The Interfaith Leadership Network

Interfaith Alliance recognizes the critical role faith leaders play in standing for the moral foundations of equity, dignity, and justice around the policy matters that affect the daily lives of people who live and work in communities across the country. That is why we are thrilled to announce the creation of the Interfaith Leadership Network.

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About the Interfaith Alliance Leadership Network

Interfaith Alliance’s Interfaith Leadership Network resources diverse clergy and faith leaders with the expertise, skills, and connections they need to affect change in their state and local communities. The ILN will support leaders with practical skills, financial resources, expert coaching, and a strong, collaborative network to advance civil rights and religious freedom across the country. Each ILN member will work in partnership with Interfaith Alliance to resource and complete a project that will address a critical need in their community. The ILN is a community of trusted colleagues, where members will be provided opportunities to hone practical skills and reflect on the work they are doing together.

This critical moment in our nation’s history calls for innovative approaches, creative problem-solving, and coalition-building. The Interfaith Leadership Network is a cohort that will meet these challenges with a bold vision for the future.

Interfaith Alliance’s network is comprised of diverse religious leaders committed to the promise of religious pluralism in America and who believe that religion should be a bridge, not a bludgeon, a means of connection, not division.

Often, religious leaders desire to make a difference in their communities but are not equipped with the specific skills, resources, or platform needed to make the impact to which they aspire. To meet this need, Interfaith Alliance is seeking faith leaders – including lay and community leaders – with a project in mind that will address a critical need in their community. The initial cohort will be a group of 10 to 15 persons who represent the diversity of faith and belief across geography, identity, age, politics, context (congregation and community), and background. Special consideration will be given to faith leaders who work in rural or underserved areas, or who work with marginalized or vulnerable groups.

Every member of the ILN will identify one critical issue in their community, guided by their perspective and community leadership, that they would like to galvanize the interfaith community to address. Interfaith Alliance will provide project grants of up to $5,000 and accompanying mentorship to carry them out, working with faith leaders to identify goals and metrics to measure the success of their respective projects. Interfaith Alliance will help faith leaders build skills in fundraising so that they will have ownership over the sustainability of these initiatives.

Interfaith Alliance will work with members of the ILN to develop a press and media strategy, that they will then be equipped to execute in collaboration with the national office in their state and local contexts. Interfaith Alliance will measure the instances and impact of members of our leadership network engaging with local and national media, drawing attention to critical issues. At the end of the year, there will be a map of initiatives across the country of faith-led projects impacting local communities, all woven together by Interfaith Alliance’s Interfaith Leadership Network.

Supporting local projects will also aid in creating the foundation for continued community engagement and building strong interfaith relationships. Local voices know the needs of their communities best. Interfaith Alliance offers a national perspective that can situate local issues within the broader conversation about how religion can be a positive force in achieving democracy together.

Training: Interfaith Alliance offers a growing suite of trainings to equip faith leaders with the tools they need, including but not limited to media and communications, building strong interfaith coalitions, mobilizing against religious extremism, disrupting hate online, get-out-the-vote and election initiatives, and a deep dive into the history of religious freedom. Our goal is to empower faith leaders to effect change on the local, state, and national levels.

Networking: We are stronger together. Interfaith Alliance’s Interfaith Leadership network connects leaders to a community of other faith leaders doing work across the country. Interfaith Alliance will provide opportunities for faith leaders to convene, strategize, share ideas, collaborate on projects, and learn from one another to build power, mitigate isolation, and foster resilience.

Convening: Interfaith Alliance will equip and support faith leaders to create convenings in their local communities, as well as join together with the broader Interfaith Alliance network in Washington, D.C, and for a convening created solely for members of the Interfaith Leadership Network. Interfaith Alliance will provide other opportunities throughout the year for faith leaders to travel and build relationships with other network members and organizations in their local contexts.

Resources: Interfaith Alliance will periodically have funding available to be applied for by individuals and groups of local leaders across the states to help with communication and mobilization around issues of protection of democracy and inclusive religious freedom. Interfaith Alliance will also provide trainings, explainers, toolkits, and other materials so that faith leaders can use them as tools to lead and equip their communities

Inform National Policy: Our national policy agenda related to the United States Congress and Supreme Court will be influenced and guided by hearing from members of the Interfaith Leadership Network to ensure that there is a mutual exchange that serves real people where they live and work. Interfaith Alliance will provide opportunities to speak with policymakers in support of our shared interests.

This critical moment in our history calls for bold leadership, creative approaches, and strong coalitions.

We invite you to fill out our brief application form to describe why you – or someone you know – would benefit from the resources and partnership of the ILN. When nominated, the nominated person will receive an email notifying them to fill out the application for consideration. Selected applicants will receive their formal invitations in the first week of April. The class will be announced and gather virtually ahead of Interfaith Alliance’s May convening, which will mark the launch of the ILN.

From May 28th to the 30th, members of the ILN will be sponsored to travel to Washington, DC, for a convening where leaders can network, learn, and imagine what it would look like to achieve democracy together.

Please note that members of the ILN are required to attend Interfaith Alliance’s May convening.

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Interfaith Alliance is currently accepting applications for the 2024 ILN cohort.

Would you or someone you know benefit from the resources and partnership of the Interfaith Leadership Network? Fill out the application form before April 1st, 2024.

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