President Jimmy Carter’s enduring legacy of philanthropy is evident in the numerous nonprofits he and his wife, Rosalynn Carter, have supported since their departure from the White House almost five decades ago.
On Monday in Los Angeles, members of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles took the opportunity to sign wooden two-by-fours that are designated for a new home. This act of remembrance coincides with the passing of the former president, who died at the age of 100 on December 29. Meanwhile, in Houston, plans are underway for community members to sign a door and wall of another new home to commemorate the thousands of houses the Carters have helped construct. Similar activities are also planned in Tallahassee, Florida, and in various other locations in anticipation of Carter’s state funeral set for January 9.
These tributes emphasize the Carters’ commitment to affordable housing, illustrating how their impactful work will persist.
The couple founded The Carter Center in 1982 with an objective to mediate conflicts, which later broadened to include advocating for democracy and the eradication of treatable diseases like Guinea worm disease. The organization has sent monitors to observe around 125 elections across 40 countries and three tribal nations. Carter himself traveled to nations such as Nepal, Bolivia, and Zimbabwe to facilitate political agreements while championing free and fair elections. His impactful and humanitarian efforts were recognized in 2002 when he received a Nobel Peace Prize for his role in conflict resolution and his advocacy for human rights.
“President Carter has set a remarkable precedent for what it means to be a former president, exemplifying a commitment to continuing to do good and positively impact society,” stated Cassandra Newby-Alexander, a presidential historian and professor of Virginia Black history and culture at Norfolk State University.
Carter’s philanthropic contributions were characterized by his relentless personal commitment to leverage his prominence to draw resources and attention to critical causes.
In 1986, he responded to guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to eliminate Guinea worm disease, an effort that The Carter Center has tirelessly pursued ever since. “To the demise of the worm” became a rallying cry within this initiative, as noted by Dr. Jordan Tappero, deputy director for neglected tropical diseases at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which has been a significant financial supporter of the center, contributing $292.5 million since the year 2000. As a result, the prevalence of Guinea worm cases has dramatically decreased from 3.5 million at the outset of the initiative to just 14 cases in four African countries in 2023. Carter had expressed a desire to outlive the worm, which, while rarely deadly, causes significant hardship for those afflicted.
The Carters also fostered a strong, four-decade partnership with the nonprofit Habitat for Humanity, which focuses on building and refurbishing homes.
“In 1984, when President and Mrs. Carter joined a busload of volunteers from southwest Georgia to rehabilitate a tenement building in Manhattan, the organization was still quite small,” remarked Jonathan Reckford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity International, during an interview in 2023. Carter often described his affiliation with the organization as a practical application of his Christian beliefs. Reckford noted that Carter was not only a capable carpenter but also well-known for his dedication on the worksite. It became a playful competition among volunteers, with the understanding that “it’s not a competition as long as his house gets finished first.” Reckford humorously added that volunteers were keen to avoid the “submarine commander glare” from Carter if he felt they weren’t putting forth enough effort.
Today, Habitat for Humanity operates in 70 countries and reported that approximately 910,000 volunteers collaborated with them in 2023. The Carter Work Project has facilitated the construction of more than 4,447 homes across 14 countries.
Cleora Taylor had the opportunity to meet the Carters in August 2018 when they actively participated in building 41 new homes in South Bend and Mishawaka, Indiana. She fondly recollected how the former president recognized her by name and showed genuine interest in her family, including her daughter, who was 11 years old and has autism at the time.
“It means so much to me that he knew me,” said Taylor, reflecting in 2023 from her living room in the home that the Carters aided in building, located on a street aptly named Carter Court. “I was born in ‘82, so I knew this was going to be a significant occasion,” she expressed, feeling grateful that her family had the opportunity to bond with the former president while establishing their new home.
Rosalynn Carter, who passed away in 2023, was a fervent advocate for mental health initiatives while her husband held various political positions, additionally campaigning for the acknowledgment and support of caregivers.
“There are only four kinds of people in this world,” the former first lady is often quoted as stating: “Those who have been caregivers; those who are currently caregivers; those who will be caregivers, and those who will need caregivers.”
In 1987, she founded a nonprofit, now recognized as the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers, which provides advocacy and support for those fulfilling caregiving roles. Philanthropist Melinda French Gates has committed to matching up to $500,000 in donations to the institute for GivingTuesday this December. According to her organization Pivotal, a total of $253,000 was raised for the Rosalynn Carter Institute during the campaign.