Faith-Based Initiatives (FBI) Membership Plan for

GSUSA

Targeting the Faith Community

Welcome Programs of

Religious Activities with Youth

Nonprofit organization

“Building Faith in Youth”

Mark Hazlewood, CEO

30+ years experience

Faith-Based Initiatives (FBI) Membership Plan for GSUSAToday’s webinar: Articulate what GSUSA and faith communities

have in common Discover how the religious recognition programs

can be the LINCHPIN for membership growth Learn the rationale and benefits for collaborating

with the faith community. 

What is the F.B.I.? The Faith Based Initiative is a comprehensive plan

to BUILD AND STRENGTHEN PARTNERSHIPS between Girl Scout Councils and the faith community

It’s all about WHY councils should work with the faith community and HOW to approach them

The goal of the FBI is increased membership The F.B.I. takes the My Promise, My Faith pin and

the Religious Recognitions out of programming and leverages them as MEMBERSHIP tools

Whose Needs Are These?

Membership growth Membership Retention Program Money Trained Volunteers

The answer is YOURS Membership growth Membership Retention Program Money Trained Volunteers

But they’re not only your needs, they are also the needs of every CONGREGATION

The faith community shares your same needs. We need to work together!

What do we know about faith communities?

Respected in the community 50% of all adults are active workers

in faith communities Looking to reach out to the

community Will consider opening their facilities

to outside groups

What do we know about faith communities?

A place to find girls! A place to find more

leaders Open all year Don’t graduate from faith

communities When residents move,

faith communities do not

What’s in it for faith communities?

Partnerships need to be mutually beneficial.

Show congregations WHY they need Girl Scouting

Stop selling Troops Start selling

SOLUTIONS to congregations and their needs

Congregations benefit: Program

Girl Scouts have high brand recognition Proven youth program: leadership training,

values, life skills Enrich current program Outdoor resources

Congregations benefit: Trained Leaders

Religious organizations recommend the leadership from their congregation

Provides leadership training skills

Possibly open new leadership base (adults may volunteer to be leaders because they see it as service to their religious organization)

Congregations benefit: Faith Formation

Religious Recognitions Programs: Can supplement a congregation’s own religious

growth programs Are age specific Are developed by the national religious

organizations, not GSUSA Different from My Promise, My Faith Offer specific religious instruction

Congregations benefit: Membership

To the faith community, religious recognitions can be a tool to grow their own membership

Religious Recognitions as MEMBERSHIP

If a Troop has 10-12 girls 50 to 60% of girls in a Troop may not have a

current faith home Parents are pre-qualified as looking for values for

their children 5-6 families already in your building without a faith

home

Religious Recognitions as MEMBERSHIP

If the congregation offers a religious recognition class to the girls in their Troops

The congregation expands its membership potential in close geographic area

Religious Recognitions as MEMBERSHIP

Use the Religious Recognitions classes as an opportunity for the members of congregation to interact with Girl Scout families.

Use people from the congregation (i.e. religious school teachers, clergy, parents, etc.) to teach the classes so that Girl Scout families can get to know members of the congregation.

Continue to find ways to connect Girl Scout families with the congregation (i.e. service projects)

Plan the award ceremony during a regular worship service and invite the families.

Religious Recognitions as MEMBERSHIP

A Religious Recognitions class is a non-threatening way for families to connect with the faith community.

Religious awards become more than just a program; they have the potential to increase membership

Then the faith community will open its doors to Girl Scouting

What do faith communities know about Girl Scouts?

Need places to meet Scouting program Teach life skills

What faith communities DON’T know about Girl Scouts

Spiritual component

From GSUSA: Q: Does Girl Scouting support families of faith?

A: Yes. Girl Scouting supports girls from all backgrounds and beliefs. While we are a secular organization that refrains from teaching religious or spiritual beliefs or practices, we believe that the motivating force in Girl Scouting is a spiritual one, and we greatly value our longstanding partnerships with religious organizations across many faiths that share the values of the Girl Scout Promise and Law.

We encourage girls to develop connections to their own spiritual and religious beliefs by earning recognitions provided by their faith communities and by earning the My Promise, My Faith pin, which helps a girl deepen the connection between the Girl Scout Law and her faith. We support the right of faith leaders to verify that program delivered to girls in their places of worship is consistent with their faith's teachings.

http://www.girlscouts.org/program/gs_central/mpmf/faqs.asp

What faith communities DON’T know about Girl Scouts

Outreach potential Adult training Life skills and

leadership training can transfer to faith communities

Do your homework Be strategic in selecting the

religious institutions to approach

Do online research Gather “cultural informants” -

Council Staff, Board, Religious Relationships Committee

To open doors, teach/speak the language

Put together profiles on the congregation as well as on the denomination/religion

Do your homework Become familiar with the

religious recognition for that particular faith

“Foot in the door” versus “foot in your mouth”

Become familiar with the religious recognitions program before visiting a congregation

Each religion creates its own program

Eligibility requirements will differ from religion to religion

Know the difference between Religious Recognitions and the My Promise, My Faith pin

Congregations benefit, but what about the GS

Council? Why should Girl Scout Councils promote religious

recognitions? Are religious recognitions just an optional

program (like swimming or horseback riding)? How does the GS Council benefit?

Whose Needs Are These?

Membership growth Membership Retention Program Money Trained Volunteers

Are these needs likely to change I the next 3-5 years? Ever?

New Recruiting Model First recruit the congregation (i.e. place to meet,

adult leaders) Then recruit the girls

Remember:o Bigger pool (in the congregation) to recruit adult leaderso Tenure – the organization will last longer than an

individualo The tenure of the Troop will be longer and the girls will

stay longer

GS Councils benefit: Membership

Youth membershipo Parents are looking for valueso Religious organizations share common

goals Adult leaders

o Improve retention of leaderso Religiously based individuals are more

likely to volunteer Target underserved populations

GS Councils benefit: Program

Religious organizations can teach the religious recognitions programs

Religious awards reinforce Girl Scout Values

GS Councils benefit: Membership

It’s strategic:o More girls and troopso More volunteerso Improve relations with sponsorso Balanced Growth

More girls, more troops, more families, more money

Wrap up: Why Collaborate?

• Win-win-win situation• Collaboration results in:

• Stronger girls and families• Stronger congregations• Stronger councils

Question and Answer Session

Religious Recognitions = Linchpin

A linchpin is used to keep the wheels from falling off an axle. It enables the vehicle to move forward. Similarly religious recognitions can be the linchpin that

enables the faith-based organization to move forward with Girl Scouting.

Religious Recognitions

Faith Community

Girl Scouting

Summary:

Articulate what GSUSA and faith communities have in common

Discover how the religious recognition programs can be the LINCHPIN for membership growth

Learn the rationale and benefits for collaborating with the faith community. 

Resources

http://www.praypub.org/partner_gsusa.htm Learning center Future webinars

o My Promise, My Faith: Best Practiceso It Takes a Council to Increase Membershipo Selecting the Faith Groups o Preparing for and Making the Call

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Thank you!

Join me on LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/in/markhazlewood/

Website: www.praypub.org Email: markp@praypub.org