Habitat for Humanity International seeks to eliminate poverty housing from the world and to make decent shelter a matter of conscience and action. Habitat invites people from all walks of life to work together in partnership to help build houses with families in need.

Our Mission

The Habitat for Humanity Campus Chapter at University of Wisconsin-Madison works with its local affiliate, Habitat for Humanity of Dane County to achieve the Habitat mission through the four functioning pillars: Building, Educating, Fundraising, and Advocacy. We do this through:

Builds: We volunteer at our build site every other Saturday throughout the academic year. We also plan collegiate break trips to affiliates around the United States and participate in international Global Village trips.

 Fundraising: We host several fundraisers throughout the year in order to raise money to fund a local Habitat home. We aim to raise $35,000 a year, which covers about half the construction costs of a single home.

Education: Housing insecurity is a relevant problem in any community. We educate our members and others about factors that contribute to poverty and housing vulnerability both in Madison and throughout the world.

Advocacy: We participate in Habitat International’s Act!Speak!Build! Week in the Spring where we motivate students to think about housing insecurity in their community through interactive activities, signs, and tabling.

Who We Are

The Campus Chapter at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is a diverse set of undergraduate and graduate students who share resources, time and talents to make a difference in the Dane County community. We are dedicated to improving the world around us by helping families within our community. We are building the next generation of Habitat volunteers, donors, and leaders through monthly socials, fundraising and volunteer opportunities to support Habitat for Humanity of Dane County.

Our History

The first Campus Chapter group started at Baylor University in 1987 under its affiliate in Waco, TX. The Campus Chapter at University of Wisconsin-Madison is one of more than 500 campus chapters around the country. Our chapter was founded in the Fall of 1993, just 5 years after our affiliate, Habitat for Humanity of Dane County.

In the 1995-1996 school year, 6 of our members were invited to hear Millard Fuller (Habitat’s co-founder) speak in Milwaukee, where the chapter’s intentions were set: fundraise and build its own house. In 2000, the chapter’s first sponsored house was built, and the chapter has been able to build each year since. The chapter is largely able to build because of its largest fundraiser, the annual SouperBowl, which was thought up by then high school art teacher Don Hunt in 1995, just two short years after the founding of the group. Other major past fundraisers include the annual Tour de Habitat and Huffin for Habitat.

Today

Today, Habitat for Humanity-UW Madison generates enough funding to sponsor a Habitat for Humanity home each year. Students from University of Wisconsin-Madison as well as Habitat members volunteer for 14 build days a year, along with newly added ReStore days. Today, the chapter holds Spring and Fall yard cleaning initiatives, manages stadium chair installation in a section at Camp Randall Stadium, works concessions at Badger sporting events, and prepares several small scale fundraisers. On top of fundraising, Habitat participates in Act! Speak! Build! Week through various forms of marketing, simulations, and meetings with local representatives. With over 150 active members and growing, our volunteers contribute over 1500 hours each year!