Titled “Collaborating for the Common Good: Faith-Based, Neighborhood, and Government Partnerships,” Kelley’s lecture was co-sponsored by the Center for the Study of Religion and the Wilson School and was the last lecture of the semester in the “Crossroads of Religion and Politics” series.
Approximately 25 students and community members attended the talk, in which Kelley described the White House’s mission to promote both secular and non-secular organizations.
She opened by citing President Barack Obama’s 2009 speech on the rationale behind reforming the Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. “ ‘The goal of this office will not be to favor one religious group over another, or even religious groups over secular groups,’ ” she quoted. “ ‘It will simply be to work on behalf of those organizations that want to work on behalf of our communities.’ ”
Kelley then enumerated the four broad goals of her department: supporting the role of such organizations during the economic recovery, promoting responsible fatherhood, ensuring maternal and infant health, and encouraging interfaith collaboration and dialogue.
The Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, a part of the Domestic Policy Council of the White House, has 12 partner centers across the country, she explained. These centers coordinate large conference calls, job-training opportunities and other support systems, or “tool kits,” for organizations across the country. For example, Kelley added, the office hosted a conference on foreclosure prevention for over 250 faith-based organizations last week.
However, she noted that the office does not financially support any organizations. “There’s a misconception that the White House has a pot of money just to give out, but none of our partners have grant money, control grant money or influence grant-making decisions,” Kelly said. Rather, she explained, the office seeks to be an open door or navigator through the government for organizations.
The office also supports capacity building, Kelley noted, helping to link or merge organizations so that they can be more effective.
Kelley also discussed some of the particular programs that the office implements, including some that, she said, are particularly dear to the president and the first lady. Obama has stressed paternal involvement in a child’s development, she said, while Michelle Obama ’85 has received support for her “Let’s Move!” initiative, which aims to solve childhood obesity, from community organizations aided by the Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.
Faith-based and community organizations such as these are important, Kelley explained, because “these people have the trust of the community and they’re on the front lines.” In addition, they can “reach the vulnerable populations” and “know often by heart the context and natures of the problems that their communities are facing,” she noted.
Attendees said they had mixed responses to the lecure.
Aarian Marshall ’12, an undergraduate fellow with the Center for Religious Studies who is writing her junior paper on faith-based political action, said that she found Kelley’s heavy focus on bureaucracy “not quite relevant” to her paper, but that the talk was still helpful.
Hamilton, N.J., residents John Zerillo and Joanne Sutera, who also attended the event, said that they frequently come to the University for lectures and had hoped to hear about faith-based organizations.
“I was a little disappointed that we did not hear more quantitative results,” Sutera said. “Especially with the budget the way it is today, different agencies and organizations may want more funding.”
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