Formation of Faith-based Cross-sector Partnerships: A Game Changing Collaboration

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Faith-based and cross-sector partnerships offer unique opportunities to shore up faith-based organizations’ capacity to meet the needs of low-income families. With the recent cutbacks in federal and state funding for social programs that support needy families, faith-based organizations have increasingly tried to fill this void. However, many faith-based organizations are small and lack sufficient financial capacity to deal with the increases in need. This research project focused on why and how cross-sector partnerships are formed between faith-based and secular institutions. Through participant observation, interviews and examination of secondary data, and Grounded Theory and Constant Comparison method of analysis a framework for forming faith-based, cross-sectored partnership was developed. Results indicate the most salient factors that affect the formation of these partnerships: faith-based social mission, partnership initiator, assessment of qualification, mission overlap, and partnership benefit.