Ask the Expert: Carley Thimmesch — Faith-Based and Community Partnerships

Ask the Expert Archive

FEBRUARY 2005

Photo of Carley ThimmeschCarley Thimmesch, Director in the Center for Faith and Service, National Crime Prevention Council

Ms. Thimmesch is Director in the Center for Faith and Service at the National Crime Prevention Council. Using her experience in partnership building and work in the faith community, Ms. Thimmesch develops and delivers training and technical assistance on topics such as effective faith-based partnerships and family strengthening initiatives.

One of the efforts of the Center for Faith and Service is to support the Corporation for National and Community Service’s efforts to increase community organizations' (secular and faith-based) participation in National Service programs. The Center for Faith and Service and identifies barriers that prevent access to these programs, as well as provides tools to improve the chances for admission into these programs. The Center for Faith and Service also provides training and technical assistance to enhance the Corporation's ability to work with community organizations.

Building Effective Faith-Based Partnerships
Whereas many faith-based organizations (FBOs) have a long history of partnering with the federal government, for some there is an equally long history of vagueness surrounding the capabilities and motives of each partner to accommodate for the mission and vision they both hold. Partnering with FBOs can yield rich results if all come together in an environment of open communication with an eye toward meeting a common need.