BALTIMORE — The University of Baltimore’s Schaefer Center for Public Policy, in collaboration with Enterprise Community Partners’ Mid-Atlantic office, is inviting faith-based groups in the Baltimore area to be part of the third cohort of the Faith-Based Development Certificate Program.
Leveraging three decades of experience in analyzing local issues and preparing professionals to lead nonprofits, government agencies and public-sector organizations, the Schaefer Center launched the certificate program in 2015 to address one of Baltimore’s most persistent issues— affordable housing.
The program shows faith-based groups in the Baltimore area how to develop their real estate holdings as affordable housing or community facilities. The first two classes of nine participants, from nine faith organizations, went through five monthly training sessions and received technical assistance on a range of topics, eventually earning certification from the center.
Working with the center is Enterprise Community Partners Inc., whose Faith-Based Development Initiative began in the Washington region 11 years ago.
Enterprise provides intellectual and capital resources to support houses of worship in developing affordable housing and other community facilities that help create stable communities of opportunity. The certificate program brings together technical and financial experts with teams from Baltimore’s houses of worship and other faith-based organization. The goal is to enable a faith-based organization to navigate the development process.
To be considered for the program, organizations must complete a Program Intake Assessment Form (scpp.ubalt.edu/FBDI/), which will be processed by Enterprise Community Partners and the Schaefer Center in order to facilitate training and program content. The assessment forms are due by Thursday, November 30, 2017. The program fee is $1,000 per organization.
Instructional sessions will be held at the University of Baltimore on the last Thursday of each month from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Instructional session dates: January 18, 2018; February 5, 2018; March 15, 2018; April 19, 2018; and May 17, 2018. A site visit will take place on March 8, 2018.
To learn more about Enterprise Community Partners and its Faith-Based Development Initiative, visit: www.enterprisecommunity.org/where-we-work/mid-atlantic/faith-based-development-initiative.