Fun, hands-on, hard work!

Build site activities can include anything it takes to build a home from start to finish. Some typical volunteer activities include: framing, siding, painting, roofing, laying flooring, hanging doors or windows, trim work, landscaping, and cleaning. All tasks are critical to a finished home and a healthier neighborhood.

Here's a general overview of the day: 
7:30am: Registration opens
8:00am: Onsite Safety Orientation
8:15am: Construction begins
11:00am: Lunch (provided by Habitat Chicago)
12:00pm: Construction resumes
2:30pm: Clean up
3:00pm: Wrap up and Departure

Here is what you can expect while onsite:
- Toilets and first aid will be on-site at all times
- To avoid the spread of COVID-19, we will not have communal hydration stations on-site. All volunteers must come equipped with enough water for a full day of volunteering.
- You will work in project teams under the supervision of our construction leadership.
- During lunch, you will have the opportunity to learn more about Habitat Chicago and spend time talking with your crew. After lunch, you will return to a work to finish out the day.
- We'll begin wrapping up before 3pm and send you home with some worked muscles and happy memories!

Team Leader spots are reserved on a first-come, first-served basis, with priority being given to previous Team Leaders. If you are interested in becoming a Team Leader, please contact us. 

If you are interested in participating as an individual builder, registration will open in July. Until then, you can contact us to learn more and add your name to our interest list. We will then remind you (via email) when individual registration is open. 

All build days are first come, first served. Volunteer days fill quickly, so the sooner you register, the better!

Women Build 2023 will take place on the Habitat Chicago build sites in West Pullman. The exact build site address will be sent to participants before the event.

No, we encourage everyone from professionals to novices to come build with us. There are a variety of jobs perfect for every level of skill. Trained Habitat Chicago Crew Leaders provide on-site training and all-day guidance, as well as the tools and materials needed to complete the tasks at hand.

Nope! We'll provide all the construction tools and materials on-site. Some people choose to bring their own tool belt or gloves for comfort, but please be sure to clearly label any personal tools/equipment you bring to the build site.

You're dressing for an active construction site!

Volunteers should wear close-toed shoes and long pants and avoid loose clothing and jewelry. We recommend clothes you don't mind getting dirty and layering for the weather as many construction tasks will be outside.

We will be distributing Women Build t-shirts at check-in, so come ready to change.

You must be at least 16 years of age to volunteer on our build site. Women Builders under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a chaperone and present a waiver signed by their guardian in order to enter the build site. All chaperones must be at least 21 years of age, and must not exceed a ratio of 1 chaperone for every 4 youths.

No, we'll meet you there!

There is free street parking near the build sites, but given the size of Women Build, we encourage carpooling or using a ride share with other volunteers, as well as utilizing public transportation if you live close by.

COVID-19 Volunteer Agreement
In order to keep all our volunteers and team members safe, we are asking that all volunteers abide by our COVID-19 Volunteer Agreement. Read the waiver and agree to its conditions through your registration process. If you do not agree, you will not be able to volunteer with us. 

If you need more information about the volunteer agreement and its requirements, please reach out to volunteer@habitatchicago.org.

 

To learn more about Habitat Chicago, visit habitatchicago.org.

You can make a donation to a particular Women Build participant 1 of 2 ways:

1. Go to the Donate page and search for your Women Builder's name. 

2. Search for your Women Builder on the "Find an Individual" page. Once you've located your Women Builder, go to her page and click the big "Donate" button. 

You can make a donation to a particular Women Build team 1 of 2 ways:

1. Go to the Donate page and search for your Women Build team's name. 

2. Search for your Women Build team on the "Find a Team" page. Once you've located your Women Build team, go to the team page and click the big "Donate" button.

Email and let us know that you need your gift re-allocated.

Please include:
- Your name
- The date you made the donation
- The donation amount
- Where you want the donation to go (name of the individual or team you want to support)
 

All checks should be mailed to:
Habitat for Humanity Chicago
ATTN: WOMEN BUILD
1100 W Cermak Rd., Ste. 404
Chicago, IL 60608

Please make all checks payable to: Habitat for Humanity Chicago. 

​In the memo line or on an enclosed note, please indicate that your donation is for Women Build and list the name of the Women Build participant or Women Build team that you are supporting. 

You can expect an offline donation to appear on your Women Builder's page within 7-10 days of receipt. If you do not see your donation, please contact us.

Any donation made online should post immediately though delays can happen. If an online donation does not post within an hour, please contact us.

Habitat for Humanity Chicago is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. All monetary donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Habitat for Humanity Chicago's Tax ID (EIN) number is 46-0494889.

Yes.

If you made your donation online and provided an email address, you will receive a receipt via email.

If you made your donation offline (i.e. mailed a check), you will receive a letter in the mail once the donation has been processed.

A Tax ID number identifies Habitat for Humanity Chicago as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Habitat for Humanity Chicago's Tax ID number is 46-0494889.

Use our matching gifts search tool to get started exploring what your company offers. If you have any questions about a matching gift or need supplemental information, please take a look at our Matching Gifts Instructions. If we still haven't answered your question, please contact us. 

Each Women Builder commits to raising at least $500 to hit our overall Women Build 2023 goal of $575,000. Each Women Build team has a shared goal of $8,500. If an individual Women Builder does not hit her goal, she may forfeit her eligibility to participate in future Women Build events. 

This may seem like a lot now, but give it an honest effort and you'll be surprised at how easy it is to reach that goal! Make a genuine appeal to your friends, family and coworkers - they'll most likely be thrilled to support your build (people really like supporting people that they like)!

If you truly feel that you will not be able to reach your $500 minimum, work with your Team Leader or Habitat Chicago staff to see what your options are.

A 4% fee per online donation goes to payment processing (which donors are given the opportunity to cover or not cover); the rest goes to home construction for women-led households, covering things like cement work, lumber, insulation, finishes, landscaping, tools, and other construction costs.

Visit our Fundraising Resources page to learn the ins and outs of using the Women Build fundraising platform, as well as other resources available to you such as best practices and group fundraising ideas. 

Visit our Team Leader resources page for our Team Leader packet and other tools specially made for you!

If a check has been written out to you personally, you may endorse the back of the check and mail it in with a completed donation form to Habitat for Humanity Chicago at:
1100 W Cermak, Ste. 404
Chicago, IL 60608

It is not a good idea to send a cash donation in the mail. Please contact us to drop off the cash at our office during business hours:
Habitat for Humanity Chicago
1100 W Cermak, Ste. 404
Chicago, IL 60608

You can enter a check as a pledge online. You can do this from the fundraising section of your fundraiser dashboard when you are logged in by entering an offline donation.

After entering online, send or deliver the check to the Habitat for Humanity Chicago office as soon as possible. Once Habitat for Humanity Chicago receives the check, we will process it and change the donation status from pending to received. Once the donation status is updated to received, you will see it credited towards your fundraising goal.

Checks should be made out to Habitat for Humanity Chicago and mailed to:
Habitat for Humanity Chicago
1100 W Cermak, Ste. 404
Chicago, IL 60608

Please include a note that says Women Build 2023 and the name of the fundraiser to whom the donation should be credited. 

Any donation made online should post immediately though delays can happen. If your donation does not post within an hour, please contact us.

A Tax ID number identifies Habitat for Humanity Chicago as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Many donors will request this number to validate their donation as tax-deductible. The Habitat for Humanity Chicago Tax ID number is 46-0494889.

Login to the Women Build fundraising platform with your account credentials. Then, navigate to your Fundraiser Dashboard. In the bottom center of your dashboard, you will see "Recent Donations." Click "View All" to see all donors who have supported you.

You are receiving these emails so you can stay up to date on your fundraising progress and to be able to thank your donors in a timely manner. The default setting in your account preferences is to receive all emails, but you can modify your notifications as you wish. Please log in to your dashboard at and edit your account preferences.

If you are not receiving these email updates by default, check your junk folder and be sure to mark events@habitatchicago.org as a known sender. If they are not in your junk, you might have disabled notifications on a previous fundraising campaign. To update your settings, log in to your dashboard and edit your account preferences.