Faith-Based Organizations

Faith-based organizations are organizations or programs that have a religious orientation and offer various forms of services to individuals or families. They have both a religious and a social service component. They can be church-, synagogue-, temple-, or community-based programs that aim to help people and involve religion. The role of religion or faith varies from organization to organization. For some faith-based organizations, religion is a motivation for their mission, and for others, religion is an integral part of the content of their program. Although the staff and volunteers of such organizations usually adhere to a specific faith or religious tradition, participants may or may not share those same beliefs. Such organizations can be an important resource for youth, adults, and families by promoting spiritual, religious, social, and/or practical support. Needs addressed by faithbased organizations may include tutoring, mentoring, addiction recovery, or legal assistance. In addition, they may offer religious education or nurture spiritual development. Underprivileged populations are usually the focus of faith-based organizations and initiatives.

Faith communities address their neighborhoods' needs in a variety of ways. For example, Victory Outreach in Los Angeles is an extremely effective recovery program that helps men and women recover from addiction through faith conversion and spiritual growth. Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF) organizes [Page 438]communities in a way that politically empowers underrepresented members of society. In the South Bronx, the Urban Youth Alliance, a 30-year-old faithbased organization, now provides after-school programs that include mentoring, counseling, recreation, and church and educational programming for neighborhood gang youth. They do this in conjunction with a local religious organization, the Latino Pastoral Action Center, and a neighborhood congregation, the Love Gospel Assembly.

Although religious congregations have been at the heart of American public life since its inception, the terms faith-based organization and faith-based initiative have gained increased prominence in the last decade. Service has always been central to the mission of congregations and religious institutions. They have fed and clothed the poor, offered guidance and counseling, and educated individuals for centuries. However, their ability to effectively meet the complex issues facing youth and families today has become identified as an important community asset within our society. This is especially true in urban areas. Government officials, policymakers, foundations, and community organizations have begun to recognize that congregations and faith-based organizations are uniquely positioned within their neighborhoods to distribute social services to those in need. Congregations are often a natural resource for reaching their communities. They are often highly trusted and regarded. They have a donor base, a committed core of volunteers, and clergy who have an intimate knowledge of the needs and habits of their neighbors.

Faith-based terminology has gained prominence in the public, religious, political, and academic sectors. The term is inclusive and can refer to congregations and organizations of various religions and faith traditions. In addition, the term faith-based enables organizations to designate religion or spirituality as an important part of their programs, while communicating that proselytization or evangelism is not necessarily a major goal of their initiatives. Dr. Donald Miller and colleagues (Berndt & Miller, 2000; Orr, Miller, Roof, & Melton, 1995) at the Center for Religion and Civic Culture at the University of Southern California were among the first to document the important role faith-based organizations played in rebuilding neighborhoods in South Central Los Angeles after the Rodney King Riots, in April 1992. After neighborhoods were devastated during the riots, faith-based organizations were among the first to provide resources for community redevelopment by offering things such as medical services, loans to start small businesses, after-school programs for kids, and hope. Also bringing faith-based issues to the public's attention, President George W. Bush established a White House Task Force on Community and Faith-Based Organizations early on in his administration, which led to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Center for Faith-and Community-Based Initiatives.

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