Faith-based and community organizations serve some of the most vulnerable populations in the world. They are often the first in and the last to leave, and uniquely qualified to identify and meet local needs. USAID's Center for Faith and Opportunity Initiatives (CFOI) works to strengthen the Agency’s collaboration with faith-based and community organizations by:
 
Building Bridges:

• Provide guidance and connect these organizations with appropriate points of contacts within the Agency.
• Convene faith and community-based organizations with USAID leadership via regular meetings and roundtables to discuss shared priorities and catalyze further collaboration.
• Work to identify and lower barriers of entry experienced by faith and community organizations seeking to partner with USAID on shared development goals. 

Building Capacity:

• Provide USAID staff with data-driven tools, resources, and know-how on Strategic Religious Engagement, our model for working with local religious communities and partnering with faith-based organizations when and where appropriate.

Building Policy:

• Gather and analyze data on the role and impact of engaging with religious communities and partnering with faith-based organizations, in scenarios where this approach has contributed to both positive and negative outcomes.
• Represent USAID in interagency and international groups working at the intersection of religion and development, including interfaith dialogue and cooperation and international religious freedom.

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History

The Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives was established in 2002 by Executive Order 13280 with the intention of creating a “level playing field” for faith-based and community organizations competing for USAID program funding. A 2018 executive order changed the office’s name to the Center for Faith and Opportunity Initiatives (CFOI).

Faith and Community Organizations: Key Partners in the Journey to Self-Reliance

 

Contact us: cfoi@usaid.gov