Allan Merrill doesn’t consider himself a natural runner. In fact, he’s blunt about it: “I had never run in my life.” But more than a decade ago, encouraged by a “tremendous athlete” of an assistant, the CEO of Beazer Homes found himself training for a half marathon in Nashville.
The experience, however, proved transformative. What began with a single race has since expanded into a company-wide model of giving, anchored by a national nonprofit partnership, sustained funding, and employee participation and pride.
The company’s efforts have not gone unnoticed, and this year, it has earned them the Hearthstone BUILDER Humanitarian Award, an industry honor that recognizes a builder’s lifetime commitment to public service.
Will Allen-DuPraw
Merrill participating in this year's Rock 'n' Roll half marathon in Washington, D.C.
Beazer’s Philanthropic Beginning
After that first race, Merrill decided to do another. For the second iteration, he was joined by Brian Beazer, son of founder Cyril Beazer, former CEO, and 80 years old at the time. The duo decided to pair their participation with a grassroots fundraising effort.
“We picked a charity, and he and I both gave some money,” says Merrill. “We asked other people for money, but no company resources were financially contributed initially.”
Participation grew quickly in the years following, from a handful of runners to dozens, then more. But a pivotal moment came after their first major donation, when tens of thousands of dollars were sent to a national charity with little acknowledgment or visible impact.
“We never heard back from them,” Merrill says. “It wasn’t that it was wasted, but it didn’t have the impact that it could have had.”
That experience prompted a shift. Merrill and Beazer began to define clearer criteria for who they should support going forward.
“We wanted to pick a charity where the scale of what we could contribute would really matter to them,” states Merrill. “And where, if possible, there was a housing element, and if possible, there was a physical activity that we could engage all of our divisions. Not just a P.O. Box that you send money to.”
At the same time, the company’s philanthropic mindset was not new. It traces back through the generations. From Cyril “keeping tools in his car to help strangers,” to a family philosophy grounded in fairness and responsibility, giving has long been embedded in the company’s identity. As Brian puts it, “His view was that it was right to support other people, especially those that were in great difficulties.”
Will Allen-DuPraw
CEO Allan Merrill helps distribute shoes during the company's National Day of Service in March.
Fisher House Selection
With clearer priorities, the company began searching for a national partner that aligned with its values. The result was Fisher House Foundation, a nonprofit that provides free housing for military families while loved ones receive medical care.
Fisher House stood out for both its mission and its model. “The family members of our service members seemed to be really unimpeachable,” Merrill says. “[Fisher House] was doing great work. They could use both the resources and the advocacy, and they were just awesome people. Then, they had houses in most of the markets where we operate, so our team could physically engage.”
Initially, Beazer made contributions without even establishing a relationship. “We didn’t tell Fisher House…we just sent them $100,000,” Merrill says. “And that got a response like, ‘Well, who are you guys?’”
From there, the partnership grew into a cornerstone of Beazer’s national philanthropic efforts. Today, the company supports Fisher House through volunteerism, advocacy, and its annual Rock. Run. Raise! campaign.
In March, the builder surpassed $10 million in total funds raised. To date, the $10 million in donations has helped provide approximately one million nights of lodging for military and veteran families.
“We are deeply grateful for Beazer Homes and the hundreds of employees and partners whose actions and generosity have made this milestone possible,” says David Coker, president of Fisher House Foundation. “Their commitment has had a tremendous impact, allowing military and veteran families to focus on healing and being together without the burden of housing costs.”
Will Allen-DuPraw
A Beazer Homes employee fitting a child for new shoes during their 2026 National Day of Service.
Foundation Establishment
As Beazer’s philanthropic efforts expanded, the company faced a fundamental question: how to sustain giving without compromising financial performance.
“As a former CFO, I was sort of tortured by the idea of, how do you balance philanthropic distributions with shareholder returns or growing your business,” Merrill says.
But, the company found a meaningful solution. “We seized on the idea to establish a couple of purposeful subsidiaries that would be modeled on the Newman’s Own model, where all of the net profits would effectively flow into a foundation that then could be used to support our philanthropic activity.”
Beazer went on to establish Charity Title and more recently, Charity Home Insurance. Net profits from both for-profit entities flow directly to the Beazer Charity Foundation.
This structure ensures that philanthropy is not tied to market cycles or annual budgets. “The dedicated funding mechanism was incremental. It was discrete. It didn’t deprive any shareholder from any existing claim on future profitability,” explains Merrill.
The foundation then distributes funds in two primary ways: national support for Fisher House and localized grants driven by employees. Each division identifies causes through charitable engagement champions, who propose initiatives based on employee interest and community need.
“They write grant proposals that say this is something that we want to do,” says Merrill. “There is a very broad mix of activities, from walks for the Children’s Hospital in Orange County to the MS 150 bike ride in Texas, to the Southern Nevada Trades School in Las Vegas, where the team is fired up.”
Will Allen-DuPraw
Beazer Homes employees are eager to help during the larger National Day of Service, and at other times of the year locally in their divisions.
Employee Engagement
At the heart of Beazer’s philanthropic culture is its annual National Day of Service and its Rock. Run. Raise! campaign, anchored by participation in a Rock ’n’ Roll race. What began as a small group run has evolved into a company-wide event that blends fundraising, volunteerism, and wellness.
In 2026 alone, more than 800 employees, partners, and supporters participated across 15 divisions, contributing over 3,500 hours of volunteer work.
Employees even cover most of their own travel costs, reinforcing commitment to the cause. “This isn’t a corporate boondoggle,” Merrill says. “This is a big culture deal where people are eager to come.”
Financially, the campaign is amplified through support from national partners and local trades and matching contributions from the Beazer foundation. “All of a sudden, we get this multiplier effect…to support Fisher House,” Merrill says.
But the deeper impact lies in engagement. “If I told someone that…there’s something that they could do that energized their employees, strengthened relationships, deepened connections with customers, and it didn’t cost a lot, and it was fun—would you do it?” he asks. “That’s what embedding philanthropic activity in an organization can do.”
And it all started, quite simply, with a run.
The award will be presented at this year’s Builder 100 Leadership Summit from May 4 to 6 in Dana Point, California.
