Next Steps
Creating New Avenues for Funding
To date , few large , national foundations — and few government agencies at the federal or state levels — have been willing to invest deeply in projects involving religious institutions . Many funders are wary of congregations for a number of reasons : fear that programs hosted by congregations could involve proselytization ; concerns about the transparency and capacity of congregations ; and worries that congregations are not fully welcoming and diverse . The Convening chipped away at those assumptions and built a case for the civic value of sacred places , but much remains to be done .
While funders want their grants to have a visible and measurable impact , they do not wish to act alone , especially in an arena that is new to them . New collaborations could create a pathway forward .
The future of sacred places is at an inflection point . A creative approach is called for with new partners from philanthropy , government , denominations , architecture and historic preservation , the performing arts , and other sectors . New funding collaborations could provide vehicles for gathering and funneling resources that generate more effective programs and sustainable impacts .
Partners for Sacred Places can play a key role in :
• Inspiring a philanthropic collaboration among interested foundations , financial institutions , and government agencies . The collaboration could pool monies to invest in sacred places involved in community development to maximize impact in creative new ways , much like ArtPlace did in recent years .
• Funders could collaborate to focus on a theme , such as rural communities or underserved congregations , or those in African American , Latino , and Native American neighborhoods . The organizing principle for collaborative funding could be healthy communities . How could sacred places , activated and engaged with the larger community , contribute to the physical and mental health of their neighbors ? How could they help communities to flourish — to be safer , more economically viable , and participatory ?
• There are already foundations with commitments in these areas — in partnership they could multiply their impact . For example , Robb Webb at the Duke Endowment has suggested that Partners work with the Appalachian Funders Network to undertake a project helping churches in that region make better use of their properties to strengthen and serve rural communities .
• Working with national leaders and experts such as John Bridgeland and John DiIulio to shape and promote a national endowment for sacred places serving a civic purpose , attracting support from both the public and private sectors .
• Developing and sponsoring smaller convenings with a focus on how sacred places intersect with emerging and urgent issues of interest to foundations today , including affordable housing ; education and health initiatives ; climate change and resilience ; immigrant services ; and support for communities of color . Each of these convenings can target funders with a strong interest in the issue , and an openness to learning about and potentially supporting the role of congregations and sacred places in addressing that issue .
14