Raritan Valley Habitat for Humanity
Building Strength, Stability, and Self Reliance in our Local Community
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
In 1991, a group of concerned citizens that recognized that many people who work in Somerset and Hunterdon Counties couldn't afford to live here founded Raritan Valley Habitat for Humanity (RVHFH). RVHFH provides a pathway to affordable homeownership for low- or moderate-income families who could not otherwise afford it. The need for affordable housing is especially urgent in Somerset and Hunterdon Counties due to the high cost of living. Somerset and Hunterdon Counties are two of New Jersey's most expensive counties. Some low- and moderate-income homeowners and nonprofits that offer shelter need critical safety repairs or aging-in-place modifications but are unable to afford these projects. RVHFH works to address these needs by providing volunteer labor to perform the project. The goal of RVHFH's Home Safety and Repair Program – A Brush with Kindness is to allow individuals, families, and nonprofit clients to continue to live independently, safely, and comfortably in their homes.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Building Strength, Stability and Self Reliance through Shelter
Raritan Valley Habitat for Humanity (RVHFH) is a nonprofit organization that helps low- and moderate-income individuals and families build and improve places to call home. We believe affordable housing plays a critical role in strong and stable individuals, families, and communities. Through our cornerstone program, Building Strength, Stability, and Self Reliance through Shelter, RVHFH coordinates and supervises volunteers as they work alongside Habitat partner homeowners who are spending 250+ hours individually or 500+ hours as a family, helping to build their affordable home.
Throughout the RVHFH application and home building process, partner homeowners receive formal and informal financial literacy training. A volunteer family liaison partners with the family to encourage them and hold them accountable for sound budgeting practices so that they are prepared to become responsible mortgage holders. RVHFH extends a 0% interest affordable mortgage aligned with the individual or family’s income level. This affordable mortgage typically reduces housing costs by 30% - 50%, which allows partner homeowner(s) to afford needs, such as reliable transportation, medical care, and nutritious food, as well as the ability to save for emergencies and education. Habitat’s partnership home building model is proven worldwide. Locally, in Hunterdon and Somerset Counties, it leads to an increase in local affordable housing stock and amazing stories of transformed lives as partner homeowners build strength, stability, and self-reliance.
It is important to recognize that the Habitat partnership homebuilding model builds more than homes. Bridges of understanding are built as volunteers work together with partner homeowner families and hear about their experiences of life while witnessing their dedication to improving their lives. Community volunteers broaden their understanding of how transformational affordable housing can be for a family, for the futures’ of the children, and, invariably, for generations to come.
Home Safety and Repair Program - A Brush with Kindness
Raritan Valley Habitat for Humanity’s Home Safety and Repair Program – A Brush with Kindness serves the community by deploying volunteers to perform critical home repairs or aging-in-place safety modifications at the homes of low- or moderate-income homeowners or nonprofits that offer permanent or temporary shelter. Donated materials and funds are used whenever possible to offset project material costs, which are the responsibility of the homeowner or nonprofit organization.
This program serves low- and moderate-income homeowners of all ages including, veterans, people with disabilities, and seniors. Some examples of typical projects include ramp construction, leaky roof repair, weatherization, exterior door repair, handrail installation, and lever grip installation. The goals of the program are to help low- and moderate-income homeowners to continue to live independently, safely, and comfortably in their homes and to help local nonprofits that offer shelter with projects that allow their permanent or temporary residents to live safely and comfortably at their facilities.
Where we work
External reviews

Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Raritan Valley Habitat for Humanity envisions a world where everyone in Somerset and Hunterdon County has a decent place to live. RVHFH continually strives towards this vision.
Seeking to put God's love into action, Raritan Valley Habitat for Humanity brings people together to build homes, communities, and hope.
The Habitat partnership homebuilding model builds so much more than an affordable home. Lives are transformed, and these transformations ripple through the community and affect generations to come. Bridges of understanding are built as volunteers work alongside an individual or family willing to invest 250 – 500 hours in building a strong, stable, self-reliant future.
A "hand-up" to a low- or moderate-income homeowner in need of critical home safety repairs or aging-in-place modifications can make an incredible difference. It allows homeowners to continue to live safely, independently, and comfortably in their homes. In some cases, this assistance is what allows an individual to remain in their home.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Raritan Valley Habitat for Humanity's strategies for making this happen are:
1. To grow our revenues.
2. To grow volunteer engagement and retention on the affiliate's committees and at the Habitat ReStore.
3. To increase land acquisition and builds.
4. To increase staff size, satisfaction, and retention.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
The Raritan Valley Habitat for Humanity Board of Directors updated and revised the 3-year strategic plan in 2019, and the Board members, RVHFH staff and volunteers are all engaged in bringing this plan to fruition. Raritan Valley Habitat for Humanity has a strong desire to grow their impact in Somerset and Hunterdon Counties.
Working with many groups, RVHFH has a proven track record of planning, developing, and constructing simple, decent, affordable homes that meet the needs of municipalities and complement the existing homes in the neighborhood. Since 1991, RVHFH has built 52 homes, providing brighter tomorrows to 52 families with the help of the community. Currently, RVHFH, a low-income partner homeowner family, and the community are completing our 53rd home in Franklin Township. In Spring 2020, RVHFH will begin construction on a Habitat Home in Montgomery Township.
In October 2018, RVHFH launched a Habitat ReStore in Manville, New Jersey, to raise critical funds and awareness so RVHFH can provide the opportunity to own an affordable home to many more low-and moderate-income individuals and families. The RVHFH ReStore will help deepen and sustain RVHFH's impact on the community for many years to come. The store celebrated its first-year anniversary on Saturday, October 26, 2019. Our Habitat ReStore is serving the community by providing a place for community members to come together to engage in the worthwhile cause of accepting gently used donations of household goods from the public, keeping them out of landfills, and selling them to the general public at bargain prices. Wonderful stories of individuals and families being able to find and afford family necessities warm the hearts of those that support this aspect of RVHFH's mission. All net proceeds from the Habitat ReStore are used to support the mission of RVHFH.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
So far, Raritan Valley Habitat for Humanity has:
1. Engaged hundreds of community volunteers to support home builds, family selection, outreach and advocacy, property acquisition, and the Habitat ReStore.
2. Transformed the lives of 53 low- and moderate-income individuals and families by providing a path to affordable homeownership and extending a 0% interest mortgage based on their income level.
3. Increased availability of affordable housing in Hunterdon and Somerset Counties.
4. Performed home repair projects that allowed individuals and families to continue to live safely, independently, and comfortably in their homes.
5. Opened a Raritan Valley Habitat ReStore and celebrated its first anniversary.
Next Raritan Valley Habitat for Humanity will:
1. Continue to engage community volunteers in all aspects of our mission, including specifically defined tasks related to our strategic objectives.
2. Increase revenues so that RVHFH can invest in more properties and provide a path to affordable homeownership for more low- and moderate-income families in Hunterdon and Somerset Counties.
3. Will market the Home Safety and Repair Program – A Brush with Kindness to Hunterdon and Somerset County nonprofits that offer permanent and temporary shelter.
4. Move to a new office location to increase visibility in the community, accommodate a larger staff, and improve access for volunteers.
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Raritan Valley Habitat for Humanity
Board of directorsas of 08/10/2022
Ms. Meg Helms
Morgan Wallace Associates
Rita Auld
Auld Consulting
Nuno Barboza
Johnson & Johnson
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? No -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? No -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? No -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? No -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
No data
Gender identity
No data
No data
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data