The Faith in Action Community Organizing Model

In Faith in Action’s congregation-community model, congregations of all denominations and faiths serve as the institutional base for community organizations. Rather than bring people together simply based on common issues like housing or education, the faith-based or broad-based organizing model makes values and relationships the glue that holds organizations together.

Faith in Action builds community organizations based on religious congregations, schools and community centers, which are often the only stable civic gathering places in many neighborhoods. As a result Faith in Action federations are able to engage thousands of people and sustain long-term campaigns to bring about systematic change at all levels of government.

Faith in Action helps congregations identify and solve local neighborhood issues before addressing broader issues at a city, state or national level. As a result, Faith in Action federations are deeply rooted in local communities.

Faith in Action provides intensive leadership training that teaches people how to use the tools of democracy to improve their communities. As a result Faith in Action federations are led by ordinary people who have learned to successfully use the levers of power to bring resources and political attention to their communities.

Faith in Action brings people together based on faith and values not just issues or anger. As a result Faith in Action federations have the ability to act on a comprehensive vision for their communities, cities and regions.

Faith in Action challenges its leaders to listen to the concerns and ideas of their neighbors through individual one-on-one meetings, house meetings and listening campaigns. As a result Faith in Action federations establish a broad following and choose issues that matter most to their communities.

Faith in Action takes the time for leaders to meet with public officials and policy experts to research how things work and who really has the power to make changes. As a result Faith in Action leaders become the experts and are able to get to the root causes of problems facing their communities.

Faith in Action teaches the art of compromise and negotiation. As a result Faith in Action federations find common ground with public officials who are both Republican and Democrat, conservative and liberal, to bring needed changes to communities.

Faith in Action does public business in public through large action meetings. As a result, Faith in Action organizations gain the reputation for being able to gather together large numbers of people over and over to hold themselves and public officials accountable.

Faith in Action influences public policy from the ground up by starting with local problems faced by families and then doing careful research. As a result Faith in Action organizations have created some of the most valuable policy innovations in housing, education, health care and public safety in the United States.