Full press release...

Architecture for Humanity Launches 5 Year Strategic Plan and Fund To Offer Expanded Design Services to Build Resilient and Healthy Communities.

After 15 years of Leadership co-founders, Cameron Sinclair and Kate Stohr to Transition from Organization and Launch Fund to Support Future Growth.

Since 1999, San Francisco based non-profit Architecture for Humanity has been committed to providing architectural design and construction services to communities in need around the world. Co-founded by Cameron Sinclair and Kate Stohr, the non-profit has responded to 15 natural and man-made disasters, completed over 300 projects in 47 countries, expanded to 63 chapters across the world, and has nurtured a network of more than 75,000 architects, professionals and volunteers committed to making a positive impact through architecture.

Architecture for Humanity was founded as an initiative of Sinclair, an architectural designer and Stohr, a journalist and TV/web producer. Sinclair had been working on historic preservation in Western Romania as reports emerged of refugees from the war in Kosovo returning home only to find their houses in rubble. Collectively they saw an immediate opportunity for building professionals around the world to help. Sinclair and Stohr launched a competition to provide transitional shelter for returning refugees and Architecture for Humanity was born. Very quickly, the idea was transformed into a design non-profit that grew into an organization and today manages every facet of the building process, from ideation to implementation. The group pioneered the use of open source within the architecture profession and developed a results-driven, community-led design process.

In planning for the organization’s further growth, Sinclair and Stohr are transitioning out of their roles to push the advancement of Architecture for Humanity, while also enabling the founders to explore new ventures.

“It’s great to see something you started evolve into an institution. We are excited about the future of the organization and plan to continue lending support in whatever ways we can,” says Kate Stohr, Co-Founder, Architecture for Humanity.

Kate Stohr, who currently serves as Board Advisor to Architecture for Humanity, will be leaving the organization on September 30, 2013 to return to her career in television and web production. Cameron Sinclair, who currently serves as Executive Director, will actively lead the agency until April 6, 2014, the organization’s 15th Anniversary. After his transition, Sinclair will continue to support the organization and will focus on his own design and community development work.

The Board of Directors will begin an international search for a new Executive Director by the end of September. Additionally, Stefanie Madrid has joined the organization as CFO, with a decade of experience from Kiva and VolunteerMatch.

Matt Charney, Board President, says "Kate and Cameron's vision and years of dedication and hard work leaves the organization in a solid place to continue its leadership role in using architecture to solve humanitarian problems. They have built a world-class team of staff and volunteers committed to improving communities --both around the globe and in the US. I speak for the entire Board of Directors when I say we are extremely excited by the possibilities in front of us."

In anticipation of the next phase of Architecture for Humanity, the board of directors, staff and chapter members worked together to develop a five-year strategic vision for the organization. The plan calls for a new focus on leveraging the organization’s fifteen years of expertise to proactively develop and implement programs it identifies as vital around the world in the areas of improving disaster resilience and humanitarian-focused community development. At the same time, Architecture for Humanity will continue to take on projects initiated by third parties such as leading non-governmental organizations, private and corporate foundations, as well as being retained directly by communities in need. The organization has expanded its regional offices to Colombia and Rwanda in addition to opening a resiliency studio in New York.

To support this vision, Architecture for Humanity will launch a Founders Fund led by Cameron Sinclair and the organization’s campaign director, Jennifer Lopez. The goal is to raise at least $1.5 Million dollars by the 15th Anniversary to help achieve Architecture for Humanity’s new strategic goals and support existing projects.