MUST! Charities – The Pitch – Help Habitat SLO Raise the Roof!
Mark your calendars — November 6, 2025 is the night when passion, innovation, and community collide at The Pitch, hosted by MUST! Charities. And guess what? Habitat for Humanity SLO County is in the spotlight this year.
It’s not just another fundraiser. It’s an investment in us—our mission, our neighbors, our future. When you buy a ticket, you’re doing more than attending an event. You’re placing a bet on the kind of community we want to live in: one where everyone has a decent, safe place to call home.
What is The Pitch?
If you’ve never been, here’s the play-by-play:
- Over several months, nonprofit organizations (like us) are coached, challenged, and polished up to present a 3-minute “pitch” — think Shark Tank, but for community impact.
- On November 6, finalists deliver their pitches to a live audience and a panel of judges.
- The top three pitches win cash prizes. But every attendee has the power to donate directly to the nonprofits on stage.
- The event kicks off with a welcome reception and ends with a dessert mingle. You’ll meet the coaches, the teams, and get behind-the-scenes insight into dreams made real.
In short: it’s part gala, part pitch competition, and all about impact.
Why Habitat SLO County is Pitching
We believe that home is more than four walls — it’s stability, dignity, and opportunity. Being part of The Pitch lets us:
- Sharpen our vision — the coaching and strategy sessions help us clarify goals that serve you better.
- Gain visibility & connections — show the community what we’re up to and build relationships with like-minded supporters.
- Raise flexible funds — prize money and direct donations can help where it’s needed most, whether that’s building, repair, or program support.
- Strengthen for the long haul — the tools and lessons from The Pitch stick around, helping us sustain and grow.
We’re proud to be one of the 2025 participants, coached by Emily Rutter and Brittany Malone Thompson.
How YOU Can Help (beyond applause)
As a valued supporter of Habitat SLO, here’s how you can join:
- Buy tickets & come to the event
Bring friends, family, colleagues. Your presence matters.
(Psst — tickets include reception, dinner, dessert, and that feeling of doing something meaningful.) - Donate directly at the event
Even small amounts can add up. Every dollar tells us you believe in this work. - Spread the word
Share this blog post. Post on social media. Invite friends to the event. Tell them why you believe in Habitat’s cause. - Be part of the momentum
Use your network — perhaps you know someone who’d like to sponsor, match gifts, or volunteer.
What You’ll Experience
- A high-energy night of inspiration — we promise you’ll leave electrified.
- Meet the other nonprofits doing amazing work in SLO County. (We’re in great company!)
- Enjoy tasty food, fine wine, and delightful desserts — because impact and celebration go hand in hand.
- See firsthand how your investment dollars turn into action.
Why It Matters
Too often, nonprofits operate in silos or race against the clock. The Pitch encourages strategy over scrappiness, collaboration over competition, and sustainable impact over short-term fixes. It’s a powerful example of how collective giving can produce collective good.
For Habitat SLO County, being part of this process means we can keep building more, helping more, doing more — and doing it smarter.
We’d be honored to see you on November 6, cheering us on! With your ticket, your donation, and your voice, you become part of a movement to build stronger, healthier communities in SLO County.
So go ahead — commit. Share. Show up.
Let’s make this Pitch one for the books. Let’s build homes, communities, and hope!
2022 Legislation Prioritizes Housing in California
$250M+ CalHome Program Funding Secured
In 2022 Habitat for Humanity San Luis Obispo advocated for Governor Newsom to apply part of the nearly $100 billion state budget surplus toward investments in affordable housing throughout the state. Together Habitat California, a coalition of California-based Habitat of Humanity affiliates, the California Building Industry Association, and the California Association of Realtors, along with 250+ other coalition members across the state, sought to secure funding through the California Homeownership (CalHome) Coalition.
The CalHome Coalition seeks to secure funding that increases the affordable housing supply by providing grants to local public agencies and nonprofit corporations like HFHSLOCO. CalHome programs include first-time homebuyer and housing rehabilitation assistance, and homebuyer counseling and technical assistance to ensure low- and very-low income households can become and remain homeowners.
Our advocacy efforts paid off when $250 million was approved for the state’s CalHome program in the 2022-2023 budget, with a promise of an additional $100 million for the 2023-2024 budget. This victory will ensure development of affordable homes throughout the state, and support HFHSLOCO’s work in revitalizing local neighborhoods, preserving existing homes, and building affordable housing.
2022 Housing Production Legislation Wins
Habitat for Humanity California supported four bills which Governor Newsom signed into law this year.
- AB 2217, sponsored by Habitat California, requires the California Department of Housing and Community Development to consider setting higher per-unit total project allocations based on local development costs when appropriate. The bill also requires the department to consider adjustments to the maximum unit and project allocations for each new round of funding for new construction of homeownership units. This is a huge win for affordable housing in San Luis Obispo County where the cost to build a new home can easily exceed $430,000, and the average home price is over $909,000.
- AB 1933 expands the existing Property Tax Welfare Exemption to include other non-profit builders that construct owner-occupied units for low-income buyers, and it does not prohibit the homebuyer from paying a low-interest rate on their mortgage. Non-profit owners operating with the primary purpose to build and rehabilitate single or multi-family residential units will now see their properties fully exempt from property taxation on liens occurring on or after January 1, 2023 through January 1, 2028. This will increase the supply of affodable homes as more builders are incentivized to construct and rehabilitate affordible homes, and homeowners will not be disqualified from obtaining valuable property tax exemptions.
- AB 2097 prohibits any public agency from imposing a minimum automobile parking requirement on any residential, commercial, or other development project, so long as the development is located within one-half mile of public transport or in neighborhoods with less car use. This bill prioritizes people over cars and paves the way to build more affordable units with need-based parking requirements rather than a one-size-fits-all parking mandate.
- AB 2234 introduces an online application system for postentitlement phase permitting in some jurisdictions, and establishes time limits for review of such permits. The law requires that examples of completed permits for at least five common types of housing development projects be made availbale to all applicants. This act will improve accountability and efficiency when permitting housing, bringing permitting into the modern age and creating the opportunity for affordable housing to be permitted more quickly.
Consider taking a moment to thank our California lawmakers for their commitment to affordable housing in the 2022-2023 budget, and to affirm your interest in seeing CalHome funding included in future budgets.