Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation Announces New Program For Historic Religious Institutions
Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation has recently launched a new program in association with its existing Historic Religious Properties Program.
New Dollars/New Partners, is a training program created by Partners for Sacred Places, a Philadelphia-based national nonprofit and non-sectarian center devoted to the stewardship of historic religious properties.
Funding support for the training program came from Landmarks members, trustees and the parishioners of nine area congregations. The first of four day long training programs was held February 2 nd at First Baptist Church in Oakland.
The programs are designed to give congregations the skills and resources needed to determine the Òpublic value Ò of their historic religious properties, assess the condition of their buildings, interpret congregational history, develop new partnerships, and a case for capital support, plus identify perspective partners and funders in a larger community.
Staff members from Partners as well as Landmarks presented the first session at First Baptist Church. The nine participating churches are:
Allegheny Unitarian Universalist Church, North Side
Bethel Presbyterian Church, Bethel Park
Calvary United Methodist Church, North Side
Calvert Memorial Church, Etna
Emmanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church, Castle Shannon
First Baptist Church of Pittsburgh, Oakland
Mulberry Presbyterian Church, Wilkinsburg
St. Andrew Lutheran Church, Shadyside
Zion Christian Church, Carrick
The next training session is scheduled for April 19 th . Landmarks staff will work closely with each of these congregations to prioritize their building needs, determine their community value, and communicate with their congregations this program.
The New Dollars/New Partners training supplements Landmarks’ existing Historic Religious Properties grants program. Grant applications are available to religious institutions with historic buildings located in Allegheny County and offering community services as well as religious services. Grants are awarded annually in amounts varying from $1,000 to $10,000 and to date over 80 churches have received over $400,000 for restoration projects related to their historic building.
Arthur P. Ziegler, Jr., President of Landmarks said,
“The New Dollars/New Partners Program is a tremendous opportunity to instruct congregations on the significance of the value, not only of their buildings, but of the programs they offer to the community. Research shows that 80% of the people passing through the doors of any given church or synagogue are not members of the congregation, but are accessing the church for community services. This program will teach the churches to communicate this value to the community and enlarge the scope of funding opportunities for their institution.”
Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation was founded in 1964 as a non-profit preservation organization serving Allegheny County. Its purpose is to identify and preserve architectural landmarks, historic neighborhoods, and historic designed landscapes in Allegheny County and to educate people about this region’s architectural heritage and urban and landscape design history.
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