how to partner effectively with faith-based organizations national crime prevention council...

How To Partner Effectively With Faith-based

Organizations

National Crime Prevention Council

2009-2010

National Crime Prevention Council www.ncpc.org

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Goal

To inform participants of the difference between faith-based and community-based organizations, explain the legal guidelines that faith-based organizations follow, and provide resources about how to access faith-based organizations in their communities.


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Objectives

• Review the history of faith-based community initiatives

• Outline the legal guidelines for engaging faith-based organizations

• Survey helpful resources


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Definitions

What is the difference between a

community-based organization

and a faith-based organization?


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Community-based Organizations

• Have governing structures that involve members of the community

• Can use the zip codes of board members to determine whether they are community-based


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Faith-based Organizations• Religious congregations (church, mosque,

synagogue, etc.)

• Organizations, programs, or projects operated or sponsored by religious congregations

• Nonprofit organizations that clearly show by their mission statements, policies and/or practices that they are religiously motivated or religiously guided institutions


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Overview of Faith-based Community Initiatives

• Now called President’s Advisory Council for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships

• Cabinet-level Faith-based Centers• Purpose: Level the playing field• 12 federal agencies have Faith-based offices


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FBCI: National Overview(continued)

Five Focus Areas

• Barrier removal (state level)• Outreach and technical assistance • Metrics • Pilots and demonstrations• Evaluation

FBCI: National Overview(continued)

• New goals include– Mentor and tutor youth– Help returning ex-offenders


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Looking at the Legal Guidelines


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LEGAL DOSAND DON’TS

QUIZ


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True or False

1. A faith-based organization must remove most or all of its religious symbols from its building in order to receive a federal grant.

2. Once a faith-based organization receives a federal grant, it can still discriminate in hiring employees based on their religion.


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True or False

3. A religious leader can teach a federally funded mentor training class.

4. It is legally permissible for a program that receives federal funds to support people of only one particular faith.


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True or False

5. An explicitly religious organization (mentioning God in its mission statement, for example), can apply for federal funding.

6. It is okay to pray with a child during a mentoring session.


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True or False

7. Faith-based organizations must create a separate 501(c) 3) organization to receive federal grants.

8. It is okay to have a prayer meeting at the same time as Senior Corps volunteers are mentoring students.


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True or False

9. Federally funded personnel (e.g., Senior Corps volunteers) are not allowed to lead in prayer.

10. Federally funded personnel (e.g., Senior Corps volunteers) can paint and maintain the church building where the student mentoring program is held.

Summary of Legal Analysis

What is okay?


www.ncpc.org

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Legal Dos: What’s Okay?

• Direct financial support from federal agencies to faith-based organizations is permitted for secular activity.

• Indirect support (vouchers, beneficiary choice) is allowed as long as there is a genuine, independent choice among religious and secular options.


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• Faith-based organizations are permitted to retain their religious identities.

• Faith-based organizations are generally exempt from employment discrimination based on religion.


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• Federal funds can pay for staff time as long as that time is not being used for religious instruction, worship, or proselytizing.

• The services provided must be available to everyone regardless of religion.


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Legal Dos: What’s Okay?Helpful Hints for Faith-based Organizations

• Separate religious and secular (federally funded) activities by space and/or time.

• Create separate bank accounts for secular activities that have federal or government funding.

• Anticipate how to handle potential conflicts or issues.


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Legal Dos and Don’ts: Resources

Where to go for more help...

• White House guidelines (www.whitehouse.gov)• PEW Forum (www.pewforum.org)• The Corporation for National and Community

Service (www.nationalservice.gov)• Your own legal counsel

http://www.whitehouse.gov/

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/

http://www.nationalservice.gov/


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How Faith-based organizations Contribute

to Communities


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Contributions of Faith-based organizations

• Social capital• Pro-social impacts• Role of faith-based organizations in addressing

health and safety problems• Continuum of focus for services

– Members/congregation– Community/program services– Humanitarian/national/international


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Assets of Faith-based organizations

• Membership and youth groups• Property and meeting space• Presence in the community• Volunteer mobilization• Information dissemination mechanism• Community leadership• Social justice/public health/safety advocacy


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Five ResilienciesBased on National Longitudinal Survey

• Significant adults

• Altruism-Service

• Hope-Faith

• Skills- Positive alternatives

• Locus of Control- Voice/ownership


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Ways FBOs Can Help

• Meeting space• Communication/education • Can be a coalition member• Sponsor alcohol-free activities for youth• Volunteers• Consistent messages from pulpit • Parent training• Accountability/expectations

Examples of Faith-based Organization Partnerships


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Washington, DC

East of the River Clergy Police Community

Partnership (ERCPCP)

Faith-based Transitional Housing Program

325 34th Street S. E.

Washington, DC 20019

30 National Crime Prevention

Councilwww.ncpc.org

What They Do:

• Faith Based Transitional Housing program

• Committed to providing supportive housing to ex-offenders

31 National Crime Prevention Council

www.ncpc.org

Target Population Receives referrals from Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency (CSOSA) and the Bureau of Prisons of males and females recently released from a penal facility.


www.ncpc.org

• The Transitional Housing Program consists of a monitored, well-structured, and strictly supervised 18- bed facility.

Program Description


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Fresno, California

• Hope Now For Youth• P.O. Box 5294

Fresno, CA 93755-5294(559) 434-8125

• www.hopenow.org

– Vocational Placement for Gang-Involved Youth

http://www.hopenow.org/

What Do They Do?

• Leverage additional local resources

• Donate emergency legal, medical, psychological, and dental services

• Provide pro bono tattoo removal

• Help the youth obtain driver’s licenses

• Offer family and parenting classes


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Questions


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Resources

www.ncpc.orgwww.mcgruffstore.org

http://www.ncpc.org/

http://www.mcgruffstore.org/


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Resources• White House

www.whitehouse.gov

• The PEW Forum www.pewforum.org

• The Corporation for National and Community Service www.nationalservice.org

• National Criminal Justice Reference Service www.ncjrs.gov

http://www.whitehouse.gov/government/fbic

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/

http://www.nationalservice.org/

http://www.ncjrs.gov/


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Resources• Faith and Service Technical Education

Network

www.fastennetwork.org

• Center for Public Justice www.cpjustice.org/charitablechoice

• Administration for Children and Families

www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ccf


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Resources• List of intermediaries

• Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches (National Council of Churches)

• Federal Funds for Organizations that Help Those in Need (White House)

• Community Service Block Grants

Resources from NCPC

• Based on a symposium held in April 2002 in Boston, MA

• Describes benefits to community of faith-based partnerships


www.ncpc.org

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Resources from NCPC

• Examines partnerships between faith-based organizations and private funders in Boston

• Addresses juvenile crime in Boston


www.ncpc.org

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Resources from NCPC• Examines the Amachi

program in Philadelphia

• Shows partnership with FBO, secular, nonprofits & public organizations

• Provides mentorship to children with a parent in prison


www.ncpc.org

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The National Crime Prevention Council

2345 Crystal Drive

Suite 500

Arlington, VA 22202

202-466-6272

FAX 202-296-1356

www.ncpc.org


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Presenter Contact Information

how to partner effectively with faith-based organizations national crime prevention council...

Documents

communitybased slide

faithbased offices

community based organizations

communitybased organizations

national overview

overview of faith

based community initiatives

history of faith