UPDATE on Partners:
The Halo Effect of Sacred Places
A national study of the Halo Effect
of Sacred Places is in full swing,
expanding upon the 2010 pilot
study conducted in Philadelphia
by studying randomly selected
congregations in three cities.
(See the Halo Effect story in
the Spring 2011 issue of Sacred
Places for more details on the
initial Philadelphia study.)
In Philadelphia, most of the
research is complete. In Chicago,
IL, Loyola University Mastersdegree candidates from the
Social Justice and Community
Development department have
teamed up with Partners’ staff
Congregations’ outreach programs, like this art program offered by Broad Street Ministry in
and begun to conduct surveys
Philadelphia, PA, are more often utilized by non-members than congregants. The economic
value of this type of programming can be quantified and is part of a congregation’s total
there, while in Ft. Worth, TX,
on the entire community and region. Photo by Ashley Collinson, courtesy of
researchers are also hard at work “halo effect” Ministry.
Broad Street
documenting all of the ways in
which older sacred places impact their local economies.
Virgin Mary Catholic Church in Philadelphia, which
participated in the 2010 pilot study, found find that its
Though Partners doesn’t yet have enough data to speak
impact was a staggering $21 million annually. And the
generally about the findings, we do know some ways in
church has made good use of the data by including it in
which the results will help congregations communicate
funding appeals.
their public value to potential donors and community
partners. For example, Visitation of the Blessed
The new data is showing that powerhouse sacred places
are not the only ones that benefit their communities
in significant ways. For instance, preliminary data in
Philadelphia showed a congregation with a relatively
Philadelphia Advisors
small budget of $25,000 has a yearly impact of
almost $500,000 – nearly 20 times larger. This new
The Reverend Dr.
James Kise, AIA
Roy G. Almquist
perspective on a small church’s role in the community
Catherine Lynch
Charles B. Casper, Esq.
helps to build a strong case for its continued presence.
Dr. Roger Moss
Lary Ceisler
Helen Cunningham
The Reverend Yvette B. Davis
Scott Doyle
James Flaherty
Melissa Jest
Emanuel Kelly, FAIA
Michael Stern
Monica Taylor
The Reverend Mark Tyler
Geraldine Wang
Eric Wilden
David Winkowski
7 • Sacred Places • www.sacredplaces.org • Summer 2012
In May, Partners hosted a meeting in Philadelphia
to share final results of the updated survey with
congregational leadership. It wasn’t simply a meeting
to celebrate the superstars of this project; there was a
place at the table for everyone.