a lasting impact in our volunteer program and Family Services

in our community.”

● “AmeriCorps National members allow for increased volunteer capacity and volunteer retention, which

supports our building efforts and financial goals, allowing for more homes to be built in a shorter

amount of time, resulting in more families and individuals being served.”

Quantitative data may not always capture the true depth of impact that programs have, especially when efforts 

involve aspects of community-building. It is clear from case study interviews with staff, homeowners, 

volunteers, and other stakeholders, that National and VISTA members create meaningful connections with 

homeowner families and volunteers. Members often provide a sense of youthful optimism and openness to 

mentorship that senior staff and volunteers value. Regular volunteers and construction staff love the social 

interaction with AmeriCorps members. Several retirees, in fact, cited the AmeriCorps members as the reason 

they keep coming back as regulars. Critical roles and tasks include volunteer coordination, developing classes 

for families, helping to translate materials into Spanish, reviewing Neighborhood Revitalization applications, 

coordinating applications for service, or helping develop classes for community residents. There are numerous 

ways that Habitat AmeriCorps increase the capacity of host sites to successfully engage with multiple 

stakeholders.
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Finding 3:AmeriCorps Members Enhance Organizational Function in 

Numerous Additional Ways

Key Qualitative Findings 

Qualitative survey questions and in-depth case studies of host sites demonstrated that there are many different 

forms of impact that National and VISTA members bring. Aside from increased efficiency and capacity to 

complete projects and serve more families, National and VISTA members often play pivotal roles in bringing 

energy, creativity, and new ideas to the organization. One of the most commonly mentioned themes, displayed 

in Figure 3 below, is that members often help host sites create new programs, processes and systems that 

ultimately expand the reach and performance of a local Habitat organization. 

0 5 10 15 20 25

Building connections with staff

Women connecting with women volunteers

Positive energy

Helping build more houses/efficient building

Resources and cost efficiency

General project capacity

Building connections/serving more families

Building stronger connections with volunteers

Building construction capacity

Helping local Habitats improve or build new programs

3. National and VISTA Members Describe Multiple Forms of Capacity

Added to Organization (frequency of response)

Habitat AmeriCorps members identified numerous ways that they expanded the capacity of host sites. The 

most commonly mentioned response from the members themselves was that they had added capacity by 

helping start a new program, organizational system or process, or plan. Some concrete examples of innovation 

and new system and programmatic thinking include the following creations:

● Homebuyer education curriculum for the children of homeowner families

● Sustainable education curriculum for the children of homeowner families
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● Social media plan

● Videos for training and recruiting volunteers

● An ambassador program for volunteers to participate in outreach, fundraising, and education

The notion that Habitat AmeriCorps members bring a fresh perspective, energy, and creativity was also 

mirrored in responses from host sites. Examples and quotes from members about these themes include the 

following:

● Going beyond the usual weekend model and utilizing weekday options for individual volunteers.

● Bringing more consistent volunteers rather than the one-offs.

● Reaching out to former homeowners to bring them back into the fold with new and refresher classes,

and then utilizing those homeowners to help, through word-of-mouth, to recruit new families.

● Recognizing the volunteers in new ways, such as throwing a volunteer appreciation party and making

it fun. One example included a celebration with over 130 people and ended up being a significant

event to stimulate re-engagement with Habitat.

● Getting routine individuals out more [to volunteer], two really good guys we could not build without.

Now our local Habitat has 8 of them.

● Opening up more sections of the website.

● Providing a fresh perspective and staff welcoming new ideas and fresh ways to effectively run our

programs. Secondly, members come from a place of compassion and drive to work for the mission of

Habitat.

● AmeriCorps National members are an injection of help and positive energy at the local Habitat.

● Showing energy and passion for the mission.

● Taking on big idea projects that our paid staff cannot fit into the day, big ideas that help the host site

move forward.

Much of the above areas focus on the AmeriCorps National Program. National members play critical roles in 

the homebuilding process and are very deeply involved with volunteers. This is the nature of the specific roles, 

which places them on the front lines of a local Habitat’s work doing direct service in communities. VISTA 

members, while not engaged in building related work, nonetheless contribute to organizational capacity in 

unique and valuable ways. A total of 51 host sites who utilize VISTA members provided detailed descriptions 

of how this group adds unique value and capacity to host sites. Qualitative responses, displayed in Table 1,

included four distinct categories of value, including: fundraising, community engagement, program 

development and systems improvement. Most notable of these categories is the latter two, in which host sites 

provided extensive examples of how VISTA members worked to develop a new program that may have 

allowed the host site to reach a new stakeholder group, or how they improved systems in ways that improved 

efficiency. In many cases, VISTA members may mean the difference between a local Habitat simply 
Habitat AmeriCorps Program Evaluation

Evaluation of Habitat for Humanity AmeriCorps Program 2016-2019 18

maintaining the status quo of their operations and innovating, adapting, and growing as an organization.

Table 1. Value Added by VISTA Members 

Area Examples From Host Sites

Fundraising  “VISTAs add value by increasing our donations, increasing the output

of information and resources to our families and donors.”

 “Better understanding of programs available to us, more capacity for

fundraising”

Community 

Engagement 

 “We were able to increase our presence in the communities we serve”

 “Our VISTA Member allowed us to maintain a regular presence in our

Neighborhood Revitalization Target area”

Program Development  “We had one VISTAdevelop an Outcome Survey for homeowners, which was

a 6-year study that provided information about homeowners’ lives

following a Habitat home purchase, as well as information about the

effects of Habitat presence in a neighborhoods & communities.”

 “Our VISTA has built a new program for our affiliate [local Habitat],

built a huge list of contacts for potential donors and volunteers and is

now working to engage this list of contacts. She's introduced our

affiliate [local Habitat] to a large number of community groups and

organizations. She is building our visibility in a new community we

have not touched before.”

Systems Improvement  “VISTA members have improved our systems capacity to allow for

growth and efficiency... For example, we now have a lot maintenance

tracking system, which allows us to keep our responsibility to the

community by keeping track of when our lots need servicing by

landscapers.”

 “This also allows our Family Services team to show lots that are in

good condition to new homeowners.”

 “Our VISTA's are able to joinproject teams and take on roles that we

wouldn't otherwise be able to manage without their help with our

current staff capacity.”
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Evaluation of Habitat for Humanity AmeriCorps Program 2016-2019 19

Finding 4:AmeriCorps Members Benefit from their Year ofService by 

Learning New Skills andExpanding their Networks andConnections

Key Quantitative Findings 

Alumni reported gains in knowledge and experience (Figure 4 below) as part of their service year experience 

with Habitat for Humanity (Sample size of 281 alumni). For example, 82% reported gaining knowledge about 

how to solve community problems. This will likely benefit service members beyond their year of service, as 

such knowledge is useful for civic engagement purposes beyond employment. As expected, a large 

percentage (75%) reported gaining useful knowledge about homebuilding but in addition, nearly two-thirds 

reported gaining knowledge about leadership development. In looking at whether these effects hold up as 

time passes, analyses showed that these findings hold as true for recent alumni as well as those who 

completed their service years ago.16 There were no significant differences, indicating that these benefits are 

durable over time. 

Aside from learning tangible skills and knowledge, Habitat AmeriCorps also report making valuable 

connections with community members and homeowner families (Figure 5). Upon entering the service year, 

expectations were clearly high, especially for National Members. At the end of the service year, VISTA 

members displayed the largest changes in reported connections with volunteers, homeowner families, and 

local communities. For example, at the beginning of the service year 44% of VISTA members reported 

16 In order to test for any “recency effect” (e.g. whether recent cohorts feel more strongly than those who completed a year of service 

several years ago), t-tests were conducted on different dichotomous groups (i.e., those who completed in the last three years vs. 

those who completed more than three years ago) and no significant differences were observed.

82%

76%

75%

65%

65%

62%

Solutions to Community

Problems

Homebuilding Experience

Volunteer Management

Leadership Development

Service/Engage/Responsibility

Project Management

4. Knowledge Gained Throung Service Year
Habitat AmeriCorps Program Evaluation

Evaluation of Habitat for Humanity AmeriCorps Program 2016-2019 20

feeling connected to volunteers, whereas 71% did at the end of the year. Ultimately, large majorities of both 

categories report feeling connected with the constituents they are working with. These findings suggest, 

among other things, that the service year provides meaningful community engagement opportunities for 

participants. At the same time, this energy and enthusiasm can have positive impacts on the degree to 

which volunteers consistently and sustainably contribute their time to host sites. Qualitative data and case 

studies suggest it provides the added benefit of branding and communications with stakeholders, increasing 

the positive messaging in communities.

5. VISTA Members Increased Their Connection to Families After

Completing Year of Service

75%

77%

67%

70%

77%

77%

82%

78%

74%

74%

79%

77%

44%

71%

38%

53%

69%

73%

Feel connected to the volunteers

Pre

Post

Feel connected to partner families

Pre

Post

Feel connected to the local communities

Pre

Post

Overall (N= 91) National Member (N= 74) VISTA (N= 17)

Key Qualitative Findings 

From qualitative case studies, it was evident that AmeriCorps members feel they gain a great deal from their 

involvement, including new employment, other economic, and graduate education opportunities. Several 

members, for instance, at Seattle King County HFH, have continued to manage construction, and others 

have entered public policy and administration programs with the University of Washington, an institution with 

close connections to the local Habitat organization. Themes from AmeriCorps members include: 

● Improve skills and better help families and the broader community

● Gain a broad array of skills, and particularly gain from new understandings of affordable housing

and homeownership

● Possess new understandings of housing and related issues (e.g., minimum wage, transportation,
Habitat AmeriCorps Program Evaluation

Evaluation of Habitat for Humanity AmeriCorps Program 2016-2019 21

pollution, etc.) that had previously not thought about

● Get inspired through deep and memorable experiences with homeowners

● And experience interactions with diverse community members that help them learn and grow, and

are constant sources of energy and motivation

Open-ended survey questions with alumni yielded rich data about the myriad ways that National and VISTA 

members benefitted from their year of service (Table 2). Skills and knowledge were certainly important but 

making connections and building relationships with others was one of the most frequently mentioned 

benefits of the service year.

Table 2. Additional Benefits of Service Year

Area Examples From Host Sites

Significant Personal 

and Professional 

Relationships / 

Lifelong Friendships 

(N=60) 

● “Some are my longest adult friendships. And still working for Habitat,

alum and staff I worked with are my colleagues who I go to for advice

and ideas on work-related issues.”

● “I married a Habitat AmeriCorps Alumni. Every job I have had since

has been tooted in the skills learned working with Habitat.”

● “Therearesomanyvolunteers, [homeowner] familiesandevendonors

whowill foreverbe partofmy lifeandjourneyandI continue todomore

throughthe organization.”

Learning About 

Nonprofits, Home 

Construction, and 

Leadership (N=49) 

● “Learning about affordable housing, how non-profits operate, and

gaining experience with volunteer recruitment and capacity

building.”

● “Igainedinvaluable leadership experience andconfidenceand alasting

knowledge of home construction.”

Passion / Increased 

Motivation and 

Appreciation of HFHI 

Mission (N=12) 

● “I found my passion for expanding access to housing as the most

impactful aspect of my experience.”

● “Habitat really fortified my dedication to community service.”

● “Connection to Habitat's mission, working with great people,

personal and professional development, sense of pride in national

service.”

● “The idea of working in partnership. Helping people is not about

giving things away. It is about coming beside them and working

together to improve ourselves and to encourage and support them in

improving themselves.”
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Evaluation of Habitat for Humanity AmeriCorps Program 2016-2019 22

Another benefit of the service year that is frequently mentioned by National and VISTA members is that 

many aspects of the work give them a great sense of pride (Table 3 below). The service year often helps 

individuals form meaningful bonds with colleagues, volunteers, and homeowner families. Ultimately, 

respondents report that they felt a strong sense of community as a result of the work.

● “During my time with Habitat an entire neighborhood was

transformed. I remember being skeptical the first time I drove into the

neighborhood, wondering why we would be willing to put families into

this place. Then I contrast that with the neighborhood several years

later.”

Critical 

Consciousness of 

Privilege, Inequality, 

and Injustice (N=10) 

● “Living on the stipend and having access to programs like food

stamps was impactful given my privileged background.”

● “Up until my service year, I led a pretty sheltered and privileged life. I

didn’t have exposure to many people of different race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, etc. Habitat is a pretty mixed bag of people and,

being forced to lead and interact with diverse people has completely

changed my perspective on so many things. I have more empathy, I

try to be more conscious of my personal biases, and I am more openminded than I was before serving. While the staff and volunteers have

played a big role in that shift, interacting with the [homeowner] families

has been the biggest factor. The stories of loss and struggle, of

fighting to recover from poor choices, and of personal sacrifice are

awe-inspiring.”

● “Habitat opened my eyes to systemic inequality in the U.S. Prior to my

years of service, I had no knowledge of things like redlining that

continue to affect people to this day, though they are no longer in

effect.”
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Evaluation of Habitat for Humanity AmeriCorps Program 2016-2019 23

Table 3. Expressions of Pride About Service Year

Area Examples From Host Sites

Pride and Satisfaction 

in Building Homes 

● “Finishing a home and watching the happiness and joy

shared by the homeowner and their family.”

● “I’m most proud of sticking with it, and I feel like the quantity of

repairs we were able to complete as a team was a part of my

biggest accomplishment.”

● “I built multiple houses so that others could have a place to live.”

● “Because ofmy experience I was able to help get a lot of work doneata

quickerpacethanwhattheyareusedto.Therefore,wewereableto help

more families and get more of the community involved.”

● “The quality, long-term repairs for homeowners in need. I definitely

feel my work made a huge difference to them. I have a ton of

pictures from my jobs because I was so proud of my work.”

Pride and Satisfaction 

in Making Strong 

Connections and 

Building Relationships 

● “I ammost proudof therelationships I built at work, knowing thatat any

time they are there for any assistance I may need in the future.”

● “I am most proud of the relationships that I developed with several

community members. A lot of positivity and excitement was grown in

our communities simply because members knew there was someone

who they could contact who would listen to them and care.”

● “Most proud of the relationships I developed with applicants and office

staff”

● “Creating an annual event for the affiliate [local Habitat] that

connects them with people from the community.”

● “Myconnectiontothehomeowners...I loved talking to them about their

future home and giving them new ideas for what they could do with all

the spaces.”
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Evaluation of Habitat for Humanity AmeriCorps Program 2016-2019 24

Finding 5:Habitat AmeriCorps Program Helps Advance the Careers of 

National and VISTA Members 

Key Quantitative Findings 

The Habitat AmeriCorps program provides clear benefits for National and VISTA members in terms of 

shaping and furthering their careers. For example, at the conclusion of their service year: 

● 62% of members reported that their AmeriCorps experience would help their chances of finding a

job

● 72% felt that their AmeriCorps experience would improve their performance at a future job

● 59% felt it would help them make a career change

A year of AmeriCorps service with Habitat for Humanity may impact the career trajectory of AmeriCorps 

members, providing a pipeline into community development professions. Compared to when they began, 

AmeriCorps members report, at the end of their service year, being significantly more interested in 

affordable housing development (see Figure 6 below). Prior to their service year, approximately 54% were 

interested, whereas approximately 80% were interested afterwards. They reported being significantly more 

likely to volunteer with another affordable housing provider or community development organization. In 

addition, the alumni survey revealed that 64% remain interested or active in an affordable housing career, 

with 33% of participants going on to work for a local Habitat organization at the conclusion of their service. A 

year of service is both helpful for Host sites, and successful in creating ambassadors for affordable housing.
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Evaluation of Habitat for Humanity AmeriCorps Program 2016-2019 25

6. Increased Interest in Affordable Housing and Volunteering After

Service Year

54%

80%

74%

62%

64%

69%

50%

45%

42%

47%

57%

81%

73%

64%

64%

70%

50%

46%

47%

51%

41%

77%

76%

53%

65%

65%

47%

35%

17%

29%

Affordable housing in general

Pre

Post

Affordable housing as a career

Pre

Post

Supporting Habitat as a volunteer

Pre

Post

Being an advocate for affordable housing in general

Pre

Post

Volunteering with another community organization

Pre

Post

Percent interested in... Overall (N= 91) National Member (N= 74) VISTA (N= 17)

Key Qualitative Findings 

From qualitative case studies, it was evident that Habitat AmeriCorps members feel they gain a great deal 

from their involvement, including new employment and graduate education opportunities. Staff in both 

Seminole County and nearby Orlando are made up of past AmeriCorps members. All administrators and 

other staff members and volunteers repeatedly brought up how the continued presence of these members 

brought more consistency, institutional knowledge and overall continuity to operations. For both host sites, 

the Habitat AmeriCorps program is an essential workforce development instrument leading to some of their 

most effective permanent staff. As one of them explained “Ideally, we want to keep the members and hire 

them on.”

Open-ended survey questions given to alumni provided a rich look at the ways that the service year 

impacted the career and learning trajectory of National and VISTA members. Table 4 displays the most 

frequently mentioned themes were: that the service year directly influenced career choices, often in 

nonprofits, or that, at the very least, the service year played a strong role in supporting successful job 

searches. 
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Evaluation of Habitat for Humanity AmeriCorps Program 2016-2019 26

Table 4. Career Benefits of Service Year

Area / Theme Examples From Alumni

Influenced Career 

Direction (N=27) 

● “My career was redirected towards non-profit and public service after

my two terms of service”.

● “Yes, I decided I wanted to serve less fortunate populations of our

society from then on and decided to make working for Habitat for

Humanity a career choice.”

● “They pretty much changed everything.... the people at Habitat are 

a big part of the reason I changed my career path to work there.”

Supported Subsequent 

Job Searches (N=16) 

● “I still keep in regular contact with my Executive Director. She has

served as a reference for me for several job opportunities throughout

my career. I also was able to secure my first job post-AmeriCorps as a

direct result of the relationship...”

● “I have been guided about career goals and how to accomplish them.

Also have gotten interviews because of the people I met during the

service year”.

● “I wanted to work in the nonprofit sector for quite some time, and was

having a hard time finding entry level positions. AmeriCorps allowed me

to gain the experience and knowledge I needed to become a full time

employee. The staff I worked with and still currently work with are

incredibly supportive of my growth and well-being. I have so many

wonderful role models to look up to.”

Influenced Pursuing 

Additional Education 

(N=5) 

● “My supervisor encouraged me to apply for Grad School”

● “Yes, one AmeriCorps alumni that I served with influenced me to get a

Master's Degree.”
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Evaluation of Habitat for Humanity AmeriCorps Program 2016-2019 27

In terms of workforce development, the service year clearly provides a strong pathway into housing, 

construction, and other nonprofit organization work, especially Habitat for Humanity. Figure 7 below 

illustrates that over 75% of alumni surveyed (N=181) report going to work in one of these areas. This is 

strong evidence that the service year instills a lifelong commitment to public service and making impacts to 

communities through housing and related services.

7. Where AmeriCorps Members go to Work After Service Year

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

Healthcare (e.g., Nursing, mental health)

Government/Public service

Private sector (businesses of all types)

Education (primary, secondary, Higher Ed, Outdoor Ed

Affordable housing or homelessness related nonprofit

Other local/national and international nonprofit

Construction/remodeling company

Local Habitat organization or HFHI

National and VISTA members often stay on in an expanded capacity with their Host site or find work at 

another Habitat organization. In Seattle-King County, for example, many of the current class of National and 

VISTA members were planning on committing to another year of service, and some of the permanent staff 

members had started as Members or VISTA members. Many see the service year as an opportunity to 

commit long-term to Habitat organizations, as evidenced by the select quotes from members surveyed upon 

completion of their service year.

● “Staying on with my local Habitat as a site supervisor for at least awhile and hope for a promotion to

the office.”

● “Becoming the best Assistant Site Supervisor that I can be.”

● “To become the mortgage service person for our affiliate.”

● “I hope [my host site] will offer me a full time position as the Outreach Coordinator or give me a

great reference for another job, based on my performance.”

● “I have been hired to be the next Director of Volunteers at my affiliate. I will start this position at the

conclusion of my AmeriCorps service year.”

● “Hope to stay with Habitat long term.”
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Evaluation of Habitat for Humanity AmeriCorps Program 2016-2019 28

Challenges and Recommendations 

1. Notifying Relevant Staff. Several local Habitat survey respondents (N=14) reported that they were

new and had little information about AmeriCorps. The first challenge for HFHI is for all relevant staff

at local Habitats to be aware of and understand the value that the AmeriCorps program can bring to

their organization. Thus, HFHI can focus on reaching out specifically to local Habitats that have

recently merged, hired new executive directors or had other significant administrative changes in

order to ensure the new staff are fully aware of the program and all of its benefits.

2. Understanding the Pros and Cons. Next, the local Habitat organizations need to see the pros

outweighing the cons of going through the application process, followed by the recruitment, hiring,

onboarding, training, mentorship, and record keeping associated with hosting.

3. Perceived Barriers. The biggest perceived barrier to hosting members included lack of time to plan,

apply for, supervise, and support members, as well as concern over the stipend expense and

overwhelming amounts of paperwork (N=78). Common reasons mentioned for not hosting included

not having set aside funds in the budget, and not having adequate staff to supervise and manage

the reporting for members. Here is an example response from one local Habitat who was particularly

concerned with the paperwork:

● “We have used them in the past, in fact we had four, and hired three of them, one of which is

still with us, one advanced to lead her own affiliate, and one returned to architecture school.

We have not used [AmeriCorps more recently] because the paperwork became ridiculous for

us to manage.”

Connected with concerns related to costs, it appears that a subset of local Habitat organizations

have opted to find participants through an alternative source. For instance, here are a few quotes 

from local Habitats who have not recently utilized members through HFHI:

● “We have applied [to AmeriCorps] directly and not through HFHI.”

● “Utilizing Cowlitz AmeriCorps is about 1/2 the cost of using HFHI and training is shared.”

● “The cost per member through the state was significantly less than HFHI. Because of the size

of the program, it made sense to run it through the state.”

● “We've hosted 5 NCCC group's and the partnership better meets our needs. We've also

partnered with the local CAP agency for VISTAs.”
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Evaluation of Habitat for Humanity AmeriCorps Program 2016-2019 29

While the perceived barriers are real and problematic for some local Habitats, others have found 

ways around them. These local Habitats are highly motivated because of the most appealing 

aspects of the program and the benefits it brings. When compared to the cost of hiring a full-time 

employee most host sites feel that “The low-cost of the program is attractive.” 

The potential to have somebody excited to work with Habitat come and work for a year, possibly 

two, at a reduced salary, is a “no brainer” for many.

Hosts value that, “AmeriCorps members bring energy, enthusiasm, and a desire to support our 

mission and work. Often they see things through a different lens, and can provide invaluable 

feedback or information to the affiliate.” Furthermore, “Having enthusiastic new members around 

revives the staff. It is wonderful to have fresh ideas and energy. Having the AmeriCorps also helps 

build the capacity of our affiliate to reach more families and build more homes.” 

4. Thoughtful Preparation. For local Habitats that do see the potential benefits as worth the effort,

thoughtful preparation can enhance the likelihood of a successful year in which the AmeriCorps

members add sustaining capacity to the host site. Here are a set of specific recommendations from

evaluation survey respondent, and interviewees about the preparation steps:

● Try to have various members of the local Habitat beyond the host site manager become

familiar with the requirements and guidelines of the AmeriCorps program so they can support

professional development and training for members

● Develop a detailed plan for how members will be assigned tasks

Host sites should work toward more clear roles, specific directions, and accountability with the 

members. For many members this is their first work experience—they need more capacity and toolbuilding. They can help the member understand the expectations of the service year by developing 

key job descriptions at the local Habitat.

5. Strengthen Recruitment Methods. Many thoughtful and prepared local Habitat organizations that

could benefit from the AmeriCorps program are not able to participate due to a lack of applicants

aware of the opportunity. Therefore, strong recruitment efforts should include both “old school” and

“new school” tactics including but not limited to: promoting the program through current board

members, staff, alumni, members, volunteers, homeowner families, local libraries, community

centers, houses of worship/faith groups, high schools, vocational schools, college campus habitat

chapters, career centers, job boards, social media, Craigslist, online job sites. Use both virtual and

printed flyers/postings. “Start early (actually, never stop...keep with the mindset of ongoing

promotion of the program throughout the year).”
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Evaluation of Habitat for Humanity AmeriCorps Program 2016-2019 30

One local Habitat stated, “Serviceyear.org has been our most successful and helpful resource.” 

They reported they “have found success with the candidates that were forwarded through the 

Service Year Alliance and Brassring.” Other popular sites include, npo.net, indeed.com, LinkedIn job

postings, idealist.org, and career builder.

6. Utilizing Alumni. Alumni should be used more intentionally to promote the program to potential new

members. Alumni and local Habitat staff suggested, “Lay out clear next steps at the end of service.”

Others recommended, planning post service year recruitment efforts early as possible. “Alums are a

pipeline for new volunteers. Currently they are not being leveraged enough in this way.”

7. Marketing. Attempt to make the job ads attractive and explain that skills gained during the year of

service can be leveraged in a variety of ways including but not limited to, full-time jobs, and personal

growth. Construction skills can be used to rehab your own home in the future. At the national HFHI

level, members and alumni suggested making audio and video commercials explaining what

AmeriCorps/VISTA is all about. And trying to lobby the CNCS to change its name to AmeriCorps as

way to raise the profile of the program’s name.

8. Leadership. Several current members who had completed previous years of service felt strongly

that the Leadership Conference was a valuable asset to the program and should be reinstated:

● “Bring back the leadership conference. That is something that helped me a lot during my two

years of my service year and still contributes for my third and last year of service.”

● “Sell the leadership aspects of serving as an AmeriCorps as this is the most transferable and

versatile skill set gained during a year with Habitat for Humanity.”

In order to increase retention and quality of experiences once members are on site, host sites can 

benefit by continuing to support members by providing them with trainings, workshops, and more 

face-to-face attention. Host Sites recommended spending more time on training and team building 

at the beginning of their service term to build rapport and trust. Then use weekly one-on-one 

meetings to keep them engaged and feeling supported. 

Others recommended including members in all monthly staff meetings, as well as having them go 

through construction training and completing an end of term passion project for Habitat. Other host 

sites suggest, “Increase opportunities for members for more team building, and for crossover 

between host sites (host site swaps) for increased learning.” In effect, the host sites who were 

satisfied with their experience argued, “the more investment in members, the greater potential for 
Habitat AmeriCorps Program Evaluation

Evaluation of Habitat for Humanity AmeriCorps Program 2016-2019 31

investment of members in the affiliate.” Another suggestion to support retention and sustained 

quality engagement was to, “allow construction members one or two days a month away from the 

construction site to do office or not physically demanding work (rest working days).” As in all 

modern-day organizations there is a need to more intentionally support diverse individuals and 

cultures, inside and outside the organization. Focus on generational struggles [e.g., a leader at one 

of the host sites felt that many young people don’t understand appropriate norms of workplace 

behavior]. One host site suggested to “have a ‘welcome/get to know you’ lunch with our leadership 

and many more activities.” 

9. Housing affordability is a major challenge with the small AmeriCorps stipend. Many members

utilize food stamps and can’t afford housing without rental assistance from Habitat, some have

sought second jobs. Repeatedly members, alumni and local Habitats all, suggested making housing

or housing stipends available if at all possible. All groups appreciated and understood the

importance of keeping costs low for host sites and the valuable learning that occurs among

members who gain lived experiences of and empathy associated with poverty. However, offering

housing would help with remove barriers to recruiting talented passionate members, and increase

their retention and quality of the experience for members and their productivity and engagement

with the local Habitats. One member who was unable to complete his year of service due to housing

instability stated,

● “My only suggestion would be to follow through with housing availability. At first, I was under

the impression that we were going to have the opportunity to share rent in a room in one of

the houses we were working on. Since that fell through, I was unable to complete my year

due to the cost of commuting.”

10. Incentives and Supports. In addition to housing support some host sites are creative about

providing other small yet meaningful incentives and supports. As one member stated, “Some of the

perks that my affiliate provided like housing, cell-phone reimbursements etc. made a huge

difference for me.” Another member stated, “any support, such as small stipends, goes a long way,

even giving guidance on where to live and realistic expectations about cost of living.” Again, these

perks can be useful both with recruitment and retention of members.

● “Lifestyle training” is good, such as how to live on a small budget while still keeping a good

quality of life. In large urban centers, it is difficult to make ends meet.”

● “More local empowerment, less rules and restrictions on how they can be used”

● “More participation with our board members”