Action Steps for Businesses: A Guide to Developing Partnerships with Faith-Based and Community...

This guide provides specific steps that businesses can take to develop and sustain successful Faith Based Community Organization (FBCO) partnerships. Faith-based and community organizations (FBCOs) include non-profit groups that (1) provide social services, (2) vary greatly in size and resources, and/or (3) identify themselves with various community initiatives and/or religious traditions or philosophies (p.4). This guide contains essential information on what FBCOs look like, the value and benefits that they can bring to businesses, the services they provide to businesses and job seekers, and where they are located in the local community. Examples from this guide are drawn from Literature Review: Business/FBCO Partnerships, research that Social Policy Research Associates conducted for the Department of Labor’s Center for Faith Based and Community Initiatives (CFBCI) (p.1-2, 4). (Abstractor: Author)

Full publication title: Action Steps for Businesses: A Guide to Developing Partnerships with Faith-Based and Community Organizations (FBCOs)

• "The partnerships between businesses and faith-based and community organizations (FBCOs) are creating value for both businesses and communities. Businesses are discovering that they need to reach out to new markets and new workers, and FBCO partnerships represent innovative solutions to meet their human resource needs, including recruiting, training, retaining, and advancing employees" (p.24). • "Businesses value FBCO partners for: 1) their holistic, personalized and compassionate approach to service delivery; 2) financial and human resources; 3) motivated job seekers; and extensive community connections" (p.5-6). • "Benefits of FBCO/business partnerships include: provide access to a broad, diverse labor pool; save money on hiring and training costs; contribute to increased employee retention; expand markets and create new business opportunities; and enhance public image" (p.6-7). • "The steps for developing a FBCO partnership include: 1) identify need to partner with FBCO; 2) establish goals for linking with FBCO; 3) gain staff buy-in; 4) identify liaison for partnership; 5) identify and contact regional/local FBCO; 6) get to know your partner; 7) formalize the partnership; 8) regularly communicate with FBCO staff; 9) manage and sustain partnership; and 10) identify ways to improve partnership" (p.12). (Abstractor: Author)

• Last Updated:
• Created:
• Resource Publication Date: 2007
• Author(s): Soukamneuth, Sengsouvanh (Sukey)
• Organizational Author(s): Social Policy Research Associates
• Funding Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration
• Resource Availability: Publicly available
• Posted by: Wesley Peterson
• Posted in: Workforce System Strategies