Program Development

national faith-based client

A 165 year old national faith-based organization asked AIM to develop a program that would leverage the organization’s resources to promote church-led, sustainable, innovative, and mission-focused housing and economic development projects. The overarching goal was to provide local churches in high-need communities with the resources and expertise to initiate and complete high-impact projects on underutilized church-owned land and buildings.

AIM began by identifying the specific (re)development challenges and barriers faced by churches wishing to pursue mission-focused redevelopments and the various options currently available to faith-based organizations. Typical outcomes of decisions to sell or lease properties, lead developments, or partner with private developers were also considered. Insights from this work provided a framework for the program model.

The program model was designed to address identified gaps in real estate development expertise and lack of access to predevelopment funds, equity, debt financing and loan guarantees. The model also focuses on the various ways that our client’s funds could be leveraged to attract federal, state, and local public and private funding to mission-aligned church driven projects. Program development services included providing the client with a step by step implementation plan, program applications, review process and selection criteria, proposed contract and fee structures, and the creation of capacity building resources, including a church-specific real estate development guide.

The client has implemented the program and is currently working with churches in low-and moderate-income communities across the nation on projects that range from affordable housing to neighborhood retail development.