Build-It-Forward: putting our trades to work for families in need
A program Swiss Masonry plans to run. It has not started yet. Partners and details will be posted here when they are confirmed.
The Build-It-Forward Program
Swiss Masonry has done masonry in Cincinnati since 1993, and today we work as a masonry contractor and general contractor across the 50-mile area around the city, including Northern Kentucky and southeast Indiana. Build-It-Forward is how we plan to give some of that work away. The idea is to put the same trades we use for paying clients to work on homes for families in need around Cincinnati: brick, stone, concrete and carpentry, with licensed trade partners for any plumbing and electrical.
Here is where it stands today. The program has not started. No partner organization has been confirmed, no family has been selected, and no home has been built or repaired through it yet. We would rather say that plainly than let anyone give on a wrong impression.
What we plan to post here before the first project
Before any work starts under the Build-It-Forward name, we plan to post:
- The partner. The local housing or community organization we work with, named and linked.
- How families are chosen. The selection process, written by or with that partner.
- The work. What kind of help the program gives: a repair such as a rebuilt porch, chimney or foundation wall, or a larger build.
- How gifts are spent. A plain accounting of what any money given through this page pays for.
- Updates from the job. Photos of the real work, shared only with the family’s permission and without their names or address.
Ways to help
The most useful help right now is a conversation. If you run a housing or community organization, know a family’s situation through one, or can offer materials or trade work, call 513-202-3598 or email business@swissmasonry.org.
The gift links below are still open. Before you use one, please read the status above: there is no confirmed partner yet, and the details, including how gifts will be used, are not set. Gifts are not tax-deductible. If you would rather wait until the partner and the plan for gifts are posted here, call us and we will tell you where things stand.
If the links above are not loading, or you have a question before giving, call 513-202-3598 or email business@swissmasonry.org.
Questions about Build-It-Forward
Has the program built or repaired a home yet?
No. Build-It-Forward has not started, and no home has been built or repaired through it. When the first project is set, the partner, the scope of work and photos from the job will be posted on this page.
Is my contribution tax-deductible?
No. Swiss Masonry LLC is a for-profit company, not a registered charity or 501(c)(3). Gifts to the Build-It-Forward Program support the program but are not tax-deductible donations. The IRS lists groups run for personal profit among those whose gifts cannot be deducted as charitable contributions. (See the full disclosure at the bottom of this page.)
How will families be chosen?
That is not set yet. We expect to work through local housing nonprofits and case-management organizations that already know which families need help, rather than choosing on our own. Partner organizations will be listed here once confirmed.
Can I volunteer instead of giving money?
Yes. Skilled trades, general labor, project management and donated materials are all welcome. Call 513-202-3598 or email business@swissmasonry.org, tell us what you can offer, and we will get back in touch when the first project is set.
Can my company get involved?
Yes. In-kind materials, trade work and sponsorship of a project are all options once the program has a confirmed partner and a first project. Same contact: 513-202-3598 or business@swissmasonry.org.
Want to know what we do day to day? Read about Swiss Masonry, or see our masonry and construction services.
Disclosure
Swiss Masonry LLC is a for-profit Cincinnati masonry company. Contributions to the Build-It-Forward Program are gifts to support the program. They are not tax-deductible charitable contributions. Swiss Masonry LLC is not a 501(c)(3) organization. As of this writing, the program has not started, no partner organization has been confirmed, and no home has been built or repaired through it. If you have questions about the program or how gifts will be used, call 513-202-3598 or email business@swissmasonry.org.