FAITH COALITION FOR THE COMMON GOOD INC
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Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Springfield, IL is a racially and economically divided community. Decisions about development and job growth continue to be made by wealthy, white businessmen. According 24/7 Wall St., "Springfield has one of the largest gaps in white and black poverty of any metro area. While less than 1 in 10 white residents in the city live below the poverty line, more than 4 in 10 black residents do. One factor contributing to the poverty gap is likely the relative difficulty in finding a job as a minority in Springfield. An estimated 16.8% of the black labor force is unemployed, more than three times the white unemployment rate of 5.0%.Income is closely tied to health outcomes, and unsurprisingly, in an area with such high income inequality along racial lines, there are also very uneven health outcomes. The difference in age-adjusted premature mortality rate among black Springfield residents compared to their white neighbors is nearly the highest of any metropolitan area.".
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Jobs and Economic Equity Task Force
The goal of the Jobs and Economic Equity Task Force is to promote opportunities for meaningful employment with a living wage for Central Illinois residents.
a) Monitor and promote just labor laws.
b) Develop and implement campaign initiatives on local hiring practices (e.g. construction projects, medical field).
c) Advocate for a local hire ordinance.
d) Promote the employment of people of color in a wider variety of skilled/unionized trades.
Education for All Task Force
The goals of the Education Task Force is to create an education focused campaign aimed at closing the academic opportunity gap in Springfield School District 186.
Civic Engagement and Policy Involvement Task Force
The goal of the Civic Engagement and Policy Involvement Task Force is to create systemic economic & social change in our communities (and lives) through policy and legislation
Restorative Justice Task Force
The goal of the Restorative Justice Task Force is to work with local, state and federal agencies to ensure equity and justice for those who are in danger of becoming incarcerated, for those who are already incarcerated and for those who have been released from prison.
Where we work
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Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
The vision of the Faith Coalition of the Common Good is racial and economic equity. Our mission: We are a coalition of faith communities, community organizations and individuals working collaboratively for racial equity, civic engagement, a fair economy and participatory decision making.
Leaders of the Faith Coalition work to increase jobs/job training opportunities for women and minorities; education equity, immigrant rights, restorative justice and voter engagement - all of which have a significant impact on hunger and poverty issues.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
FCCG addresses the need of voiceless, oppressed peoples to realize their POWER. Lives are changed through leadership training, community organizing and building relationships with decision makers.
Trained leaders work for systemic change in these areas 1) Voter Engagement - to educate/engage voters, register voters, and increase voter turnout. 2) Fair Tax – work to change the flat income tax to a graduated tax 3) Restorative Justice – Partnering with the Sangamon County Juvenile Detention Center to offer youth leadership training, life skills and mentoring. 4) Education –working on education funding reform and restorative justice practices. 5) Jobs and Job Training for minorities and women - Working to achieve at least 25% minority workforce hours on the Springfield Railroad Project and increasing minorities on the decision making Board of the Economic Development Commission.
There are no other organizations doing this kind of work in the Springfield area.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
The basic component of community organizing is building relationships - first of all within each individual FCCG member church/organization - (making that church or organization much stronger) and thereby making the foundation of the Faith Coalition stronger.
After relationships are built internally and self interests defined, relationships are built with decision makers and other community leaders and resources.
In the past year:
• The Faith Coalition deepened relationships with Springfield Mayor Jim Langelder and city Aldermen
* Union labor leaders
* Administrators at the local community college and professors at the University of IL in Springfield
•Springfield School District 186 superintendent and elected school board members
• State legislators: Sen. Andy Manar, Sen. Sam McCann, and Rep. Sue Scherer, Senator John Cullerton and Rep. Tim Butler. .
* FCCG is also deepening relationships with the Springfield area ELCA,, Presbyterian and Unitarian Congregations
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
The Faith Coalition emphasizes the preferential option of the poor through our work on economic and environmental justice. FCCG leaders improved job and job training opportunities for minorities and women seeking work on the Springfield Railroad project. Leaders passed state wide legislation instituting a Springfield Rail Commission so residents living in the poor, east side of Springfield could benefit from the rail construction project. Education leaders worked with state legislators to help equalize funding for Illinois public schools. City Services task force leaders pushed for a city residency requirement --requiring people who work for the city to live in the city, thereby diversifying the city's workforce. Immigration task force leaders continue to address immigration and citizenship issues of African families.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To identify issues we will address
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
FAITH COALITION FOR THE COMMON GOOD INC
Board of directorsas of 12/22/2020
Pastor Silas Johnson
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? No -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
We do not display disability information for organizations with fewer than 15 staff.
Equity strategies
Last updated: 12/22/2020GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.