Faith-Based Initiatives

The latest nonprofit buzz words among grant and funding organizations are faith- and community-based initiatives. While these program activities and partnerships have existed for years, acknowledgement of religious group involvement was not allowed due to the fear of services to beneficiaries being contingent upon their responses to proselytizing. President Bush’s 2001 Faith-Based and Community Initiative represents a fresh start and bold new approach to the government's role in increasing help for those in need and affirming the efforts and compassion of faith-based and community organizations to improve their communities.

Several links are provided on this page to inform and guide interested grantees. Nonetheless, do not limit your search for program funding to these resources. Remember: the faith and community partnerships and collaborations are always valuable regardless of whether the funding source is labeled faith- and community-based or not. Your intent is what counts - a gift of social ministry should not compel the target population to participate in any religious activities, even if offering Christian events is required by a religious funder.

Five Cabinet Department Centers for the Faith-Based Initiatives

1) Department of Labor
http://www.dol.gov/cfbci/ 
http://www.dol.gov/cfbci/funding.htm  (funding)

The U.S. Department of Labor seeks to empower faith-based and community organizations (FBCO) as these organizations help their neighbors enter, succeed and thrive in the workforce.

2) Department of Justice Task Force for Faith-based & Community Initiatives
http://www.usdoj.gov/fbci/

The Task Force works with various components within the Department of Justice to assist in identifying resources and training for faith-based and other community organizations. The DOJ administers programs to provide assistance to victims of crime, prisoners and ex-offenders, and women who suffer domestic violence. In addition, the DOJ has initiatives to target gang violence and at-risk youth.

3) Department of Education
http://www.ed.gov/about/inits/list/fbci/index.html
http://www.ed.gov/about/inits/list/fbci/grants.html (funding)
The goal of the center is to break down existing barriers and to empower faith-based and community groups to provide social and education services to those in need.

21st Century Community Learning Centers
The purpose of this program is to provide, establish, or expand community learning centers that provide students academic enrichment, tutorial services, youth development activities, drug and violence prevention, art, music, and recreation programs, technology education programs, and character programs, and to provide families of students opportunities for literacy and related educational development.

Early Reading First
The purpose of this program is to support local efforts to enhance early language, cognitive skills, and reading development of preschool-age children, particularly those from low-income families, and to integrate scientific reading, research-based instructional materials, and literacy activities with existing preschool programs.

Migrant Education -- Even Start
The purpose of this program is to break the cycle of poverty and improve the literacy of participating migrant families by integrating early childhood education, adult literacy, adult basic education, and parenting education into a unified family literacy program.

Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE)
The purpose of this program is to create a partnership among the federal government, states, and localities to provide adult education and literacy services, in order to

• assist adults to become literate and obtain the knowledge and skills necessary for employment and self-sufficiency.
• assist adults who are parents to obtain the skills necessary to become full partners in the educational development of their children.
• assist adults in the completion of a secondary school education.

Family Literacy
Family literacy programming integrates all of the following activities: (1) interactive literacy activities between parents and their children; (2) training for parents regarding how to be the primary teacher for their children and full partners in the education of their children; (3) parent literacy training that leads to economic self-sufficiency; and (4) an age-appropriate education to prepare children for success in school and life experiences.

Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools

The Office of Safe and Drug-free Schools promotes drug and violence prevention activities and activities that promote the health and well being of students in elementary and secondary schools, and institutions of higher education.

Safe and Drug Free Schools -- Mentoring Programs
The purpose of this program is to support the establishment of programs for mentoring at-risk children to improve their academic achievement and reduce their dropout rate. Non-profit, community-based organizations, including faith-based organizations, are among the entities that are eligible to apply, provided they meet all statutory and regulatory requirements.

Supplemental Educational Services
Supplemental Educational Services are additional academic instruction designed to increase the academic achievement of students in low-performing schools. Services must be provided outside the regular school day and may include academic assistance such as tutoring, remediation, and other educational interventions. Each State Education Agency is required to identify organizations that qualify to provide these services and maintain a list that allow parents to have as many choices as possible.

4) Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) http://www.hud.gov/initiatives/fbci/ 
Faith-based organizations across the nation play a significant role in all aspects of family life. HUD resources describe strategic opportunities available to organizations to extend helping hands to those seeking to realize dreams, such as buying a home. HUD hopes to foster creative ideas that will encourage faith- and community-based groups to play a greater role with families making such life-changing decisions. Downloadable resources include, “10 Things Your Faith Community Can Do to Encourage Homeownership” at http://www.hud.gov/initiatives/fbci/topten/index.cfm. A HUD program chart for ways nonprofits can help is available at http://www.hud.gov/offices/fbci/nonprofgrants.pdf. 

Faith-based organizations, because of the depth of their roots in communities, can do a great deal to increase homeownership in America. Homebuying and homeownership are a vital part of the American dream. According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, some of the most prevalent issues faced by families that deter them from buying a home are

• lack of inventory of affordable single-family housing available for sale in many areas where a majority of residents are minority families.
• a need for down payment assistance, which affects minority families to a greater extent than non-Hispanic whites because they have less accumulated wealth that can be used to help children with down payments.
• lack of access to affordable mortgage credit.
• lack of understanding of the home-buying process.
• weak credit histories, often arising from a poor understanding of financial matters and where financial counseling is required.
• lack of information about available homeownership programs in the community.
• language difficulties or cultural differences.

Informed and compassionate faith-based organizations have a unique opportunity to assist potential homeowners so that families can overcome these obstacles and realize their dream.

5) Department of Health & Human Services http://www.hhs.gov/fbci/ http://www.hhs.gov/fbci/funding.html  (funding opportunities)
The President's initiative is about leveling the playing field by removing barriers to the full participation of faith-based and community-based organizations so they have equal opportunity to participate in federally funded programs. Please note that there is no grant money specifically set aside for faith-based providers, nor will there be a separate fund established from the HHS Center. However, there is an extensive site of partnership information.

 

The Corporation for National Service and Community Service
“A Provider of Human Capital”

http://www.nationalservice.org/  The Corporation for National and Community Service connects Americans of all ages and backgrounds with opportunities to give back to their communities and their nation through voluntary service. More than 2 million Americans serve their fellow citizens each year through the Corporation's three main programs: AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, and Learn and Serve America. Tens of thousands of these volunteers serve with faith-based organizations helping them accomplish more by recruiting, training, and supervising additional volunteers.

First, AmeriCorps, the domestic Peace Corps, gives citizens the opportunity to engage in full-time service to their community. Working through more than 1,000 national and local nonprofit and faith-based organizations, AmeriCorps members tutor and mentor at-risk children; make schools and neighborhoods safer, build homes, and do other things that make communities stronger. Of the 50,000 AmeriCorps positions this year, more than 6,000 are in faith-based organizations. Each AmeriCorps member recruits an average of 12 new volunteers.

Second, the Senior Service Corps involves more than half a million volunteers ages 55 and older who serve communities through the Foster Grandparent, RSVP and Senior Companion Programs. More than 45,000 Senior Corps volunteers serve with 122 local projects sponsored by faith-based organizations. Last year these volunteers provided more than 10.8 million service hours to organizations including Catholic Charities, the Salvation Army, Lutheran Social Services and Interfaith Ministries. Foster Grandparent volunteers and Senior Companion volunteers with faith-based projects helped more than 41,000 children and adults in need during 1999-2000.

Finally, Learn and Serve America supports service-learning programs in schools and community organizations that help more than one million students from kindergarten through college meet community needs while learning the habits of good citizenship. K-12 grants go to state and local education agencies and nonprofit organizations, many of which in turn work with or have programs located at faith-based sponsors. Through these grants and others to institutions of higher education, tens of thousands of students carry out service-learning projects with faith-based organizations.