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Lennar Foundation Honored with 26th Annual Hearthstone Builder Humanitarian Award

Apr 15, 2025

Philanthropic Commitment at the Heart of Lennar’s Mission to Build Healthier Communities Across the Country

Zonda is proud to announce the Lennar Foundation, the charitable arm of Lennar Corporation, as the recipient of the 2025 Hearthstone BUILDER Humanitarian Award, presented by Builder and Hearthstone. The 26th annual award will be formally presented at the annual Builder 100 Leadership Summit, taking place May 5-7 in Dana Point, California.

The award recognizes Lennar Foundation’s longstanding commitment to strengthening communities through meaningful giving and hands-on support. Guided by a clear purpose and a focus on people, Lennar’s impact is rooted in giving back to the communities in which they build and doing the right thing for the right reason.

“Lennar’s deep commitment to its communities, extended through the Lennar Foundation, is both commendable and truly inspiring in its reach and impact,” said Jeff Meyers, CEO of Zonda. “From educational programs and health initiatives to mortgage-free homes for veterans and support for underserved communities, Lennar continues to lead with purpose—quietly making a meaningful difference in the lives of countless individuals and families.”

Hearthstone and Builder joined forces to recognize builders who are dedicated to giving back and making a difference in the community. Over the last 26 years, the Hearthstone BUILDER Humanitarian Award has given $7.9 million to various charities, making it the largest philanthropic award in the home building industry.

“Giving back isn’t a campaign or a checkbox at Lennar—it’s a constant part of who we are,” said Stuart Miller, Executive Chairman and Co-CEO of Lennar. “It lives in our culture, shapes our decisions, and reflects the deep care our Associates have for the communities we serve. We’re honored by this recognition from Hearthstone—it affirms our ongoing commitment to making a real and lasting difference where it matters most.”

  • The Lennar Foundation was created in 1989 to give back to the communities in which Lennar builds by promoting self-sufficiency (e.g. construction career skills training for underserved individuals), building communities, and health initiatives.
  • Lennar’s generous philanthropic model includes a $1,000 contribution to the Lennar Foundation for every home delivered by Lennar, helping fund the Foundation’s core initiatives. Lennar’s divisions across the country participate by deciding how to give back on a local level. Each December, each division replaces corporate holiday parties with a Focused Acts of Caring kickoff for the coming year, which includes financial support and volunteer time.
  • Program support has focused on children and youth, homeless rehabilitation, education and continued learning, veteran assistance, health initiatives and medical research, and emergency community disaster relief.
  • The Lennar Foundation’s efforts support educational partners, as well as the Building Talent Foundation — the charitable giving arm of the Leading Builders of America.

The Hearthstone BUILDER Humanitarian Award program is fully funded by a team of sponsors. Every dollar given is donated to the awardee’s associated charities.

“Hearthstone is proud to recognize the Lennar Foundation as the recipient of the 2025 Hearthstone BUILDER Humanitarian Award,” said Mark Porath, CEO of Hearthstone. “At Lennar, giving back is in their DNA— it drives decisions, shapes culture, and inspires action. Through the Lennar Foundation, they’re creating lasting change by supporting job training programs, addressing homelessness, improving healthcare access, and uplifting underserved communities. Their work is rooted in compassion and a genuine desire to give back to the communities they build in meaningful and lasting ways which exemplifies the very purpose of this award.”

About Zonda

Zonda provides data-driven housing market solutions to the homebuilding industry. From builders to building product manufacturers, mortgage clients, and multifamily executives, we work hand-in-hand with our customers to streamline access to housing data to empower smarter decisions. As a leading brand in residential construction, our mission is to advance the home building industry, because we believe better homes mean better lives and stronger communities. Together, we are building the future of housing. zondahome.com

About Hearthstone

Hearthstone is regarded by home builders as a market leader for innovative financing solutions. Since its inception in 1992, Hearthstone has funded over $19.5 billion of land acquisition, development, and construction to public and private home builders and completed $6.5 billion of advisory services.  Hearthstone manages real estate investments for public and private pension funds, endowments, and investment groups and currently has $1.8 billion of assets under management.

2024: Pat Neal

Photo by Will Vragovic

Zonda is proud to announce Pat Neal, founder and chairman of Neal Communities, as the recipient of the 2024 Hearthstone BUILDER Humanitarian Award, presented by BUILDER Magazine and Hearthstone. The 25th annual award was bestowed live at the Builder 100 event this week at the Ritz-Carlton in Dana Point, California.

“Building homes is a noble endeavor. Recognizing when to build and when to conserve that land for environmental preservation and public appreciation, is especially selfless,” said Jeff Meyers, CEO of Zonda. “Pat’s desire to both provide homes to people and protect nature and preserve history sets him apart as a true humanitarian.”

Hearthstone and BUILDER joined forces to recognize builders who are dedicated to giving back and making a difference in the community. Over the last 25 years, the Hearthstone BUILDER Humanitarian Award has given $7.65 million to various charities, making it the largest philanthropic award in the home building industry.

“I am honored to accept the Hearthstone award from Zonda and BUILDER Magazine, and in particular to be recognized for land preservation efforts both privately and through that of my company Neal Communities,” said Neal. “The natural resources of Florida have been of great importance to me for many years and are a priority for us at Neal Communities. With each community, we take great care in preserving important natural features, native plants and trees while also creating interconnected wildlife corridors and aquatic preserves so that people can experience and participate in the natural environment.”

Inspired by his father’s mantra, “land is forever,” Neal and his family have purchased and donated several pieces of land in Florida for conservation efforts, including:

  • A mixed wetland forest on Big Pine Key which was donated to the Trust for Public Land and became a significant piece of the National Key Deer Refuge.
  • The Neal Preserve, 119 acres donated to Manatee County to preserve the wetlands and create an area for environmental education and enjoyment.
  • Braden River Preserve, 30 acres donated to the Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast.

Photo by Will Vragovic

In addition to his philanthropic gifts of land, Neal championed environmental stewardship when he served as a Florida Senator from 1974 to 1986. He was chairman of the Senate Natural Resources Committee, helped raise the Documentary Stamp Tax for conservation and recreational land acquisition, and spearheaded a number of environmental protection measures.

The Hearthstone BUILDER Humanitarian Award program is fully funded by a team of sponsors. Every dollar given is donated to the awardee’s associated charities. As this year’s award winner, Neal will receive $350,000, which will be donated to the Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast.

“Hearthstone is proud to recognize Pat Neal of Neal Communities as our winner of the 2024 Hearthstone BUILDER Humanitarian Award,” said Mark Porath, CEO of Hearthstone. “Although Pat has given back to his community in so many ways, I think his most impactful contribution is his dedication to preserving Florida’s unique land and water ecosystems.”

The award recipient was chosen by a panel of top industry leaders with experience in humanitarian outreach.

2023: Meritage Homes

Congratulations to Meritage Homes, the 2023 recipient of the distinguished Hearthstone BUILDER Humanitarian Award, presented by BUILDER and Hearthstone. The 24th annual award was bestowed live at the Builder 100 event this week at the Ritz-Carlton in Dana Point, California.

“The collective spirit of generosity and enduring dedication to charitable giving makes Meritage Homes an exemplary recipient of the Hearthstone BUILDER Humanitarian Award,” said Jeff Meyers, CEO of Zonda. “From their core values to their employee involvement, Meritage Homes embodies commitment to public service.”

Hearthstone and BUILDER joined forces to recognize builders who are dedicated to giving back and making a difference in the community. Over the last 24 years the Hearthstone BUILDER Humanitarian Award has given over $7.5 million to various charities, making it the largest philanthropic award in the homebuilding industry.

“Start with Heart” is more than a mantra for Meritage Homes, it’s a core value. In 2014 executive chairman Steven J. Hilton founded the Meritage Cares Foundation, a qualified 501(c)(3) charity. Additionally, Phillippe Lord, CEO of Meritage, calls upon employees to identify which organizations Meritage Cares should give to on a quarterly basis. The company also has an enterprise-wide program called Q4 Outpour, in which all divisions vote to select one charity to donate their time and money to every fourth quarter.

Over the past ten years, Meritage has contributed countless hours and over $6.5 million to various charities through monetary and in-kind donations. Given its long-standing partnership with Operation Homefront, the company has built and donated 17 mortgage-free homes to military families. They also contributed to sustainable forestry by hosting 15 regional tree planting events across the country in partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation in 2022.

Between 2021 and 2022, Meritage Cares donated over $600,000 to support ongoing diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in education and career development for underrepresented groups. The donations sponsored college scholarships as well as internship and job opportunities in the homebuilding industry. Organizations included INROADS, Building Talent Foundation, United Negro College Fund and several Historically Black Colleges & Universities and Hispanic Servicing Institutions.

The Hearthstone BUILDER Humanitarian Award program is fully funded by a team of sponsors. Every dollar given is donated to the awardee’s associated charities. In recognition of Meritage Homes’ exemplary philanthropic dedication, Hearthstone—together with additional donations from Meritage Homes and its generous vendor partners—is proud to present $400,000 to No Child Hungry and the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC).

“Hearthstone is proud to recognize Meritage Homes as our winner of the 2023 Hearthstone BUILDER Humanitarian Award,” says Mark Porath, CEO of Hearthstone. “The Meritage Cares program is more than a catchphrase. Starting with the executives and cascading to all Meritage employees, they have made the commitment to care for others a part of their company culture, by dedicating time, attention, and resources to helping support those who serve us in the military, and children and families who are in need. Being able to highlight Meritage’s good deeds is exactly the reason the Hearthstone BUILDER Humanitarian Award was founded.”

The award recipient was chosen by a panel of top industry leaders with experience in humanitarian outreach.

2022: Nelson Mitchell

 

Photos by Jill Broussard

Congratulations to Nelson Mitchell, CEO of HistoryMaker Homes, the 2022 recipient of the honorable Hearthstone BUILDER Humanitarian Award, presented by BUILDER and Hearthstone. The 23rd annual award was bestowed live at the Builder 100 event this week at the Ritz-Carlton in Dana Point, California.

“Mitchell’s spirit of generosity and unwavering dedication to those in need is a true representation of the Hearthstone BUILDER Humanitarian Award,” said Jeff Meyers, CEO of Zonda. “He is not only generous with his own time and resources, but his encouragement of his employees to experience the joy of giving has built a culture of generosity that benefits numerous lives and communities.”

Hearthstone and BUILDER, together with founding sponsor Kohler Company, joined forces to recognize builders who are dedicated to giving back and making a difference in the community. Over the last 23 years the Hearthstone BUILDER Humanitarian Award has given over $7 million to various charities, making it the largest philanthropic award in the homebuilding industry.

Charitable giving is a core value for family-run HistoryMaker Homes, for which Mitchell is a fourth-generation home builder. His company has raised over $14.5 million benefiting children with disabilities, impoverished communities, veterans, and local homeless populations. Two organizations, in particular, have been deeply impacted by Mitchell’s fastidious generosity: Homes for HOPE, an organization that aims to fight global poverty, for whom the builder has constructed two houses; and The Miracle League, which provides children and young adults the opportunity to play baseball regardless of their abilities, including custom fields that accommodate wheelchairs.

Through the Joy of Giving program Mitchell has inspired others in his organization to give with a cheerful heart. Each year, teams within the company are given $2,500 to donate to a local nonprofit organization, school, or ministry of their choosing. Over $220,000 has been donated through the Joy of Giving program.

Additionally, the Mitchell family is very involved with Family Legacy Missions International and has given roughly $260,000 over the years, enriching the lives of children in Zambia. The builder also donates to the Texas A&M school of construction science department, and hires interns who then become full-time employees upon graduation.

The Hearthstone BUILDER Humanitarian Award program is fully funded by a team of sponsors. Every dollar given is donated to the awardee’s associated charities. This year, in recognition of Mitchell’s exemplary philanthropic dedication, the 2022 Hearthstone BUILDER Humanitarian Award is proud to present $300,000 total to Mitchell’s two charities—$150,000 to Homes for HOPE and $150,000 to The Miracle League.

“Hearthstone is proud to recognize Nelson Mitchell of HistoryMaker Homes as our winner of the 2022 Hearthstone BUILDER Humanitarian Award,” says Mark Porath, CEO of Hearthstone. “In today’s society, it is so important to highlight the accomplishments of leaders like Nelson Mitchell who give their time, attention, and resources to support those less fortunate in his community. Nelson’s charitable giving demonstrates his lifetime commitment to philanthropy.”

The award recipient was chosen by a panel of top industry leaders with experience in humanitarian outreach.

Learn more about Nelson and his philanthropic efforts in this month’s edition of BUILDER magazine.

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