Make It Right Foundation

{{Short description|American non-profit organization}} {{Use mdy dates|date=September 2025}} {{Infobox organization | name = Make It Right Foundation | image = Make It Right Foundation.png | caption = Foundation's logo | type = 501(c)(3) charitable organization | tax_id = 26-0723027 | registration_id = | founded = {{Start date|2007|12}} | founder = Brad Pitt | dissolved =  | location = New Orleans | coordinates = | key_people = | region_served = New Orleans, LA<br />Newark, NJ<br />Kansas City, MO | products = Low cost housing | focus = Redevelopment of the Lower 9th Ward, by building a neighborhood with safe and healthy ''home''s.<ref>{{cite web | title=Make It Right Foundation| url= http://www.volunteermatch.org/search/org243367.jsp| publisher=VolunteerMatch| accessdate=January 6, 2014| author=VolunteerMatch}}</ref> | revenue = {{increase}} US $11,921,161<ref name=Audit2012>{{cite web|title=Financial Statements – 2012 Audit|url=http://makeitright.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/2012-Make-It-Right-Audit-Report.pdf|publisher=Make It Right Foundation|accessdate=January 6, 2014|author=Make It Right Foundation}}</ref> | expenses = {{increaseNegative}} US $9,646,135<ref name=Audit2012 /> | endowment = | num_volunteers = | num_employees = <24 | affiliations = | subsid = | owner = | former_name = | website = }} thumb|A Make It Right Foundation home undergoing major structural repairs in 2018 thumb|A Make It Right Foundation home’s front porch, which was crumbling and collapsing in 2021<ref name="theconversation" /> thumb|A Make It Right Foundation home in 2021, vacant and boarded up

The '''Make It Right Foundation''' is a non-profit foundation founded by American actor Brad Pitt in 2007 after Hurricane Katrina to rebuild houses in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans in an environmentally friendly way. The organization also built structures in the American cities of Newark, New Jersey, and Kansas City, Missouri.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://graftlab.com/en/projects/make-it-right | title=Make it Right – Graft }}</ref>

By 2015, the foundation had built 109 homes for a total construction cost of US$26.8 million, or nearly US$250,000 per home, according to the foundation's tax filings.<ref name=nola /> The homes were sold for US$150,000.<ref name=nola />

The development became a tourist attraction.<ref name=nola />

In 2018, various residents of the foundation's homes filed suit against Make It Right, alleging that the non-profit built and sold houses with "defective" materials that caused electrical and plumbing malfunctions, with insufficient ventilation, and with other structural issues.<ref name="architecturaldigest.com">{{cite news |last1=Menza |first1=Kaitlin |title=Where Did Brad Pitt's Make it Right Foundation Go Wrong? |url=https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/brad-pitt-make-it-right-foundation-new-orleans-katrina-lawsuit |access-date=January 30, 2024 |work=Architectural Digest |publisher=Condé Nast |date=January 18, 2019}}</ref> As of early 2022, reports stated that only 6 of the original 109 homes built remained in "reasonably good shape," with many rendered uninhabitable, plagued by construction errors and mold issues.<ref name=theconversation>{{cite news |last1=Keller |first1=Judith |title=How Brad Pitt's green housing dream for Hurricane Katrina survivors turned into a nightmare |url=https://theconversation.com/how-brad-pitts-green-housing-dream-for-hurricane-katrina-survivors-turned-into-a-nightmare-175597 |access-date=January 30, 2024 |work=The Conversation |date=January 31, 2022}}</ref>

In 2022, "a source close to Brad Pitt" told the British newspaper ''The Guardian'' that "Brad got involved at the beginning to help the people of the Lower Ninth Ward, and obviously it was upsetting to see what had happened once he had stepped back from the project and others took over."<ref name="theguardian" />

In 2022, Global Green USA agreed to pay $20.5 million to homeowners to settle a class action lawsuit.<ref name="yahoo.com">{{Cite web |title=Brad Pitt's Make It Right Foundation Must Pay Katrina Survivors $20.5 Million in Settlement |url=https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/brad-pitt-foundation-must-pay-190700575.html |access-date=August 25, 2022 |website=www.yahoo.com |language=en-US |archive-date=August 25, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220825150112/https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/brad-pitt-foundation-must-pay-190700575.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name=nola>{{Cite web |last=writer |first=DOUG MACCASH {{!}} Staff |title=Brad Pitt's Make It Right Foundation to pay $20.5M to owners of faulty post-Katrina homes |url=https://www.nola.com/news/business/article_eed75178-c737-11ec-8011-fbcf5b31b6d7.html |access-date=August 25, 2022 |website=NOLA.com |date=August 17, 2022 |language=en}}</ref> However, as of 2023, Global Green said they could not afford to pay the settlement.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Baum |first=Gary |date=April 12, 2023 |title=Brad Pitt and the Bizarre Charity Mess That’s Left Katrina Victims Stranded Again |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/brad-pitt-charity-mess-katrina-victims-stranded-1235371222/ |access-date=December 17, 2024 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}</ref>

== History == In December 2007, Brad Pitt and William McDonough, together with Graft Architects,<ref>{{cite web|last=Pogrebin|first=Robin|title=Brad Pitt Commissions Designs for New Orleans|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/03/arts/design/03pitt.html|work=The New York Times|accessdate=June 5, 2018|date=December 3, 2007}}</ref> founded Make It Right to rebuild 150 safe, energy-efficient and affordable homes for families from New Orleans Lower 9th Ward who lost everything to Hurricane Katrina.<ref>{{cite web|last=Thomson|first=Katherine|title=Brad Pitt "High" From New Orleans Project|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/12/01/brad-pitt-high-from-new-o_n_147477.html|work=The Huffington Post|accessdate=January 6, 2014|date=January 1, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Bernstein|first=Fred|title=Brad Pitt's Gifts to New Orleans|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/29/travel/29cultured.html?_r=0|work=New York Times|accessdate=January 6, 2014|date=November 25, 2009}}</ref> The foundation was advised on formation by Trevor Neilson and Nina Killeen, advisors to the Jolie-Pitt Foundation through their firm, Global Philanthropy Group.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Make It Right Foundation – GuideStar Profile |url=https://www.guidestar.org/profile/26-0723027 |access-date=August 25, 2022 |website=www.guidestar.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Holson |first=Laura M. |date=December 3, 2010 |title=Charity Fixer to the Stars |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/05/fashion/05TREVORNEILSON.html |access-date=August 25, 2022 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

On March 10, 2012, at the Hyatt Regency New Orleans, Pitt and Ellen DeGeneres hosted "A Night to Make It Right" with Drew Brees and Randy Jackson and performances by Rihanna, Sheryl Crow, Seal, Kanye West, Snoop Dogg, and Dr. John. Make It Right raised $5 million at the event, according to the ''New Orleans Times-Picayune''. Over 1,200 attendees paid between $1,000 and $2,500 to dine on a meal created by celebrity chefs Emeril Lagasse and John Besh. A silent auction was also held to raise funds.<ref>[http://www.nola.com/arts/index.ssf/2012/03/brad_pitts_make_it_right_gala.html Make It Right Gala raises $5 million, Doug MacCash, Times Picayune, 3-13-12. Retrieved 1-19-16]</ref> The organization was bolstered by support from celebrities, such as Oprah Winfrey.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.fastcompany.com/90230876/brad-pitts-housing-nonprofit-make-it-right-faces-lawsuit | title=Brad Pitt's housing nonprofit Make It Right faces lawsuit | date=August 31, 2018 }}</ref>

By March 2013, Make It Right had completed 90 of the proposed 150 homes.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://metropolismag.com/projects/in-defense-of-make-it-right/ | title=In Defense of Make it Right in New Orleans' 9th Ward }}</ref> The homes in New Orleans were designed by renowned architects such as Frank Gehry, David Adjaye, and Shigeru Ban, and each home was LEED Platinum certified by the USGBC.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.archdaily.com/238232/make-it-right-homes-in-nola | title=Make it Right Homes in NOLA | date=May 29, 2012 }}</ref>

With their angular shapes and bold colors, the Make It Right houses were not typical of New Orleans. The organization implemented the holistic, eco-conscious Cradle to Cradle method of building, promising certifiably green construction that would benefit the homeowner. The homes were said to use 70% less energy than a conventional home of the same size. It took about $150,000 to build these homes, labor included. If the costs exceeded the estimated price, the foundation would cover the difference.<ref>{{cite web|last=Lee|first=Evelyn|title=Brad Pitt Breaks Ground in Louisiana with 'Make It Right' Read more: Brad Pitt Breaks Ground in Louisiana with 'Make It Right' {{!}} Inhabitat – Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building|url=http://inhabitat.com/make-it-right-begins-constructing-houses/|publisher=Inhabitat|accessdate=January 6, 2014|date=September 11, 2008}}</ref>

[[File:Brad Pitt Make it Right 2008.jpg|upright|thumb|Photographic portrait of Brad Pitt from Blake Nelson Boyd's "Louisiana Cereal"]]

Projects went beyond New Orleans. Make It Right partnered with HelpUSA in Newark, NJ to build a 56-unit multi-family building for disabled veterans. The LEED Platinum building opened on Memorial Day in May 2012.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://nj.gov/dca/news/news/2012/approved/20120529.html | title=NJ Department of Community Affairs }}</ref> In Kansas City, Missouri, Make It Right converted a school into 50 affordable rental units.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://fox4kc.com/news/kansas-city-lots-owned-by-brad-pitts-nonprofit-make-it-right-sit-empty-residents-hope-for-change/ | title=Lots owned by Brad Pitt's nonprofit 'Make it Right' sit empty, KC residents hope for change | date=July 8, 2021 }}</ref>

== Decay problems, structural issues, and lawsuits == Beginning by at least 2013, the foundation has reached settlements with residents of its houses over problems including inadequate ventilation, mold, and rotting wood that caused illnesses in residents.<ref name="nbc" /> Some of the agreements included non-disclosure agreements.<ref name="nbc" /><ref name="theguardian" />

In early January 2014, the foundation was criticized after over two dozen of the New Orleans homes began to rot.<ref>{{cite web|last=Lee|first=Ashley|title=Brad Pitt Charity's Post-Hurricane Katrina Homes Rotting (Report)|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/brad-pitt-charitys-post-hurricane-668410|work=The Hollywood Reporter|accessdate=January 6, 2014|date=January 3, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Merriman|first=Rebecca|title=Brad Pitt's Charity Under Fire After Hurricane Katrina Houses Begin|url=http://www.entertainmentwise.com/news/136885/Brad-Pitts-Charity-Under-Fire-After-Hurricane-Katrina-Houses-Begin-To-Rot|publisher=Entertainment Wise|accessdate=January 6, 2014|date=January 2, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140104062945/http://www.entertainmentwise.com/news/136885/Brad-Pitts-Charity-Under-Fire-After-Hurricane-Katrina-Houses-Begin-To-Rot|archive-date=January 4, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Brad Pitt charity under fire after Katrina victims' homes begin to rot|url=https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/brad-pitt-charity-under-fire-after-katrina-victims-homes-begin-to-rot/|publisher=Fox News|date=January 1, 2014}}</ref> The foundation reported that the homes used special wood products called TimberSIL which is advertised as free from many of toxic ingredients.<ref>{{cite web|last=Thompson|first=Richard|title=Brad Pitt foundation sues manufacturer over allegedly defective wood|url=https://www.theadvocate.com/new_orleans/news/brad-pitt-foundation-sues-manufacturer-over-allegedly-defective-wood/article_27a7be39-5bb6-53e5-935f-b289cb970ded.html|publisher=The Advocate|accessdate=August 13, 2023|date=April 2, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Dicker|first=Ron|title=Rotting Wood Reported In Katrina Homes Built By Brad Pitt's 'Make It Right' Foundation|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/02/make-it-right-wood-rotting-brad-pitt-katrina_n_4531804.html|work=The Huffington Post|date=January 2, 2014|accessdate=January 6, 2014}}</ref> The wood was unable to withstand the humidity in the city of New Orleans. The foundation announced they were prepared to pursue all legal remedies if necessary.<ref>{{cite web|title=Brad Pitt's housing foundation considers legal action|url=http://www.3news.co.nz/Brad-Pitts-housing-foundation-considers-legal-action/tabid/418/articleID/327139/Default.aspx|publisher=3News|accessdate=January 6, 2014|date=January 4, 2014}}</ref> In 2015, the foundation sued the manufacturer for nearly $500,000, the alleged cost of replacing rotting decks on 39 of the 109 built houses. In 2017, the suit was settled for an undisclosed amount.<ref name="architecturaldigest.com"/>

In 2018, the first of the several class-action lawsuits against the foundation were filed by residents of the New Orleans Make It Right homes who complained that many of the homes were rotting and dangerous. The founder of the Lower 9th Ward Homeowners Association, Linda Jackson, was quoted in 2018 as saying that the majority of the foundation's homes were then vacant.<ref name=nbc/> Residents complained of mold and collapsing structures, electrical fires, and gas leaks.<ref name=nbc>{{cite news|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/brad-pitt-built-dozens-homes-new-orleans-after-katrina-now-n908651|title=Brad Pitt built dozens of homes in New Orleans after Katrina. Now they're falling apart and residents are suing.|date=September 12, 2018|work=NBC}}</ref> The residents said the houses were built too quickly, with low-quality materials, and that the designs did not take into account New Orleans’ humid, rainy climate.<ref name=nbc/> Also, it was reported that Make It Right had not built a home, filed tax forms, or updated its website since 2015. NBC News said that the foundation had "all but disappeared" with its downtown New Orleans office had been closed and staff had been cut to a handful, and with residents saying their calls went unreturned.<ref name=nbc/>

In October 2020, a Make It Right house designed by David Adjaye was ordered by the city government of New Orleans to be demolished, after the city decided the home was "in imminent danger of collapse and/or threat to life".<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.archdaily.com/949718/david-adjaye-designed-house-built-by-brad-pitts-make-it-right-foundation-to-be-torn-down | title=David Adjaye-Designed House Built by Brad Pitt's Make It Right Foundation to be Torn Down | date=October 17, 2020 }}</ref> In early 2022, only 6 of the 109 Make It Right houses remained in what an urban-studies researcher deemed to be "reasonably good shape."<ref name=theguardian>{{Cite web | url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/feb/03/brad-pitt-post-katrina-housing-project-went-horribly-wrong | title=Mold, leaks, rot: How Brad Pitt's post-Katrina housing project went horribly wrong | website=TheGuardian.com | date=February 3, 2022 }}</ref>

In 2022, the foundation paid $20.5 million to homeowners to settle a class action lawsuit.<ref name="yahoo.com"/><ref name="nola"/> Global Green USA agreed to advance the US$20.5 million to the Make It Right Foundation and to oversee the distribution of the funds.<ref name="nola" /> Global Green's CEO William Bridge was quoted by ''The Times-Picayune'' newspaper as saying that Global Green "had a great relationship with Make It Right and Brad Pitt" and that his organization's board of directors' goal was "to plug it (the money) back into the community."<ref name="nola" />

==See also== * Reconstruction of New Orleans

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20031221094918/http://makeitright.org/ Official website] * CNN, [http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/12/04/lkl.brad.pitt/index.html "Brad Pitt works to 'make it right' in New Orleans"], transcript of a Larry King interview, December 4, 2008 * BusinessWeek, [https://web.archive.org/web/20080204062905/http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/dec2007/id20071217_222687.htm?chan=innovation_architecture_green+architecture "Brad Pitt Aims to Make It Right"], Alec Appelbaum, December 17, 2007 *Times-Picayune, [http://www.nola.com/arts/index.ssf/2012/11/brad_pitts_make_it_right_affor.html Brad Pitt's Make It Right affordable houses now available to teachers, first responders] Doug MacCash, November 10, 2012

Category:Hurricane Katrina disaster relief Category:Hurricane Katrina recovery in New Orleans Category:Non-profit organizations based in Louisiana Category:Organizations established in 2007 Category:Brad Pitt