 In
the first nationwide study that specifically measures how faith
relates to the organization and delivery of human service programs,
initial results indicate that faith-based or religious charities
do indeed conduct their operations in ways that markedly set them
apart from secular organizations.
Introduction
The data from 564 privately funded human service
programs show that programs with a faith component often structure
themselves, find funding,and offer services differently from those
that do not. Many of the study’s participating programs are
part of voluntary community organizations that are faith based;
run by staff and volunteers motivated by deeply held religious convictions;
and try to help people in need at the local level, most often with
little public support. These faith-related programs tend to use
individual gifts, congregations or denominations, and dues or fees
much more for funding that those that have no faith component. They
are also more likely to explicitly mention or make mandatory a faith
component to the program participants. A program’s faith element
relates to the people they serve and the type of help they provide,
as programs with more explicit and mandatory faith-related elements
are likely to be substance-abuse programs. This study is an important
beginning step in measuring the type and degree of participant exposure
to a faith-related service.
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Dr. Beryl Hugen is a professor of social
work and the social work practicum coordinator at Calvin College.
He has been a member of Calvin's faculty since 1997 and has experience
teaching vulnerable populations, social work practicum, and policy,
programs and practice.
Dr. Fred De Jong has conducted funded
research in gerontology and social services for twenty-seven years.
He has authored many research articles and is a professor of social
science statistics and social research at Calvin College in Grand
Rapids, Michigan.
Mrs. Karen Woods is the director of the Acton
Institute’s Center for Effective Compassion. Previously, she
worked at The Empowerment Network. She has been affiliated with
multiple state think tanks and also served as a policy analyst for
the director of Michigan’s state social service agency.
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