CONGREGATION-BASED COMMUNITY ORGANIZING
(Faith Based Community Organizing)
BUILDING DEMOCRACY FOR THE NEW MILLENIUM
(Faith Based Community Organizing)
BUILDING DEMOCRACY FOR THE NEW MILLENIUM
A force for democracy is growing in the United States. The
uninvolved are participating, the voiceless are speaking, and
the powerful are beginning to listen. Blacks, whites, Hispanics
and Asians are working together to secure living wages,
affordable housing, great schools, health care, safe
neighborhoods, and much more for their families and
communities. And in the process, people of all faith traditions
are building strong new relationships across barriers that
normally keep people apart. Largely outside of the media
spotlight, these efforts represent a growing force for change:
congregation-based community organizing (CBCO)
Congregation-based community organizing groups (sometimes
called faith-based, institution-based, or broad-based) bring
people together primarily through their religious congregations,
but also through unions, community organizations, and
schools. In 2001, Interfaith Funders surveyed these
organizations and found 134 organizations active in 34 states,
with more than 4000 member institutions, 24,000 core leaders
and more than 100,000 people attending. There is likely an
CBCO in a city near you!
Please do not confuse faith-based community organizing with
the social service agencies described in President Bush’s faith-
based initiative! FBCO (CBCO) groups do not receive federal
funds. They see as their role to develop leaders, build a strong
web of relationships, and turn those relationships into a civic
power capable of making change to promote public good.
These community organizing groups have won billions of dollars
to improve the quality of life for low and moderate income
people, through thousand of new homes, health care, quality
schools, urban clean-up, and more.
This model of community organizing began with Saul Alinsky,
who founded the Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF). He coined
the Iron Rule of organizing – Never do for others what
they can do for themselves. While CBCO groups do vary,
they typically engage in a proven and effective organizing
strategy with roots in Alinsky’s work. There are currently four
major “networks” of CBCO that provide strength, training, and
strategy for local organizations.
Want to know more? Interfaith Funders offers several
publications on Congregation (or Faith) based Community
Organizing. As funders and denominational leaders
experienced in CBCO, we’re familiar with the questions and can
offer some answers about this growing force that is building
democracy for the new millennium. Please contact us.
uninvolved are participating, the voiceless are speaking, and
the powerful are beginning to listen. Blacks, whites, Hispanics
and Asians are working together to secure living wages,
affordable housing, great schools, health care, safe
neighborhoods, and much more for their families and
communities. And in the process, people of all faith traditions
are building strong new relationships across barriers that
normally keep people apart. Largely outside of the media
spotlight, these efforts represent a growing force for change:
congregation-based community organizing (CBCO)
Congregation-based community organizing groups (sometimes
called faith-based, institution-based, or broad-based) bring
people together primarily through their religious congregations,
but also through unions, community organizations, and
schools. In 2001, Interfaith Funders surveyed these
organizations and found 134 organizations active in 34 states,
with more than 4000 member institutions, 24,000 core leaders
and more than 100,000 people attending. There is likely an
CBCO in a city near you!
Please do not confuse faith-based community organizing with
the social service agencies described in President Bush’s faith-
based initiative! FBCO (CBCO) groups do not receive federal
funds. They see as their role to develop leaders, build a strong
web of relationships, and turn those relationships into a civic
power capable of making change to promote public good.
These community organizing groups have won billions of dollars
to improve the quality of life for low and moderate income
people, through thousand of new homes, health care, quality
schools, urban clean-up, and more.
This model of community organizing began with Saul Alinsky,
who founded the Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF). He coined
the Iron Rule of organizing – Never do for others what
they can do for themselves. While CBCO groups do vary,
they typically engage in a proven and effective organizing
strategy with roots in Alinsky’s work. There are currently four
major “networks” of CBCO that provide strength, training, and
strategy for local organizations.
Want to know more? Interfaith Funders offers several
publications on Congregation (or Faith) based Community
Organizing. As funders and denominational leaders
experienced in CBCO, we’re familiar with the questions and can
offer some answers about this growing force that is building
democracy for the new millennium. Please contact us.
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
Interfaith Funders
Congregation Based Community
Organizing
Organizing
Interfaith Funders
Publications:
Faith-Based Community
Organizing: The State of the
Field
by Mark R. Warren and
Richard L. Wood, 2001
The full report on the
Findings a National Survey
Conducted by Interfaith
Funders.
Faith-Based Community
Organizing: Building
Democracy for the Next
Millennium (An Introduction)
Faith-Based Community
Organizing: Five Stories of
Community Change (out of
print)
(To order the above Interfaith
Funders publications, use the
"contact us" form.)
Explore FBCO further:
Our Resources page offers
links to organizing networks,
funders and others to guide
your exploration of CBCO
(FBCO). Or check out our
extensive list of books and
articles.
Publications:
Faith-Based Community
Organizing: The State of the
Field
by Mark R. Warren and
Richard L. Wood, 2001
The full report on the
Findings a National Survey
Conducted by Interfaith
Funders.
Faith-Based Community
Organizing: Building
Democracy for the Next
Millennium (An Introduction)
Faith-Based Community
Organizing: Five Stories of
Community Change (out of
print)
(To order the above Interfaith
Funders publications, use the
"contact us" form.)
Explore FBCO further:
Our Resources page offers
links to organizing networks,
funders and others to guide
your exploration of CBCO
(FBCO). Or check out our
extensive list of books and
articles.
Want to be an Organizer? Watch a great video on organizing, and apply for the DART Institute for grassroots organizing training - deadline: Jan. 15, 2010 Find out more Visit the PICO National Network's recruitment site organizingcareers.org Check out the Center for Community Change's Generation Change Leadership Directory |
| 1990 article on Community Organizing |