Helpful Materials for Faith-Based and Community Organizations

Helpful Materials for Faith-Based and Community Organizations

The United States Department of Labor's (DOL) Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives (CFBCI) has made available useful information in the documents listed below and at our website. Highlighting technical assistance for organizations involved in prisoner reentry and workforce development, these documents and toolkits provide valuable best practices, models and strategies for non-profits working in a wide-range of areas. Areas of interest include:

• Business and government partnerships with faith-based/community groups
• Prisoner Re-entry
• Non-profit funding strategy and sources

Visit our website at: http://www.dol.gov/cfbci and hit our Publications page at:http://www.dol.gov/cfbci/mml/view/OrderMaterials_Record.cfm to review and order what documents you want. Feel free to forward any of our documents or website to anyone they may remotely aide. This site is updated regularly with new documents, please check back regularly as several writings are expected in the near future.

Publications available for download or mail order:

Prisoner Reentry Toolkit 
This toolkit is a guide for faith-based or community organization interested in establishing or enhancing their prisoner reentry program. This document covers a variety of topics, such as recruiting, case management, job placement, and mentoring.

Mentoring Ex-Prisoners: A Guide for Prisoner Reentry Programs 
This manual provides guidelines and recommendations intended to address the challenges and to increase the benefits of mentoring adult ex-prisoners as part of their involvement in reentry programs.

Making a Difference through Strategic Business Partnerships 
This booklet reveals and highlights effective strategies for community and faith-based organizations to form fruitful partnerships with businesses which can provide jobs for their clients.

Directory of Foudation Workforce Grant Opportunities 
This directory provides a detailed list of private and corporate foundations that provide grant opportunities to FBCOs in order to give community organizations a clear and concise tool to pursue grants.

The Access Point Toolkit 
This Toolkit provides guidance for any local One-Stop Career Center or Workforce Investment Board that wants to create effective SHARE Network Access Points, from planning and outreach to implementing and sustaining the Access Points.  

Literature Review  
An in-depth literature review analyzing data regarding issues and trends of business and faith-based and community organization (FBCO) partnerships. Look at benefits of partnerships, challenges to business, and effective models of business, FBCO partnerships.

Touching Lives and Communites 
CFBCI has produced the Touching Lives and Communities Video Training Series. The series provides technical assistance in a number of area's, including strategic planning, board development, private and government funding, and program evaluation.

Grassroots Organizations Partnering with the One-Stop Career Center System: Lessons Learned from the Grantees

Grassroots Organizations Partnering with the One-Stop Career Center System: Lessons Learned from the Grantees

This report highlights the lessons learned from Grassroots FBCO grantees and Workforce Investment Boards/One-Stop Career Centers as they partnered with one another to serve Americans in need through the DOL-ETA Grants for Grassroots Organizations Partnering with the One-Stop Career Center System (Grassroots Grants). It highlights some examples of effective partnerships that grantee organizations and One-Stop Career Centers built together to better serve customers. This report is a guide for grassroots FBCOs that seek to establish partnerships with the Workforce Development System to help Americans in need to find and retain employment and then thrive in the workforce.

CFBCI issues two versions of this report here. Part One was developed for Grassroots Faith-Based and Community Organizations (FBCO) seeking to create partnerships with the Workforce Development System. Part Two was developed for Workforce Professionals seeking to create partnerships with FBCOs.

• Part 1: For Grassroots Faith-Based and Community Organizaitons
• Part 2: For Workforce Development System Professionals

State Reentry Policy Blueprint: Advice for State Policymakers on Designing Strategies That Improve Employment Outcomes and Increase Public Safety

State Reentry Policy Blueprint: Advice for State Policymakers on Designing Strategies That Improve Employment Outcomes and Increase Public Safety

The Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center, with support from the Department of Labor (DOL) Center for Faith Based and Comminity Initiatives, released A Sneak Peek: Advice for State Policymakers on Designing Strategies That Improve Employment Outcomes and Increase Public Safety. This publication provides a preview of an upcoming blueprint, made possible through the support of DOL and private foundations, to promote employment opportunities for people returning from prison or jail and others in neighborhoods that struggle with high crime, poverty, substance abuse, and other challenges. This resource will be useful for both state policymakers and FBCOs as they work to partner together.

• State Reentry Policy Blueprint: Advice for State Policymakers on Designing Strategies That Improve Employment Outcomes and Increase Public Safety(PDF)