Sacred Places Summer 2012 | Page 8

UPDATE on Partners: The Halo Effect of Sacred Places A national study of the Halo Effect of Sacred Places is in full swing, expanding upon the 2010 pilot study conducted in Philadelphia by studying randomly selected congregations in three cities. (See the Halo Effect story in the Spring 2011 issue of Sacred Places for more details on the initial Philadelphia study.) In Philadelphia, most of the research is complete. In Chicago, IL, Loyola University Mastersdegree candidates from the Social Justice and Community Development department have teamed up with Partners’ staff Congregations’ outreach programs, like this art program offered by Broad Street Ministry in and begun to conduct surveys Philadelphia, PA, are more often utilized by non-members than congregants. The economic value of this type of programming can be quantified and is part of a congregation’s total there, while in Ft. Worth, TX, on the entire community and region. Photo by Ashley Collinson, courtesy of researchers are also hard at work “halo effect” Ministry. Broad Street documenting all of the ways in which older sacred places impact their local economies. Virgin Mary Catholic Church in Philadelphia, which participated in the 2010 pilot study, found find that its Though Partners doesn’t yet have enough data to speak impact was a staggering $21 million annually. And the generally about the findings, we do know some ways in church has made good use of the data by including it in which the results will help congregations communicate funding appeals. their public value to potential donors and community partners. For example, Visitation of the Blessed The new data is showing that powerhouse sacred places are not the only ones that benefit their communities in significant ways. For instance, preliminary data in Philadelphia showed a congregation with a relatively Philadelphia Advisors small budget of $25,000 has a yearly impact of almost $500,000 – nearly 20 times larger. This new The Reverend Dr. James Kise, AIA Roy G. Almquist perspective on a small church’s role in the community Catherine Lynch Charles B. Casper, Esq. helps to build a strong case for its continued presence. Dr. Roger Moss Lary Ceisler Helen Cunningham The Reverend Yvette B. Davis Scott Doyle James Flaherty Melissa Jest Emanuel Kelly, FAIA Michael Stern Monica Taylor The Reverend Mark Tyler Geraldine Wang Eric Wilden David Winkowski 7 • Sacred Places • www.sacredplaces.org • Summer 2012 In May, Partners hosted a meeting in Philadelphia to share final results of the updated survey with congregational leadership. It wasn’t simply a meeting to celebrate the superstars of this project; there was a place at the table for everyone.