2005 ANNUAL REPORT a new view on building healthy communities “The leadership of The Home Depot Foundation is helping to transform the affordable home building industry and demonstrating that environmentally sound, healthy and resource-efficient homes can be built while maintaining and increasing affordability in the short and long term.” Rick Fedrizzi, President CEO and Founding Chairman U.S. Green Building Council The Home Depot Foundation Advisory Board Bob Nardelli Dennis Donovan Tom Taylor Carol Tomé Board of Directors Giles Bowman Kelly Caffarelli Ron Jarvis Gloria Johnson Goins Kevin Martinez, President Dominic Piccininni, Secretary David Sanford Kim Sentovich Manish Shrivastava,Treasurer Paul Raines Staff Kelly Caffarelli, Executive Director Fred Wacker, Senior Program Manager – Affordable Housing DeAnn Fordham, Program Manager – Environment Emily Ferguson, Development Manager Vivian Walker, Grants Manager Kina Monroe, Grants Coordinator Carolyn Downing, Administrative Assistant 1 our mission The Home Depot Foundation is dedicated to creating healthy, livable communities through the integration of affordable housing built responsibly and the preservation and restoration of community trees. The Foundation supports the building of affordable, efficient and healthy homes and the planting of trees in our city parks, on tree-lined streets and in our own backyards. In this way, the Foundation is working to increase awareness of the connection among quality affordable housing, adequate green spaces and trees and the overall health and success of our communities. The Foundation has invested millions of dollars in communities across the country to help our neighbors of modest means live in homes that are affordable to own and maintain in the long term; that provide safe, healthy environments and that conserve energy; water and other natural resources. By helping families and individuals secure dependable, quality affordable housing, the Foundation increases their chances of success in all areas of their lives and creates stable, strong communities for years to come. 2 “The support of The Home Depot Foundation has been instrumental in our success in building affordable, healthy communities and in the progress we have been able to make in the Gulf region. The assistance we receive from the Foundation goes far beyond its 2005 was a remarkable year for The Home Depot Foundation. financial support, though. The most With the help of The Home Depot’s senior leadership and store important asset the Foundation offers associates, its suppliers, our Board of Directors and our nonprofit the community development field is its partners, we were able to create and support stronger, healthier desire to bring individuals and groups communities across the country. Projects funded by the Foundation together, to form partnerships, to provide built 8,000 homes that our neighbors of modest means can afford opportunities to collaborate and to to own over the long term, providing a stable base to build a encourage innovative thought to address successful life. Additionally, the Foundation’s support resulted in the issues facing communities.” the planting of over 250,000 community trees, which are making neighborhoods more sustainable and livable. We hope that this Bart Harvey, Chairman and CEO Annual Report demonstrates the impact the Foundation is having Enterprise Community Partners to strengthen communities and help improve lives. We are also very proud of the partnerships we have developed and enhanced during this year. By working with nonprofits that significantly affect cities and towns nationwide, we are doing so much more than building a house or planting a tree. We are bringing together the energies and resources of neighborhood residents, government and business leaders, and community organizations and volunteers to engage in projects that are laying the foundation for long-term community change. “Mayors understand the value that trees bring to their communities by helping Our aim is to create for everyone a sense of place and well-being that allows individuals and families to thrive and reach their fullest them become healthier places to live, potential and to achieve their dreams. Having an affordable, adding beauty to their neighborhoods healthy home with a safe place to learn, run and play is the first and improving the overall quality of step to achieving this goal. We thank all of our donor partners who their citizens’ lives. Our Excellence in generously support the Foundation’s efforts with their time and Community Trees Awards program with financial contributions, and our nonprofit partners who share our The Home Depot Foundation helps to vision of helping individuals, families and neighborhoods. Together, recognize mayors and their cities for we are building healthier, more livable communities. their efforts and will encourage others to adopt similar successful programs.” Tom Cochran Executive Director U.S. Conference of Mayors Kelly Caffarelli Kevin Martinez Executive Director and President of the Board Member of the Board of Directors The Home Depot Foundation The Home Depot Foundation Director, Community Affairs, The Home Depot 3 Like the entire country, we at The Home Live Oak Depot Foundation were overwhelmed by the Recovery Project terrible destruction of the communities of the Gulf Coast caused by Hurricane Katrina. The For 60 miles across the Gulf Coast, hundreds of large, centuries-old oaks ripple effects of this storm impacted families survived the violence of Hurricane Katrina, and cities nationwide and brought attention a remarkable testament to the strength to the importance of home, housing and the and capabilities of these trees. For environment in our lives. many people, these trees were among the few things left that symbolized the uniqueness of their communities. Although With funding from “Rebuilding Hope and the trees still stood, the storm surge Homes,” a partnership of The Home Depot and washed away the soil and sand leaving and Homes its suppliers and customers, the Foundation roots exposed and little rain fell, which endangered these heritage trees. supported the needs of those in the wake of the storm. In the weeks following the hurricane, we Working with the Land Trust for the provided funding to meet their continuing needs Mississippi Coastal Plain, The Home Depot and to begin the recovery and rebuilding efforts, Foundation was able to provide funding to truck soil, mulch and water in to save giving residents evidence that their communities 655 of these trees. Protective fencing was could be restored. The rebuilding will take placed around the trunks to keep heavy years, and the Foundation is committed to equipment from the sensitive root zones working with local nonprofi ts and communities during the cleanup and rebuilding efforts. Not only were the trees able to be saved, throughout the process. By preserving trees but the labor and equipment used in the and natural areas that create buffers against process was all local, helping to provide storms and by designing and constructing jobs and funding to fragile economic homes to mitigate storm damage, the centers. Importantly, the effort was completed in the first weeks after Foundation is focusing its support on building the hurricane, giving the Gulf residents stronger, safer and healthier communities. hope by preserving these symbols of their communities. Rebuilding Hope Vance Weesner After Katrina — Rebuilding Better Communities “The violence of Hurricane Katrina was almost unimaginable, destroying virtually everything man had built. Our people could deal with losing their homes, but they refused to lose their community. Many people have wanted to help, but The Home Depot Foundation has been among the few that have really helped us begin to make some progress. With its support, we are not only going to rebuild our town, we are going to make it better than it was before.” Malcolm Jones, City Attorney, Pass Christian, MS 4 “I can’t afford to own a house, but my apartment feels like a home. It’s not huge or fancy, but it has everything my daughter and I need. The rent is much more reasonable than anything else around, and my apartment is very efficient so my utility bills are low, even during a Vermont winter. We can walk to the bus stop and to the park. They did a lot of little things to make sure that this is a comfortable, healthy and safe place for us to live.” Quote from Resident of Waterfront Housing 2005 Award of Excellence Winner – Rental Housing Vermont Burlington, VT Honoring Better Building Awards of Excellence for Affordable Housing Built Responsibly The Home Depot Foundation created these awards to recognize the exemplary work of nonprofit organizations that are building homes that successfully combine affordability with healthy and sustainable measures. By recognizing, celebrating and showcasing these outstanding and innovative projects, the Foundation hopes not only to offer insight, but also inspiration to others developing housing for those of modest means. “ You’re not adding a whole lot of expense, and you are adding consciousness about sustainable development...The Home Depot Foundation award keeps reaping benefits for Rural Development, Inc.” Anne Perkins Director of Homeownership Programs Rural Development, Inc. 2005 Award of Excellence Winner Homeownership Rural Development, Inc. Turner Falls, MA 5 2005 Grant Recipients affordable housing Affordable Housing Built Responsibly Avenue Community Development Corporation, Houston, TX Better