Why Should America Invest in its Sacred Places ?
Although sacred places have significant Economic Halo Effect value , many congregations are smaller and more vulnerable than before , endangering that value and potentially removing assets and shareable spaces from the civic arena forever . If civic leaders act only when a church is closing , it has lost the opportunity to work with the congregation to put its space to better use . In sum , prevention is much less expensive than reaction .
Promoting Efficiency and Maximizing Leverage
Investing in the care or new use of a sacred place is highly efficient . Rather than building a new facility or housing programs in spaces with indifferent landlords or owners , housing a program in a sacred place can increase the return on investment . Why ?
• Sacred places are usually located at key intersections and are adjacent to vulnerable populations that are targeted for philanthropic initiatives and government programs .
• Sacred places are owned and managed by nonprofit institutions — i . e ., congregations — that usually share the goals and values of local , secular nonprofits . They want to serve people in need and make neighborhoods stronger , but they lack the resources to make the most of their building assets .
• Sacred places are often in reasonably good condition , and have significant vacant space . Thus , a modest investment can ready a space to accommodate new uses that benefit the arts , human service programs , health and education initiatives , and other communityserving programs .
• Sacred places are often the most trusted institution by parents , children , seniors and other key populations targeted for new programs .
Responding Effectively to Changing Nonprofit Needs
Because sacred places often have an abundance and wide range of spaces available — ranging from auditoriums , kitchens and dining rooms , classrooms , and gymnasiums — they can usually accommodate nonprofits that are displaced due to changes in their needs and circumstances – what might be called nonprofit churn .
Many nonprofits find , over the course of a few years , that they may lose their lease as prices go up , need more or less space than before , require an annex or secondary location , or need a better location . This kind of churn is present in every market , but nonprofits often don ’ t know that nearby houses of worship may have the space they need , nor do they know
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