2025 Torch Award for Ethics Nonprofit Winner
BBB Serving Northern Colorado & Wyoming
Be the Gift was founded in 2008 to provide home-repair assistance to single moms. The organization identifies single moms who have home maintenance issues that affect the safety and livability of their home or which may impact the family's ability to stay in their home. Be the Gift then works with experienced project managers to plan a work day, procures all necessary tools and materials, and then engages a volunteer crew to perform the repairs. The organization also teaches the moms about the repair as well as other home maintenance basics such as water shut-off, electrical panel info, and HVAC upkeep.
Be the Gift was founded in 2008 and is currently led by executive director Marilyn Johnson who took over the position after her husband and co-founder Chris Johnson passed away unexpectedly in 2021.
Character
Marilyn seeks to lead with respect and integrity first and foremost and has a robust calendar of regular meetings with stakeholders to ensure frequent communication and feedback. The professional staff of Be the Gift meets at least weekly, the volunteer project managers meet at least monthly, and the board of directors meets 4-6 times per year.
Be the Gift's reputation in the community also has lent itself to strong relationships in the community. All project managers are experienced contractors or tradespeople who can provide the expertise and direction to complete a wide range of home repairs. Additional support is provided to project managers through safety and skill training so they can stay up to date with best practices and provide a superior experience to volunteers.
Culture
One helpful aspect of the work Be the Gift does is that the completion of a project provides an immediate and tangible example of the impact of the work the organization does. Clients, volunteers, and project managers can see that a pipe is no longer leaking, a window is no longer drafty, and paint is no longer peeling. Staff and volunteers also get to interact with families to see the emotional impact of fixing an issue with the home that was affecting their health and safety or continually straining the household budget.
Be the Gift sets ambitious but achievable goals in one-year and three-year timeframes as the scope of a project can range from a simple plumbing fix to flooring or window replacement, but Be the Gift remains committed to providing services at no cost to single moms. Since its founding, Be the Gift has grown from 9 projects in the first year to 70-80 annually.
Customers
Before Be the Gift swings a single tool or buys a material, it has the challenge of building trust with single moms who may be wary about letting strangers into their homes. They may be survivors of abuse or domestic violence, or may be victims of scammers or predatory businesses who previously promised to help fix their home. Be the Gift has a number of procedures to protect the moms and families they serve, including making sure no volunteers are present at the home without a Be the Gift representative, changing names in promotional materials, and never photographing children.
Be the Gift also approaches each project with the professionalism and care that a trusted contractor would. After every project, the mom, project manager, and volunteers complete outcome reports, gauging their satisfaction with the process and result of the project. Over 90% of clients report satisfaction with the project and 98% of volunteers have a positive opinion of the experience.
Community
Be the Gift partners closely with other Northern Colorado nonprofits and agencies that support single moms. Organizations like Neighbor to Neighbor, House of Neighborly Service, or Volunteers of America refer single moms to Be the Gift for home repair assistance. Going the other direction, Be the Gift has worked with Project Self-Sufficiency and Habitat for Humanity in helping a single mom purchase a home, then working with that same client later on home repairs and upkeep.
Be the Gift has a number of corporate partnerships to assist single moms. Lowe's, Home Depot, and other construction suppliers have donated materials to projects. Every Christmas Be the Gift partners with Madwire Media to create and fulfill wish lists for the families they have helped over the previous year. And events like the annual Cajun Boil Benefit Dinner allow donors to hear from staff, volunteers, and clients about the work Be the Gift does.