Start a covenant partner

Communities know best what their biggest housing problems are and how to bring people together to solve them. The real work of The Fuller Center is at the local level — where funds are raised, volunteers are mobilized, families are selected and nurtured and houses are built or rehabilitated.

Covenant partners are local organizations that sign an agreement with The Fuller Center to build or renovate houses for families in need in a particular area. The Fuller Center helps local organizations by providing expertise, training, funding, name recognition and providing for information sharing.

To inquire about starting a covenant partnership with The Fuller Center in the United States or Canada, contact Stacey Odom-Driggers at sdriggers@fullercenter.org or call 229-924-2900. To inquire about starting an international covenant partnership with The Fuller Center, contact Ryan Iafigliola at ryani@fullercenter.org or call 229-924-2900.

DOWNLOAD: Checklist for transitioning from another housing nonprofit to The Fuller Center for Housing

DOWNLOAD: Checklist for starting a new Fuller Center covenant partner from scratch. (WORD)

DOWNLOAD: Checklist for starting a new Fuller Center covenant partner from scratch. (PDF)

AFTER your application has been accepted and your partner officially approved, please fill out this form to have your new covenant partner listed in our directory at FullerCenter.org/Locations with its own unique webpage.

Why partner with The Fuller Center?

There is no fee to become a covenant partner, nor any annual fees. We do not take any cut of your ReUse Store or other fundraising efforts. Partners are encouraged — but not required — to tithe to help support our work internationally in less-fortunate countries. Our international partners can build for much lower cost than our U.S. partners, so your tithes can make a huge impact around the world.

You know best what work is needed in your community. Our covenant partners are expected to follow our basic principles that have stood the test of time since Millard and Linda Fuller launched their affordable housing ministry in the 1970s, but the details of how you work — such as whether you will focus on new construction or repairs — is up to you. We stand ready to assist you in your mission, not dictate.

The Fuller Center offers a group 501(c)(3), Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws template. We will create a logo that conforms to our basic style but with your community’s name added to it for your letterhead and signage. This logo is provided in pdf, jpeg, png and Adobe Illustrator formats. The latter is preferred by printers who need high-resolution images for everything from T-shirts to billboards and banners. Here is a basic example of how the logo will look.

We would love to have more U.S. site opportunities for churches, colleges and other groups who want to spend a week making a tangible difference for families in need. If you would like to host these teams and have them infuse your work with a burst of energy and excitement, we offer U.S. Builders recruitment and registration services through our headquarters. Hosting U.S. Builders teams also is a great way to engage your local churches in hosting responsibilities such as feeding and housing volunteers and an opportunity to engage with media outlets who often do stories on out-of-town teams who come into their communities to work. Click here to learn more about U.S. Builders.

Peer-to-peer networking with successful leaders in an affordable housing movement with a 40-plus-year legacy. Our most outstanding covenant partner leaders across the nation are happy to share their positive experiences and the learning they have gleaned from both successes and setbacks.

Directory listing and free webpage on FullerCenter.org with information about your covenant partner, needs and a donation button where funds can be specifically designated for your covenant partner. You’ll also be a part of our social media and Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and a busy news stream on our home page. Our communications team stands ready to advise you on such issues as media relations for major events and most economical and effective print options and outlets for marketing.

The Fuller name is synonymous with the world’s affordable housing movement. Being officially associated with The Fuller Center for Housing gives you instant credibility with volunteers, donors, churches and other groups in your community. Learn more on our history pages here.

 In addition to designated donations processed through your page on our site, our national headquarters also offers grant writing technical support and help providing grantors with audits and bookkeeping services. You can also take advantage of our fundraising pages.

We offer compliance support for required IRS 990 filings, U.S. Treasury Anti-Money Laundering Policy and Fair Housing Laws. We also provide training in many areas through an extensive online operations manual.

We’ll be happy to share expertise in Fuller Center programs such as New Construction, ReNew (major renovations), Greater Blessing (small repairs), Faith Builders, ReUse Stores and hosting U.S. Builders teams.

Utilize our national volunteer accident insurance program and discounted volunteer background checks and applicant credit reports.

History & Principles