Consulting Services
Partners builds the capability of congregational leadership for building care, shared use, and capital fundraising through training programs, fundraising assistance, and organizational and facility assessments. In the process, Partners becomes a trusted resource and guide as congregations examine and weigh opportunities.
Every sacred place is the center of a unique network for parishioners, neighbors, and friends. Having worked with thousands of sacred places across the country, Partners is uniquely positioned to help faith and lay leaders leverage these networks. Built on groundbreaking research and decades of diverse experiences, Partners’ expertise has helped congregations meet, and exceed, their goals – both in fundraising and community impact.
Partners consulting services can bring these unique tools, expertise, and resources to your congregation and community. Partners’ model focuses on the gifts, talents, and resources of every sacred place and their community to enhance the congregation’s capacity to meet the needs of the present and plan for the future!
Capital Campaign Services assist congregations to design and implement a fundraising campaign that leverages community-wide support.
Feasibility, Discovery, and Readiness Studies help congregations identify congregational and community support for capital improvements and civic impact.
Community Engagement Services assist congregations to build and strengthen relationships with neighbors and partners to increase investment in, and active use of, their historic buildings.
Space-Sharing and Adaptive Re-use assessments and tools assist congregations to develop strategies to activate underutilized spaces aligning with the congregation’s mission and vision.
Halo Valuation analyses give congregations language and tools to understand and communicate their impact to community and civic stakeholders.
Preserving History and Culture in Central Appalachian Churches
The region known as Appalachia is often misunderstood. Encompassing all of West Virginia and parts of 12 other states, the region is home to more than 26 million people. Although Appalachia’s population is often stereotyped as homogeneous, it encompasses people from diverse ethnic backgrounds and s [...]
Adaptive Reuse of Historic Church Buildings
Throughout the country, historic churches stand as community landmarks, reminding us of the investments of previous generations and adding a rich texture to the tapestry of our neighborhoods. In urban settings like Philadelphia, where I live and teach, their scale, form, and high-quality materials a [...]
Pre-Convening Research
Over the years, Partners has generated significant research into sacred places—focusing on both their historical relevance and their prevalence and impact in their contexts. The “Halo Effect” study documented the civic value contributed and found it to be considerable. This well-known research, hea [...]
A Dying Church’s Gift Inspires a Young Congregation to Help People Experiencing Homelessness
The Rev. Sara Wolbrecht speaks before a baptism at Salt House church in Kirkland, Washington. John Lok By Julia Duin, Journalist A dying Lutheran church in the Seattle suburb of Kirkland had a difficult decision. Should they close and sell their property for the millions it would net in Seattle’s [...]