TABLE OF CONTENTS
National Office,
3 Update on Partners: in Sacred Places
Regional Offices, Arts
13
17
20
I
n 1989, the first year of Partners’ existence, the
most common question we received from those
who found their way to us was, “Is it possible to find
new sources of funding for the repair of our church/
synagogue?” Or a related question, “Do you [Partners]
have any money to give?” (The answer to the first
question was “yes!” and answer to the second was,
sadly, “no.”)
FEATURE STORY:
Partners’ Capital Campaign
Consulting Services - a New Dollars
Approach to Fundraising
Professional Alliance Spotlight:
Bailey Edward Architecture
Professional Alliance Directory
ABOUT PARTNERS
Partners for Sacred Places is the only
national, nonsectarian, nonprofit organization
dedicated to the sound stewardship and active
community use of America’s older religious
properties.
Partners builds the capability of
congregational leadership for building care,
shared use, and capital fundraising through
training programs, fundraising assistance,
and organizational and facility assessments.
In the process, Partners becomes a trusted
resource and guide as congregations examine
and weigh opportunities.
Partners engages with congregations to focus
on critical areas such as:
•
Asset-mapping and community
engagement — assisting congregations to
develop new relationships with neighbors
and potential community partners
•
Strategic partnerships and space
sharing — brokering agreements between
sacred places and arts, food justice,
health, education, and social service
programs
•
Planning for capital grants to support
repairs and renovations that preserve
significant historic features and make
spaces usable for new community
programs
•
FROM THE PRESIDENT
Collaborative initiatives among
unrelated congregations in a
neighborhood to encourage coordinated
outreach, space usage, joint marketing
and interpretive events, and coordinated
work with public agencies for lighting,
signage, and streetscape improvements
So, from the beginning, we have tried to address these questions (among many
others) in a helpful, consistent way. The need for new sources of funding led
to the production of our first major publication – The Complete Guide to Capital
Campaigns for Historic Churches and Synagogues – now in its second edition, and
still the authoritative book on the subject in America.
The Guide to Capital Campaigns was and is a great resource, but we have learned
that the congregations we serve need more. So, we developed case studies that
explained how congregations creatively and successfully raised funds from a
wider array of donors. We documented how congregations have created separate
nonprofit organizations to help attract funding. We offered workshops and
conferences and, yes, sometimes we did have grant funds to give!
Ultimately, the most comprehensive and powerful resource we developed was
the New Dollars/New Partners for Your Sacred Place training, which provides
hands-on, intensive help to congregations over the course of several months.
New Dollars helps each congregation develop a strong and effective case
statement that will appeal to a larger circle of donors and funders and provides
tools and resources to support a capital fundraising effort.
Because New Dollars is so effective, congregation leaders have often asked us
if we could help them plan or implement a capital campaign. Recognizing that
Partners has a unique and effective approach to capital fundraising, along with
access to important resources, we undertook a thorough planning process that
led to the launch of our Capital Campaign Consulting Services.
This issue of Sacred Places focuses on these services and gives examples of the
successes we are having. Partners’ focus, as you will see, is on congregations that
have important buildings and a strong, abiding commitment to preserve them
and maximize their value as assets for outreach and community service. If your
congregation fits this description, perhaps we can help you advance your capital
funding goals at some point in the years ahead.
BOB JAEGER
COVER PHOTO: The bell tower of St. Ita
Catholic Church in Chicago, IL, is surrounded
by scaffolding as it undergoes an extensive
renovation. Photo by Ray Wang.
THUMBNAIL PHOTO: The modeled
sanctuary at First United Methodist Church
Chicago Temple, designed by Bailey Edward
Architecture Photo credit: Bailey Edward
Architecture.
Sacred Plac