Pilot program is for potential sponsors.

Area of Science:

• Organizational Development
• Leadership Studies
• Nonprofit Management

Background:

• Congregations are proactively identifying and developing future sponsors to ensure continuity.
• The Sisters of Mercy Regional Community of Chicago initiated a program to find suitable candidates for sponsorship ministry.
• Evolving forms of sponsorship necessitate placing lay individuals in roles traditionally held by women religious.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore changing forms of sponsorship within religious congregations.
• To identify and develop potential lay sponsors for leadership and governance positions.
• To assess the effectiveness of an introductory sponsorship program.

Main Methods:

• Conducted workshops for select board members of sponsored institutions in 2005.
• Developed and implemented the "Sponsorship Pilot" program from January to May 2006.
• Gathered feedback from participants and the wider congregation.

Main Results:

• The pilot program provided participants with an introduction to sponsorship responsibilities.
• Feedback indicated a need to include religious sisters, not just lay individuals, in sponsorship development.
• The initial focus solely on lay sponsors was identified as a mistake.

Conclusions:

• Key leaders in congregational ministries require increased understanding of sponsorship.
• Experiential programs like the Sponsorship Pilot are valuable for leadership development.
• Future sponsorship initiatives must be inclusive of both lay individuals and religious sisters.