diana garland baylor university school of social work

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Religiously Affiliated Religiously Affiliated Organizations and the Organizations and the

Opportunities and Opportunities and Challenges of “Faith-Challenges of “Faith-

based” Social Initiativesbased” Social InitiativesDiana GarlandDiana Garland

Baylor University School of Social Baylor University School of Social WorkWork

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1. Our political views about the role of 1. Our political views about the role of government and its responsibility—or government and its responsibility—or not—for the wellbeing of its citizens. not—for the wellbeing of its citizens.

Sources of Attitudes toward Sources of Attitudes toward Religious OrganizationsReligious Organizations

2. Our professional practice experience 2. Our professional practice experience with religiously-affiliated organizations with religiously-affiliated organizations

and congregations. and congregations. 3. Our own personal religious beliefs 3. Our own personal religious beliefs

and experiences and experiences

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Sources of Attitudes toward Sources of Attitudes toward Religious OrganizationsReligious Organizations

Practice experiences

Religious beliefs &

experiences

Political views

Attitudes

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What does the research What does the research say?say?

Characteristics?

Capacities?

Contributions?

Challenges?

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Overview of Research Overview of Research SourcesSources

“Faith and Service Technical Education Network” RAOs and Congregations in urban settings

addressing poverty, 10 states

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““Faith & Service Technical Faith & Service Technical Education Network”Education Network”

“Religiously Affiliated Child Welfare Organizations” All licensed child and family service organizations

in 10 states

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““Faith & Service Technical Faith & Service Technical Education Network”Education Network”

““Religiously Affiliated Child Welfare Religiously Affiliated Child Welfare Organizations”Organizations”

“Service and Faith” Volunteers from 35 congregations serving in

community service programs

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www.baylor.edu/CFCM/www.baylor.edu/CFCM/

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Why not “faith-based?”Why not “faith-based?”

MissionIdentityPolicies

Goals

“Faith” suggests Christian traditions

Faith can refer to:

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What distinguishesWhat distinguishes RAOs from other RAOs from other

social service social service agencies and from agencies and from

congregations?congregations?

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Micah 6:6-8Micah 6:6-8

66 With what shall I come before the Lord and With what shall I come before the Lord and bow down before the exalted God?bow down before the exalted God?

77Shall I come before him with burnt Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?offerings, with calves a year old?

Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil?rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil?

Shall I offer my firstborn for my Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression,transgression,

The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?88He has shown all you people what is good.He has shown all you people what is good.And what does the Lord require of you? And what does the Lord require of you? To seek justice and to love mercy and to To seek justice and to love mercy and to

walk humbly with your God.walk humbly with your God.

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Micah 6:6-8Micah 6:6-8

66 With what shall I come before the Lord and With what shall I come before the Lord and bow down before the exalted God?bow down before the exalted God?

77Shall I come before him with burnt Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?offerings, with calves a year old?

Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil?rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil?

Shall I offer my firstborn for my Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression,transgression,

The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?88He has shown all you people what is good.He has shown all you people what is good.And what does the Lord require of you? And what does the Lord require of you? To To seek justiceseek justice and to and to love mercylove mercy and and

to to walk humbly with your Godwalk humbly with your God..

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MissionSocial Work RAOsNeeds Worship

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““Our board starts with our Our board starts with our mission, with what God wants us mission, with what God wants us to do, not what our market niche to do, not what our market niche

is, or what the most pressing is, or what the most pressing need or urgent problem in the need or urgent problem in the

community is.”community is.”

---RAO executive---RAO executive

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RAOs ≠ RAOs ≠ congregationscongregations

Congregations– aggregates of Congregations– aggregates of people that gather regularly and people that gather regularly and

voluntarily for worship at a voluntarily for worship at a particular place. particular place.

VoluntaryCommunities >Organizations

They are:

and

More thanThey are

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Most congregations are Most congregations are small …small …

71% of congregations 71% of congregations have fewer than 100 have fewer than 100 regularly regularly participating adultsparticipating adults

Only 10% of Only 10% of American American congregations have congregations have more than 350 more than 350 regular participantsregular participants. . Most attenders go to Most attenders go to large congregations, large congregations, however…however…

100 or Less

350 or More

Between100 and 350

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Social services plays a minor—Social services plays a minor—but important—role in but important—role in

congregational life.congregational life. In the median In the median

congregation with congregation with social service social service programs, about programs, about ten individuals are ten individuals are involved as involved as volunteers in those volunteers in those activities.activities.

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

Social ServiceProgram Volunteers

Participants

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Social services plays a minor-Social services plays a minor-but important-role in but important-role in congregational life.congregational life.

Seventy people Seventy people attend the main attend the main worship service.worship service.

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Social ServiceProgram

Volunteers

WorshipService

Attenders

Social ServiceProgramVolunteersWorshipServiceAttenders

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Social services plays a minor-Social services plays a minor-but important-role in but important-role in congregational life.congregational life.

In congregations In congregations with choirs, with choirs, eighteen people eighteen people participate in participate in those choirsthose choirs

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

SocialServiceProgram

Volunteers

WorshipService

Attenders

ChiorMembers

Social ServiceProgramVolunteersWorshipServiceAttendersChiorMembers

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Social services play a minor-Social services play a minor-but important-role in but important-role in congregational lifecongregational life

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Social ServiceProgram

Volunteers

Worship ServiceAttenders

Choir Members

14%

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Congregations Congregations collaborate in offering collaborate in offering

social services…social services… 15% held worship and 15% held worship and prayer services in prayer services in collaboration with collaboration with othersothers

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

Collaboration forWorship

Collaboration withfaith-based

organizations

Collaboration withsecular

organizations

30% Collaborated 30% Collaborated with other faith-with other faith-based organizationsbased organizations

33% collaborated with 33% collaborated with secular organizations secular organizations to develop and deliver to develop and deliver community service community service programsprograms (Cnaan, (Cnaan, 2001)2001)

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Social workers on Social workers on congregational congregational

staffs . . .staffs . . .

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Social workers who Social workers who provided congregational provided congregational

leadership. . . leadership. . . The pastor’s wife who ran the shelterThe pastor’s wife who ran the shelter The rabbi who organized the “Noah project”The rabbi who organized the “Noah project” The university faculty who initially organized The university faculty who initially organized

the community’s response, including the community’s response, including congregations and RAOscongregations and RAOs

The volunteers who provided mental health The volunteers who provided mental health services in the congregational shelters and services in the congregational shelters and organized a 24-hr. “on call” volunteer serviceorganized a 24-hr. “on call” volunteer service

The volunteers who trained shelter The volunteers who trained shelter volunteers in crisis interventionvolunteers in crisis intervention

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How How PrevalentPrevalent are they; are they; what is their capacity for what is their capacity for

service, and does service, and does government funding government funding

actually increase that actually increase that capacity? capacity?

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Government funding?Government funding?

6% of congregations6% of congregations24% of RAOs24% of RAOs

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Religiously-affiliated child Religiously-affiliated child welfare organizations . .. welfare organizations . ..

47% of funding from government 47% of funding from government sourcessources

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What What ContributionsContributions are they are they making?making?

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The StereotypeThe Stereotype Residential long-term care for dependent Residential long-term care for dependent

childrenchildren

Racially disproportionality Racially disproportionality

Lower professional standards, with Lower professional standards, with uneducated but well-meaning staffuneducated but well-meaning staff

Large endowments that make them Large endowments that make them insensitive to community and professional insensitive to community and professional changechange

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Who they really are . . .Who they really are . . . Community-based services more than residential care. Community-based services more than residential care.

More ethnic/minority children in community programs to More ethnic/minority children in community programs to support families.support families.

Just as professional or more professional than those of other Just as professional or more professional than those of other social service agencies. social service agencies.

Funding that enables them to be innovative.Funding that enables them to be innovative.

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Religiously-affiliated Religiously-affiliated organizationsorganizations report report having budgets having budgets $400,000 larger $400,000 larger than than non-religiously non-religiously affiliated affiliated organizationsorganizations, , representing 28% representing 28% more than the more than the median $1,450,000 median $1,450,000 budget of non-budget of non-religiously affiliated religiously affiliated organizationsorganizationsRAOs Non-RAOs

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Revenues from fees for Revenues from fees for servicesservices

Non-RAOs rely on Non-RAOs rely on fees for servicesfees for services for more than 60% for more than 60% of their budgetsof their budgets

RAOs rely on RAOs rely on feesfees for only 30% of for only 30% of their budgetstheir budgets

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

Non-RAO

s

RAOs

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Revenues from GiftsRevenues from Gifts

RAOs receive 21% of RAOs receive 21% of their budgets from their budgets from giftsgifts

Non-RAOs receive Non-RAOs receive only 5% of their only 5% of their budgets from budgets from giftsgifts

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

Non-RAOs RAOs

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Revenues from Revenues from Government SourcesGovernment Sources

RAOs receive less RAOs receive less than half (47%) of than half (47%) of their funding from their funding from government government sourcessources

Non-RAOs receive Non-RAOs receive more than three-more than three-quarters (76%) of quarters (76%) of their funding fromtheir funding from government government sourcessources

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Non-RAOs RAOs

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Revenues Generated by Revenues Generated by Grants and EndowmentsGrants and Endowments

RAOs receive little RAOs receive little from grants (5%) from grants (5%) and and endowment endowment (5%)(5%)

Non-RAOs receive Non-RAOs receive 7% from grants 7% from grants and 7% from and 7% from endowmentendowment

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

Non-RAOs RAOs

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(1) They are providing community-based (1) They are providing community-based services more than residential care. services more than residential care.

(2) RAOs’ services are just as or more (2) RAOs’ services are just as or more “professional” as those of other social “professional” as those of other social service agencies. service agencies.

(3) RAOs’ funding encourages them to be (3) RAOs’ funding encourages them to be innovative.innovative.

(4) Because of their mission and (4) Because of their mission and regardless of their funding, RAOs are a regardless of their funding, RAOs are a prophetic voice for social justice.prophetic voice for social justice.

What What ContributionsContributions are are they making? they making?

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(1) They are providing community-based services (1) They are providing community-based services more than residential care. more than residential care.

(2) RAOs’ services are just as or more “professional” (2) RAOs’ services are just as or more “professional” as those of other social service agencies. as those of other social service agencies.

(3) RAOs’ funding encourages them to be innovative.(3) RAOs’ funding encourages them to be innovative.(4) Because of their mission and regardless of their (4) Because of their mission and regardless of their

funding, RAOs are a prophetic voice for social funding, RAOs are a prophetic voice for social justice.justice.

(5) RAOs serve as intermediaries between large (5) RAOs serve as intermediaries between large social service entities and congregations.social service entities and congregations.


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(1) They are providing community-based services (1) They are providing community-based services more than residential care. more than residential care.

(2) RAOs’ services are just as or more (2) RAOs’ services are just as or more “professional” as those of other social service “professional” as those of other social service agencies. agencies.

(3) RAOs’ funding encourages them to be (3) RAOs’ funding encourages them to be innovative.innovative.

(4) Because of their mission and regardless of their (4) Because of their mission and regardless of their funding, RAOs are a prophetic voice for social funding, RAOs are a prophetic voice for social justice.justice.

(5) RAOs serve as intermediaries between large (5) RAOs serve as intermediaries between large social service entities and congregations.social service entities and congregations.

(6) RAOs serve as bridges to families in need (6) RAOs serve as bridges to families in need who are otherwise difficult to reach.who are otherwise difficult to reach.


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(7) Volunteers and staff (7) Volunteers and staff members in congregations and members in congregations and RAOs are strongly committed to RAOs are strongly committed to

the work because they are the work because they are motivated by their sense of motivated by their sense of

calling.calling.

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(7) (7) Volunteers and staff Volunteers and staff members in congregations and members in congregations and RAOs are strongly committed to RAOs are strongly committed to

the work because they are the work because they are motivated by their sense of motivated by their sense of

callingcalling!!

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What What ethical issues do ethical issues do these organizations present these organizations present for social worker practice?for social worker practice? Organizational Goals

Volunteer & Staff Motivations

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Implications for Implications for Social Work Social Work EducationEducation

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ImplicationsImplications1.1. Teaching religious diversity needs to include the Teaching religious diversity needs to include the

organizational level as well as human developmentorganizational level as well as human development

2.2. All students need to development cultural All students need to development cultural competence for practice in these settings.competence for practice in these settings.

3.3. We can reach a group of potential students if we We can reach a group of potential students if we provide an education that is relevant. provide an education that is relevant.

4.4. We need to develop a research, knowledge, and We need to develop a research, knowledge, and skill base for working in these cultural settings. skill base for working in these cultural settings.

diana garland baylor university school of social work

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