Our non-profit organization is Habitat for Humanity Restore. “Habitat for Humanity ReStores are nonprofit home improvement stores and donation centers that sell new and gently used furniture, home accessories, building materials, and appliances to the public at a fraction of the retail price” (Habitat for Humanity ReStores,2014). They are volunteers that dedicate their time to better the community and the environment. There are many locations of Habitat for Humanity, but the one we are working with is located in Winona Minnesota. Habit for Humanity was founded in 1976. “Habitat for Humanity ReStores are proudly owned and operated by local Habitat for Humanity affiliates, and proceeds are used to build homes, community, and hope locally and around the world” (Habitat for Humanity ReStores,2014). The Restore provides a variety of household items that are available for purchase. The services that the Restore provides is assistance with finding the items they are looking for or a substitute for the item if it is not available. The users of their services are home owners or renters. “The geographic areas they cover is in many states and Canada” (Habitat for Humanity ReStores, 2014).
The organization’s mission statement is “seeking to put God’s love into action, Habitat for Humanity brings people together to build homes, communities and hope” (Habitat for Humanity International Mission Statement and Principles, 2014). Our evaluation of their mission statement is that it is a good statement because for many reasons. To start off it is a good length and can be communicated in a short period of time. It demonstrates what the organization is about and its goals. The mission statement hopes to accomplish helping those in need of their service. It clearly states its purpose and it creates hope for those in need. It also gives an opportunity for people to give back to their community. They have five mission principles which are, demonstrate the love of Jesus Christ, Focus on shelter, advocate for affordable housing, promote dignity and hope, and support sustainable and transformational development. These mission statements are supported by explanations of how these values are implicated in the organization. For instance, to demonstrate the love of Jesus Christ they do this through faith which, they are able to accomplish by making lasting relationships (Habitat for Humanity International Mission Statement and Principles, 2014). They are able to focus on shelter and advocate for affordable housing by providing household items and materials used to build homes at low prices. Habitat for Humanity promotes dignity and hope by advertising. For example, they share pictures of houses they have built in the past with donated household materials. After building these homes they are able to support sustainable and transformational development because they are able to experience the positive outcome of the receipts.
It was difficult to find a similar organization to Habitat for Humanity Restore. This demonstrates how unique the organization is. We chose to compare Habitat for Humanity Restore to Saint Vincent de Paul thrift store that is located in Marshfield, Wisconsin. These nonprofit organizations are similar because they both offer merchandise at low prices. However, they do differ. Saint Vincent de Paul offers a different variety of goods at their thrift store. For instance, the thrift store consist of merchandise, including clothing, furniture, and household items. Whereas, Habitat for Humanity Restore offers items for households and materials to build houses specifically. Then we compared the mission statements of the two organizations. Saint Vincent de Paul mission statement is
“Inspired by Gospel values, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, a Catholic lay organization, leads women and men to join together to grow spiritually by offering person-to-person service to the needy and suffering in the tradition of its founder, Frédéric Ozanam, and patron, Vincent de Paul. As a reflection of the whole family of God, Members, who are known as Vincentians, are drawn from every ethnic and cultural background, age group, and economic level. Vincentians are united in an international society of charity by their spirit of poverty, humility and sharing, which is nourished by prayer and reflection, mutually supportive gatherings and adherence to a basic Rule. Organized locally, Vincentians witness God’s love by embracing all works of charity and justice. The Society collaborates with other people of good will in relieving need and addressing its causes, making no distinction in those served, because in them Vincentians see the face of Christ” (National Council, n.d.).
After evaluating their mission statement, we concluded that it needs improvement. For starters, Saint Vincent de Paul’s mission statement is too long. For a better mission statement they should start fresh and focus more on what the organization does in simple terms. This way it will be able to be communicated in a short period of time. Readers will be able to understand what services they provide without having to view the full website. They should also make sure that their statement inspires others to join the cause.

References
Habitat for Humanity International Mission Statement and Principles – A good deal for you, your community and the environment. (2014). In Habitat for Humanity. Retrieved September 13,
2014.)
Habitat for Humanity ReStores – A good deal for you, your community and the environment. (2014). In
Habitat for Humanity. Retrieved September 13, 2014.)
National Council. (n.d.). St. Vincent de Paul Welcome Page. In St. Vincent de Paul Marshfield,

WI. Retrieved September 14, 2014