Executive Summary. Maintaining Vital Connections

Transcription

1 Executive Summary Maintaining Vital Cnnectins The rle f faith cmmunities in prviding scial services, healthcare, educatin, cmmunity develpment and a wide array f ther supprts t peple in need has received much attentin frm plicymakers, faith cmmunities, researchers and nnprfit practitiners since the U.S. Presidential Faith Based Initiatives. Yet the research n this tpic fcuses n either activities f cngregatins r faith-based rganizatins (FBOs), with little attentin t the imprtant relatinship between them. This prject cmpares differences amng faith cmmunities at several different levels. We use the term faith cmmunity t refer generally t any religius cmmunity that supprts a given faith based rganizatin r set f rganizatins. Fr example, the faith cmmunity might be a single cngregatin like a Quaker Meeting that is cnnected t fur rganizatins: a schl and tw aging services agencies it funded and an interfaith calitin. Faith cmmunity may als refer t a gegraphical cmmunity, like the Jewish cmmunities in Baltimre r the greater Washingtn area r interfaith rganizatins cncentrating n ne suburb r city neighbrhd. Or the faith cmmunity culd be a higher level adjudicatry r general reference t peple sharing a particular faith, like an archdicese, the calitin f synds that supprt the Lutheran rganizatins in this study, r netwrks f Evangelicals that supprt the Pregnancy Help Center. This reprt addresses this relatinship, sharing what we have learned frm an in-depth study called Maintaining Vital Cnnectins Between Faith Cmmunities and their Organizatins. The prject was funded by Lilly Endwment Inc., with research activities beginning in March It examines the relatinship between faith cmmunities and 59 rganizatins funded by Mainline Prtestants, Cathlics, Jews, Evangelicals, Quakers, and African American churches lcated in Philadelphia and Nrthern Virginia and several lcales between them. A secnd phase f the study, still in prgress, expands this research t the Midwest and Suth. A brief reprt n this secnd phase appears at the end f this dcument. The study fcused n the fllwing questins: 1. Hw d faith cmmunities understand their practical thelgy (enacted expressins f faith and religius values regarding their wrk in the wrld), and hw des that practical thelgy play ut in stewardship f rganizatins? What practical guidance wuld best serve faith cmmunities and what grups r individuals (clergy, lay cmmittee members, rganizatin bard and key staff, etc.) shuld receive advice and training n stewardship and related issues? 2. Hw d strategies fr guidance and supprt differ amng the varius branches f Christianity (mainline Prtestants, Evangelicals, Peace Churches, Cathlics, African American churches) and Jews? Hw shuld guidance t thse faith cmmunities be tailred fr each religin and denminatin? What lessns apply t all faith cmmunities? 3. What strategies can a faith cmmunity use t address cncerns regarding the faith- base in rganizatins under its care r affiliated with that religin? Hw d strategies differ depending f the level f frmal cntrl that the funding faith has ver the rganizatin? Hw des a faith cmmunity remain stewards f an rganizatin 1

2 when it is legally independent f its funding religius bdy? The prject is unique because it explres the rle f specific religius and denminatinal thelgy and religius culture in service activities, prviding cncrete prducts specific bth t that religin, as well as mre general thelgically grunded materials. Rather than subscribe t ne universal typlgy fr identifying an rganizatin as faith based, the prject expects that varius religius traditins wuld rganize prvisin f scial welfare differently. The prject cmpleted a pilt study in 2006 that primarily examines this issue frm experience in rganizatins. This reprt prvides an verview f findings frm the prject s secnd phase, which fcuses n guidance, stewardship and cnnectins frm the standpint f bth funding faith cmmunities and faith based rganizatins, with particular attentin t the relatinship between funding cmmunity and FBO gvernance structures. The rich pl f data we have cllected addresses many specific issues, but several key findings stand ut: Practical thelgy: Althugh all faiths use similar techniques t supprt and guide their rganizatins, the thelgical ratinale and strategies fr prviding guidance differ acrss denminatins and religins. Mechanisms like fundraising, bard appintments, prviding in-kind supprts, the nature f infrmal cnnectins between faith cmmunity and rganizatin each varied based n the practical thelgy f the particular funding r supprting religin. The prject develped a wrking definitin f practical thelgy as: The frmal and infrmal strategies a cmmunity uses t carry ut its thelgical teachings, religius-based values, everyday practices, and religius culture in faith cmmunity activities and interactins with nnprfits affiliated with that religin. Embedded religius values are as imprtant as explicit references t a given faith. Our research als revealed significant differences in the extent and ways that the varius faiths used Gd language and included faith-based messages in their prgramming. The ntin f embedded thelgy refers t: Unstated values and/r expressins that may nt be vcally articulated, but define the particular faith cmmunity. The pilt study suggested that rganizatins culd strngly rely n their faith traditins withut exhibiting any f the pen expressins f faith that mst typlgies uses t identify an rganizatin as faith-based. In fact, several f the rganizatins clearly fllw thrugh n religius teachings in their prgramming withut any utward signs f a particular religin. Organizatins appeared n a cntinuum frm Jews, where religius values were ften embedded in rganizatinal practice but rarely mentined in prgramming r materials t Evangelicals, where every aspect f the rganizatin may be suffused with explicit expressins f religin. In general, religins that see faith as individual cmmitment, such as the Evangelicals, African Americans and sme Mainline Prtestants, were mre likely t use expressive language while religins with strng fcus n cmmunal religin by birth r 2

3 cmmitment such as Jews and sme Cathlics used fewer references t faith in their rganizatins. In additin, the pilt study suggests that thse religius traditins that strngly emphasize religius tlerance and an appreciatin fr thelgical diversity tend t embed their religius cmmitments mre implicitly within their service rganizatins, rather than make thse cmmitments explicit. This appears t be driven by a desire t avid impsing religius views n thers, independent f ther factrs analyzed here. This current study prvided further evidence that embedded practical thelgy remains imprtant fr faith based rganizatins and that faith cmmunities lk fr these embedded cultural attributes in their evaluatin f the faith based rganizatins they supprt. Additinal infrmatin n practical thelgy and embedded versus explicit religius aspects in the activities f nnprfits and their relatinships with their faith cmmunity is available in chapter fur f the full reprt. Mechanisms fr Maintaining Vital Cnnectins: This study explred a variety f mechanisms t maintain cnnectins between faith cmmunities and the rganizatins they had created. Key findings include: Stewardship means mre than a funding faith cmmunity s prvisin f resurces t the rganizatins it created. In sme religius circles, particularly amng Mainline Prtestants, stewardship is currently understd as garnering and managing resurces particularly funding fr faith cmmunities and rganizatins. This research revealed that the guidance and supprt relatinships encmpassed much mre than supplying funds, in-kind supprts and vlunteers. Faith cmmunities are much mre willing t supprt rganizatins that reflect their current beliefs and religius culture than institutins that simply have a histric cnnectin t that faith. Organizatins with strng cnnectins t their funding cmmunities interacted n many levels, with faith-based rganizatins and their supprting faith cmmunities in a dynamic relatinship based n practical thelgy that reaffirmed and strengthened bth nnprfit and the faith cmmunity. In these successful relatinships, faith cmmunities d nt define stewardship f their rganizatins as nly prviding funding r ther tangible resurces, as is cmmnly understd in sme religius circles. As a result, ur research reclaims earlier, brader definitins f stewardship as: The faith cmmunity s effrts t maintain its practical thelgy f justice and charity in the activities f the nnprfits affiliated with that religin r denminatin. Relatinships were maintained thrugh bth frmal and infrmal mechanisms: Frmal Relatinships Bard recruitment and cmpsitin What percentage f the bard is required in the bylaws t cme frm the funding faith cmmunity? What percentage is expected t cme frm the faith cmmunity given unspken assumptins abut wh shuld be respnsible fr the rganizatin? This can range frm 5 percent r less in the case f sme religius rders, t 50 percent in the case f many Quaker rganizatins, t as much as 100 percent in sme 3

4 evangelical agencies. Even thugh many rganizatins d nt stipulate a minimum number f bard members, the majrity f their bard members may still be drawn frm the funding faith. Fr example, while few Cathlic and Jewish rganizatins stipulated a percentage f bard membership had t cme frm the funding religin, bard were generally exclusively r predminantly frm the funding religin. On the ther hand, Mainline Prtestants and Quakers tended t specify that a percentage f bard members cme frm the funding faith r denminatins frm affiliated cngregatins and ften had much mre diverse bards. This has relevance fr stewardship f religius cnnectins in several ways: In general, an agency s bard is charged with preserving faith cmmunity identity, particularly if a majrity f the staff and/r clientele are NOT frm the faith cmmunity. The ability f bard members t prvide guidance n the faith cmmunity s values and practices, hwever, varies enrmusly, depending n the bard members understanding f their faith. Bards als varied widely in the practices they used t rient members n faith traditins and practices. Staff recruitment and cmpsitin Strategies varied frm advertising in the faith cmmunity s media (Jewish agencies and sme Cathlic), t ascertaining that prspective staff agreed with the philsphy f the agency even if they were nt members f the faith cmmunity (ther Cathlic agencies, Jewish, Quaker), t nt asking at all. With the pssible exceptin f sme evangelical agencies, mst staff persns are nt required t be members f the faith cmmunity.. In sme cases, hwever, it is an unstated preference. Leadership - Mst f the rganizatins that maintain strng ties t their faith have executive directrs and ther key leaders (e.g. fundraising r utreach staff) wh cme frm the funding faith. Unless the rganizatin is funderdriven, rganizatin leadership is usually chsen by the bard. The imprtance that the bard places n the leaders belnging t the funding faith, identifying with a specific denminatin r branch f that faith, r sharing the cre values f the faith sets the tne fr the retentin f religius values within the rganizatin. As a result, leadership was ften chsen based n its ability t represent the embedded culture f the rganizatin, if nt the faith cmmunity s explicit beliefs, Umbrella rganizatins prved imprtant resurces fr bth faith cmmunities and rganizatins and vital links t maintain the faith base fr nn-prfits. Umbrellas tk several frms - cmmunal structures like Jewish Federatins, Cathlic rder-created systems, interfaith rganizatins, nnprfit prfessinal rganizatins like Friends Services fr the Aging, Cathlic Charities USA, and the varius Jewish prfessinal rganizatins. Mainline Prtestant and Evangelical rganizatins were least likely t participate in prfessinal assciatins, thugh they might take part in infrmal lcal netwrks and calitins such as interfaith r clergy netwrks. Frmal reprting requirements Frmal reprting mechanisms vary and are nt always used. They range frm annual ral reprts t the funding cngregatin, t an expectatin that annual reprts r newsletters will be prvided t the funding faith cmmunity, t specifically-mandated yearly third- 4

5 party financial audits, t the frmal cntracts requiring regular written reprts that a Jewish rganizatin typically has with its federatin. Evaluatin f staff n their success in prviding service in a manner in keeping with faith cmmunity values and philsphy There were wide variatins: Des this kind f evaluatin happen at all? Hw frmal is the evaluatin prcess? Wh des the evaluatin a faith cmmunity bard member r the agency supervisr? Infrmal strategies t maintain cnnectins: Implicit, embedded practices are as imprtant a frm f stewardship as are frmal relatinships. These may include styles f fundraising r simply the fact that members f the faith cmmunity pay attentin t the rganizatin and cmment n its ability t live up t cultural hallmarks f faithfulness. Infrmal mnitring practices: The infrmal practices that the faith cmmunity used t mnitr rganizatin activities ranged frm faith cmmunity members cmmunicating with bard members r rganizatin leadership t writing articles r pinins in faith cmmunity media regarding their view f the rganizatin. Faith cmmunity members infrmal cmments n the quality and faith base f the services was carefully watched by bards and staff as indicatrs f whether r nt the rganizatin was behaving in ways expected by its supprting cmmunity. Organizatin leaders understd that negative cmments culd lead t dwindling supprt f the rganizatin. Faith cmmunity media: In cmmunities with lcal newspapers fr the faith, lcal r ethnic cmmunity, rganizatins culd becme the subject f media attentin and letters t the editr. Organizatin leaders paid careful attentin t the media and ften encuraged psitive press. They als used media t reach ut t faith cmmunity members. Scial netwrks: Organizatins prviding direct service t faith cmmunity members ften had strng infrmal cnnectins with members. This culd range frm sending children t a religius schl, participating in a scial service prgram, r ccasinally using a hspital r clinic spnsred by a particular religin. Vlunteers: Vlunteers are the heart f the faith-based element within mst Mainline Prtestant, Evangelical and African American church rganizatins we have studied, but their imprtance varies fr Jewish and Cathlic rganizatins. Vlunteers and bard members ften interpret their wrk as an extensin f their persnal thelgy, viewing service bth as an bligatin and as an expressin f faith. Hwever, faith in actin rather than thelgical exactitude tends t be the primary cncern fr vlunteers. Fr example, feed the hungry was ften understd as (enacting religius teachings, but vlunteers were less cncerned with the specific activities behind their acts f genersity. Vlunteers sense f their bligatin t the rganizatin is generally tied t hw they perceive its activities as matching their wn ideas f stewardship. Resurces: Resurce stewardship invlves bth the mechanisms by which the faith cmmunity supprts its rganizatins and the frms these supprts take. Generally, faith cmmunities prvide their rganizatins with similar kinds f resurces: funds, in- 5

6 kind supprts, the use f faith cmmunity prperty, vlunteers, and smetimes back ffice supprts like centralized insurance, recruitment and religius training. Hwever, the mechanisms fr sharing these resurces varied greatly amng faiths: Althugh mst faith-based rganizatins can identify what they expect frm their funding faith cmmunities, mst faith cmmunities had limited understanding f hw t successfully guide and supprt t their rganizatins. With the exceptin f Jews and sme Cathlic rders, few faith cmmunities had educatinal tls r clear gals fr rganizatinal stewardship. Agencies ften appinted bard members withut much guidance n their rle in the rganizatin r respnsibility t reprt back t the funding faith cmmunity. This suggests that develping and disseminating tls fr faith cmmunities t prepare bard members, lay leaders and clergy as stewards f their rganizatins is a critical need. Infrmal mechanisms t maintain relatinships were ften mre imprtant than frmal mechanisms in fstering vital nging cnnectins between faith cmmunities and rganizatins. Organizatins that kept in clse cntact with their supprting faith cmmunities and vice versa thrived, while rganizatins lacking thse infrmal cnnectins had truble gaining supprt frm their funding cmmunities. Suggestins fr Imprving Cnnectins: Educate the agency leadership (bard and key staff): Leaders must regularly articulate the faith base f the actin fr it t remain alive. Bards and ther selectrs f staff shuld seek leadership wh can articulate the stewardship fcus. Organizatinal leaders shuld cnsider implementing r adapting Jewish rganizatins traditin f rtating bard members thrugh different rganizatins and varius cmmittees in the faith cmmunity and individual agencies t encurage a full understanding f the rganizatin. Clarify faith cmmunities rle as stewards f their rganizatins. Tls and materials need t be develped fr faith cmmunities n such tpics as what stewardship means, strategies fr develping strng bard members, and apprpriate mechanisms fr the rganizatin t share its wrk regularly with the faith cmmunity. Build infrmal relatinships. Bth faith cmmunities and faith-based rganizatins shuld pay attentin t ways that they develp scial capital netwrks thrugh fstering a variety f ways that faith cmmunity members can becme invlved with r learn abut the rganizatin and its activities. Strng infrmal relatinships lead t mre successful fundraising, rganizatinal peratins, and ability t carry frward agency missin. In turn, invlvement with the agency can strengthen cmmitment t the faith cmmunity fr members r draw new members t that religin r denminatin. Additinal infrmatin n strategies t maintain cnnectins between faith cmmunities and faith based rganizatins is available in chapter six f the full reprt. Faith Traditin Systems: 6

7 While each religius grup emplys unique strategies, we identified three brad systems that religius cmmunities use t rganize their cnnectins t rganizatins under their care that reflect practical thelgy and stewardship strategies. These systems cme ut f the faith cmmunities, shaping bth the stewardship strategies f religius institutins and the ways that nnprfits frm that religius traditin apprach faith cmmunities fr supprt and guidance. Identifying systems is imprtant because the best practices, weaknesses, and lgic behind nnprfit activity are specific t each system. While rganizatins cming frm anther system culd adapt sme appraches frm anther system fr their use, whlesale attempts t use strategies apprpriate fr anther system are unlikely t wrk because they run cunter t the cultural and thelgical lgic behind the funding relatinship between faith cmmunity and rganizatin. As such, these findings have implicatins bth fr public plicy and practice. Institutinalized systems rganize and centralize supprts at the cmmunity level, with expectatins that the entire cmmunity is respnsible fr thse in need. Jews and Cathlics used this system, thugh they differed in their structure. Cathlic systems were integrated int either the archdicese r rder while Jewish systems centralized all scial and health services, with the synaggues remaining independent frm the service system. Institutinalized systems evlved frm a thelgy that insists the cmmunity/church as a whle is respnsible fr caring fr thse in need. This bligatin may be cnceived as applying nly t members f that religin r the whle wrld. In Jewish traditins, key thelgical cnstructs include tikkun lam (respnsibility t care fr the wrld - which smetimes means all Jews and ther times means anyne in a particular grup) and a series f Talmudic cncepts related t an bligatin t supprt the cmmunity and thse in need within it. Fr Cathlics, key funding thelgy includes the expectatin that Cathlics, as the church universal, are respnsible bth fr all Cathlics, and by extensin all ptential cverts t Cathlicism. Encyclicals (frmalized mral teachings) regarding preferential treatment f the pr, universal health care, etc. that cme frm the Ppe and the Cuncil f Bishps als cntribute t the general framewrk f religius activity. Majr features f Institutinalized systems are: They centralize fundraising, vlunteer recruitment, training and smetimes facilities management. They have a strng traditin f planning at a centralized level fr the cmmunity r its institutins as a whle. Centralized bdies ccasinally encurage r frce mergers r cllabratins amng rganizatins in the cmmunity fr the greater gd f the systems as a whle. They have the ability t share resurces acrss the system thrugh either Federatin allcatins r Cathlic Order r Archdicese-spnsred agreements t share resurces. They develp strng netwrks f religiusly based natinal umbrella rganizatins in additin t the lcal centralized systems that prvided additinal supprt and netwrks fr rganizatins fr that religin. 7

8 There is a tendency fr rganizatins utside the centralized umbrella t still develp ties with ther rganizatins either thrugh interfaith entities r independent grups f rganizatins frm the same faith. Schls are cnnected with the wider faith cmmunity and the centralized umbrella (federatin, rder, archdicese), but mst Cathlic and Jewish schls in sme cmmunities are under the direct spnsrship f cngregatins. Cngregatinal systems see cngregatins as the central rganizing frce fr justice and charity wrk, viewing ministries as cming frm individual r crprate calls fr service that cngregatins supprt. Ministries r prgrams, such as a church fd pantry, may begin as effrts within a cngregatin but they usually becme institutinalized as independent nnprfits. Nnprfits spnsred by individual cngregatins r grups f cngregatins tended t turn t their spnsrs fr all frms f supprt. In this study, Mainline Prtestants, sme African American churches, and Quakers fell int the cngregatinal system. While nne f the Evangelical nnprfits in this study sample in fell int this categry, it is likely that sme evangelical grups d use this system as well. The thelgy behind cngregatinal systems cmes ut f the Prtestant refrmatin and the religius mvements that created the peace churches. This religius traditin emphasizes the lcal cngregatin as the primary vehicle fr carrying ut the mandates f faith in a cmmunity (thugh cngregatins may be supprted in this task by centralized denminatinal structures). The rganizatinal impetus cmes frm ministries f individuals within a cngregatin r frm the cngregatin as a whle. These rganizatins either frmalize as separate 501c3 nnprfits r becme prjects f the church with independent advisry cmmittees and smetimes separate bank accunts. Well-established rganizatins maintain strng ties t cngregatins r at least retain vestiges f these cngregatinal rts thrugh bard appintments and ther mechanisms. Majr features f Cngregatinal systems are: Their ministries ften frmalize as either independent prgrams f their funding cngregatin(s) with independent advisry cmmittees and separate accunting systems, r spin ff int independent 501c3 rganizatins with limited ties t cngregatins r frm as interfaith entities. The rganizatins maintain ties t ne r mre cngregatins thrugh bard appintments, appeals fr resurces, vlunteers and in-kind supprts. Mst f ur cngregatinal rganizatins saw vlunteering as an imprtant cmpnent f rganizatinal activity, and it created vlunteer pprtunities fr peple frm their denminatin and thers. Established cngregatinal rganizatins usually maintained ties t their funding faith by requiring that a percentage f bard members be frm the funding faith r funding cngregatins. 8

9 In sme cases, the relatinship between cngregatinal rganizatins and their funding faith cmmunities invlved the rganizatin serving in such a way that cmmunity members were drawn t the cngregatin. Cngregatinal system rganizatins frm Mainline Prtestant and Quaker rganizatins ften embedded their faith in mre general values, with many specifically stating that they valued thelgical diversity within a general spiritual r Christian cntext, and n principle they did nt prselytize. Cngregatinal system denminatins created fewer umbrella rganizatins like prfessinal assciatins fr their rganizatins, and the rganizatins tended t belng t fewer umbrella grups. Netwrk systems transcend cngregatins, drawing tgether peple with a similar faith-based visin t carry frward the wrk based n either scial netwrks f the funders r institutinal/virtual netwrks f peple with a similar visin. Netwrk based nnprfits may be cnnected with ne r multiple cngregatins, but their decisin-making and supprt systems reside utside the cngregatinal system. Organizatins in netwrk systems differ frm cngregatinal systems in tw imprtant ways 1) the ministry is supprted by a netwrk f individuals fcused n a specific ministry and 2) the peple wh staff these rganizatins either as vlunteers r paid staff share the faith apprach f the rganizatins funders, using this faith as a prime mtivatr in their wrk. In cntrast, cngregatinal rganizatins draw staff and invlved vlunteers interested in the service r ministry f the prgram but d nt necessarily share similar appraches t faith r cme frm the religin f the funding cngregatin(s). The Netwrk-based rganizatins in this study ranged frm small emergency services prgrams funded by ne cngregatin member t a multisite pregnancy center wrking t prevent abrtins, and frm a yung evangelical Christian schl t a nearly 200-year-ld multiservice rganizatin that prvided supprt thrugh well-established ministry centers. Majr features f Netwrk systems are: The rganizatins frequently becme a faith cmmunity fr staff, active vlunteers and smetimes prgram participants. These rganizatins rely n a cmbinatin f staff and vlunteers, but almst all peple invlved with the rganizatin share the funding faith r have sme ther persnal cnnectin with the ministry and their invlvement is mtivated by that faith. Resurces cme thrugh netwrks f like-minded believers, and ften rganizatins highlight their faith r trust in Gd as a surce fr resurces fr the rganizatin. Since these rganizatins are supprted thrugh persnal netwrks, they are mre likely t end when the pastr r funder mves n. In lder, established rganizatins, ministries can change as the leader s calling r gspel visin changes. 9

10 One main subset f this grup is frmed by evangelistic rganizatins, fr which sharing their faith is a key element f the ministry. Scial capital was an imprtant ingredient in maintaining vital cnnectins between faith-based rganizatins and their spnsring faith cmmunities. Scial capital refers t scial netwrks based n reciprcal, reenfrceable trust that peple and rganizatins use t garner resurces. Scial capital includes bth netwrks f individuals and institutins, with rganizatins able t maintain supprt ver time frm their funding faith cmmunities and its institutins based n the trust-based cnnectins develped by the agency ver time. As demnstrated ver and ver in this study, rganizatins with strng ties in their funding faith cmmunities succeeded in maintaining supprt and guidance frm their cmmunities, while thse that had lst thse netwrks struggled in this regard. Organizatins als depend n their knwledge and manipulatin f cultural capital, elements f the funding cmmunity s culture that have becme symbls f membership in rder t garner supprt frm their cnstituent cmmunities. Scial capital was an essential element t encurage civic engagement amng faith cmmunity members, but netwrks amng rganizatins and faith cmmunities ften was as imprtant as individual netwrks. Civic engagement refers t activities t supprt the cmmn gd and may nt necessarily invlve lng-term, reciprcal trust between thse prviding dnatins r inkind gds and the agency receiving supprt. Three frms f equally imprtant scial capital perate in the relatinships between faith cmmunities and their rganizatins. Bnding scial capital refers t densely linked netwrks f peple wh share similar culture and beliefs. The netwrks within the African American, Jewish, evangelical, Quaker and t a lesser extent lcal Cathlic and Mainline Prtestant denminatinal cmmunities are examples f bnding scial capital. Bridging scial capital crsses bundaries f race, class, culture, r belief. Hwever, bridging scial capital invlves trust based ties acrss grups develped ver time, nt weak ties. Linking scial capital refers t ties acrss pwer hierarchies such as the links between an archdicese r federatin and its member rganizatins. This research discvered that each f these systems used scial capital differently: Institutinalized systems relied n high bnding scial capital amng bth individuals and institutins t supprt nnprfits in these systems. In additin, institutinalized system rganizatins had strng, linking scial capital within their cmmunities and the multiple reginal r natinal umbrella rganizatins helped agencies develp linking ties natinally bth as institutins and fr their staff as individuals. Cngregatinal system rganizatins, n the ther hand, depended n bridging scial capital thrugh interfaith grups and utreach t cngregatins frm a variety f denminatins t maintain their rganizatins. While welcming bridging ties, these rganizatins equally depended n bnding scial capital with netwrks f individuals r key supprting cngregatins ften as their primary surce f supprt. They had weaker linking ties within their faith cmmunities, althugh they regularly develped these ties with majr gvernment r fundatin funders. Lcal level rganizatins ften had weak 10

11 linking ties t denminatinal structures, while denminatin-wide rganizatins like Lutheran Immigratin and Refugee Services relied n the denminatins bth fr supprt and as a cnduit t cnnect t lcal cngregatins. Netwrk-based rganizatins relied almst slely n bnding scial capital. Netwrks culd cme thrugh cngregatins r lay assciatins like right-t-life netwrks as well as individuals. These rganizatinal, scial capital ties became particularly imprtant in garnering civic engagement fr these rganizatins. Understanding hw each system uses scial capital differently als prvides strategies fr rganizatins within each system. In all systems, rganizatins with strng scial capital thrived while thse lacking scial netwrks did prly. But institutinalized system rganizatins that fcused n bridging ties utside f the funding religin withut equally develping ties in their bnding cmmunity were far less likely t maintain strng supprt within the funding cmmunity. Likewise, few cngregatinal system rganizatins culd survive withut strng bridging ties. Often, lst r attenuated scial capital came frm an rganizatin lsing the cultural markers that encuraged members f the cmmunity t supprt it. Additinal infrmatin f faith traditin systems and scial capital is available in chapter five f the full reprt. Challenges and Opprtunities Facing Faith-Based Organizatins and Faith Cmmunities The prject identified several challenges and pprtunities that faith-based rganizatins and faith cmmunities jintly face n a regular basis. Sme f these were related t the life cycle f either the nnprfit r the faith cmmunity. Chapter seven f the full reprt prvides detailed bservatins regarding such tpics as grwth and frmalizatin f faith-based rganizatins and a discussin f ways that faith-based rganizatins respnd t majr demgraphic changes in their supprting faith cmmunities r the ppulatins they serve. Sme key issues included: Leadership transitins: Leadership transitins have an impact n the religius culture in the nnprfit and the relatinship between the faith cmmunity and rganizatins. Transitins in leadership in either the faith cmmunity r nnprfit usually bring new directin t the rganizatin. Faith cmmunity leadership transitins can change the relatinship t the nnprfit regardless f whether it is directly under the care f the faith cmmunity r an independent rganizatin. Faith-based rganizatin leadership transitins prfundly shape cnnectins t its funding faith cmmunity. Bards and ther faith cmmunity leadership cncerned abut the faith base r the versin f the faith that the rganizatin practices pay particular attentin t leadership changes. Hwever, leadership changes that fail t emphasize the faith elements and ability f new leaders t create enduring netwrks with members f the faith cmmunity can lead t an rganizatin lsing cnnectins t the faith cmmunity. Participatry attenuatin: Faith cmmunities and faith-based rganizatins must develp a strategy fr respnding when the relatinship between them becmes less strng r attenuates. Cntextual change: Impact f the glbal recessin n FBOs and their supprting faith cmmunities: Thrughut 2008 the U.S. ecnmy underwent a 11

12 steady recessin that included a majr cllapse f real estate values and the failure f multiple natinal and lcal banking institutins. Because many f the institutins that we studied were directly engaged in cuntering the effects f pverty and hmelessness and were dependent upn philanthrpic supprt, public supprt, r fee-fr-service incme, the impact f the ecnmic dwnturn and the agency respnses t it was dramatically evident in the data we gathered. Majr findings include: Despite the increased demands that the weak ecnmy has placed n these grups, initially few f the rganizatins cnsidered service cutbacks t be a viable respnse t the situatin. In fact, several service agencies believed that they needed t expand their capacity, their service fferings, and their target cmmunity t meet emergent need. Hwever, as the recessin deepened, sme cut staff r prgrams in an attempt t balance the budget. The effectiveness f the varius rganizatinal strategies during the ecnmic dwnturn seems t be largely cntingent n tw factrs: adaptability and credibility. Hwever it is imprtant t nte that the varius denminatins and religins defined adaptability and credibility differently. Organizatins that tk immediate steps respnding t the ecnmic dwnturn received enthusiastic supprt frm their preestablished funding and vlunteer base, but their visible rapid actin was als essential t mtivating new surces f supprt frm ther sectrs and rganizatins. In an ecnmic dwnturn, rganizatins attached nly t a small number f cngregatins, particularly aged r lwer-incme cngregatins, had the hardest time finding sufficient resurces. Nt all rganizatins have seen an increase in funding during the ecnmic dwnturn, and several have experienced significant financial pressures based n decreased giving and increased need. Tw f the rganizatins being studied during this prject clsed due t severe financial prblems. Psitive Strategies in Respnse t Challenges and Opprtunities Understand the rle the rganizatin plays in the lives f thse actively invlved, regardless f their frmal rle as staff, bard, vlunteers r prgram participants Create pen lines f cmmunicatin between vlunteers and bard members Incrprate the multiple generatins in all aspects f maintaining cnnectins between the faith-based rganizatin and faith cmmunity Define the faith cmmunity expectatins fr the agency and vice versa Clarify accuntability prcesses fr bth the faith-based rganizatin and supprting cmmunity Encurage greater integratin thrugh strengthening scial netwrks between the rganizatin and the faith cmmunity 12

13 Encurage rganizatinal self-assessment and self-examinatin that includes reflectin n stewardship f faith cnnectins Cnclusins: Chapter eight prvides cnclusins and recmmendatins based n this research. Overall, the prject fund that fur factrs influenced the relatinship between faith cmmunities and their nnprfits: Practical thelgy f that religin: Faith cmmunities that used stewardship strategies t cnvey their practical thelgy t their rganizatins successfully ver time were mre likely t maintain strng relatinships with thse nn-prfits. Organizatins that reflected the embedded culture f their funding faith had brader and strnger supprt frm their supprting faith cmmunities. Relatinship tensins ften reflected cncerns that an agency r certain f its activities n lnger reflected this funding practical thelgy frm parts f the faith cmmunity. Hwever, these cncerns culd reflect tw very different situatins: Faith cmmunity cnsensus that the rganizatin did nt reflect current values Faith-based nnprfits as a target fr nging thelgical debates in the faith cmmunity. Histry f that faith cmmunity in the United States The quality and nature f scial capital between faith cmmunity and rganizatin. This finding suggests several strategies t strengthen cnnectins between faith cmmunities and rganizatins: Bth rganizatins and faith cmmunities need t pay equal attentin t building scial capital as a way f clarifying their stewardship mechanisms and practical thelgy fr rganizatins. Develping and strengthening umbrella rganizatins is anther imprtant aspect f bth maintaining cnnectins and building healthy rganizatins. The nature f the service prvided. We fund much in cmmn in the rganizatinal frms and service prvisin f the varius schls, scial service agencies, retirement cmmunities, healthcare institutins, cmmunity develpment entities, and emergency services rganizatins that participated in this study. As such, stewardship strategies necessarily differ depending n rganizatin type. Hwever, we simultaneusly fund similarities and differences amng rganizatins prviding the same service, with thse differences ften reflecting the funding faith traditins. These dual strategies are best understd nt as cntradictry frces in ppsitin, but as tw equally imprtant strands f maintaining healthy rganizatins that prvide quality services frm a clear missin. The reprt is designed prvide a general verview f ur key findings fr discussin amng faith cmmunity leaders, nnprfit leaders, and thers interested in these questins. These findings and material n ther tpics will be develped int a series f practical tls fr practitiners, best practices and case studies, academic publicatins, and plicy recmmendatins, available at Please address any cmmunicatins t 13

14 The full reprt prvides an verview f findings n ur research questins and key findings that came ut f this first phase f ur study. A cmpanin vlume lks at these same issues in mre depth fr each majr religius grup (Mainline Prtestants, Cathlics, Jews, Evangelicals, Quakers, and African Americans). 14