Inspiring Places of Faith
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Places of faith are at the core of so many communities, yet many face significant challenges. Working together, congregations, heritage advocates and community groups are finding creative solutions to keep their legacy strong. Read our inspiring case studies and learn from our tailored resources.
Tip Sheet: Telling Your Story to Donors
Everyone loves a story – and heritage places have stories to tell. The story of your heritage place is a crucial piece of your fundraising plan. It will carry over to all your materials [flyers, website, e-mails, and donor appeals]. Telling it in a compelling, emotional, engaging and inspiring way will win you donors.
Tip Sheet: Tips for a Strong Launch Pad Coaching Grant Application
Thinking about applying for a Launch Pad Coaching Grant? Here are some tips to help you put together a strong application!
Tip Sheet: Special Events
Special events can be a great way for organizations to raise funds, create public awareness and build volunteer base. They range from big to small, from car washes, to golf tournaments, charity auctions and gala dinners. Careful planning and execution are needed to ensure your organization achieves its goals for your event.
Tip Sheet: Social Enterprise: A tool to sustain your heritage site
Social Enterprise is a much misunderstood concept, particularly because it has no one single definition. However, in all the many definitions, there are always three key elements, as follows: The primary guiding purpose of the business must be to address a social need or gap* in our society.
Case Study: Paris Presbyterian Church
Action-oriented partnerships and a successful social enterprise have built strong bridges between Paris Presbyterian (Paris, ON) and its community.
Case Study: Little Wanup Chapel
Two passionate individuals invested their own time and money, and established the right partnerships to keep the small chapel in Wanup, ON at the center of their community.
Case Study: St. James Centennial United Church
A community hub model creates new vibrancy: St. James Centennial United in Parry Sound, ON invited its community into partnerships to share space and mission.
Case Study: Historic Leith Church
Placing history and music at the centre of the community: The United Church and Leith community collaborate to fill this community space with life.
Case Study: The Spire of Sydenham / Sydenham United Church
An Updated Case Study, Three Years Into A Split Governance Experiment. Areas of Interest: Governance Shifts, Community Centres, Accessibility Upgrades
Case Study: Christ Church Community Museum
Community volunteers with a passion for literary history and historic buildings keep the doors open at Lakefield’s Christ Church in Lakefield, ON.
Case Study: St. Joseph’s Kingsbridge Community
The making of a rural community hub: The Kingsbridge community comes together to give a new life to their former Cathedral in Goderich, ON.
Blog Post: 5 Places of Faith Revitalized for Today and Tomorrow
The challenges facing historic places of faith are daunting, yet across the country congregations and communities are finding creative new uses and partnerships to revitalize these important landmarks.
Blog Post: Faith communities provide arts groups with much needed space (Part 1)
On an unseasonably warm (22 degrees!) November evening, myself and my partners from ArtsBuild Ontario and Toronto Arts Council set out on a walk across Philadelphia to Christ Church Neighbourhood House. This was the first of two trips to explore the ways in which arts groups are thriving within faith buildings and often in collaboration with faith communities.
Blog Post: Faith buildings working to enhance the visual arts: Philadelphia (Part 2)
Today I’m continuing my exploration of Faith/Arts Cohabitation with a quick tour of two great spaces in Philadelphia. In October 2017, I was there working with ArtsBuild Ontario, Faith & the Common Good and the Toronto Arts Council (funded by the Metcalf Foundation) examining a variety of working models for mutual support between arts and faith groups.
Blog Post: Why Faith Groups and Arts Groups Should Cohabitate
Playwright Marcus Youssef upon accepting this year’s Siminovitch Prize for playwriting gave a speech that clarified my interest in the intersection of faith communities with the broader community. Youssef wrote about his interest in points of intersection and the space between people, spoken and unspoken.
Blog Post: Are Historic Sites Still Relevant?
When I tell people my job at the National Trust is all about promoting and supporting the regeneration of historic sites, I get some puzzled looks. For us heritage types who use the Standards and Guidelines, we can understand that regeneration includes all the activities under the conservation umbrella. But for most people, the light bulb only really goes off when I say that our objective is to revitalize historic sites in a sustainable way that makes them relevant to today’s society.
Blog Post: What 52 Projects Taught Me About Crowdfunding
Behind every great heritage place is a passionate group of people united by a shared conviction that their place matters. One of the great joys of helping to organize This Place Matters, the National Trust’s new crowdfunding platform, is the opportunity to get to know these people and their projects.