PEOPLE ACTING TOGETHER IN HOWARD

Founded more than 50 years ago, the IAF works with more than 60 community organizations like PATH across the United States, and in Canada, Germany, and the United Kingdom. These organizations have produced impressive results in training thousands of ethnically, culturally, and economically diverse leaders to take action on community, city, and state issues. 

What does PATH do?

• PATH is building a base of power so citizens can influence the institutions that affect their lives.
• PATH engages congregation and community leaders in developing an agenda around issues that directly impact their lives, i.e. public schools, housing, youth, day care and transportation.
• PATH identifies and trains new leaders in the skills of public life, i.e., identification of issues, meeting facilitation, research skills, techniques to mobilize people, and negotiation.

What do PATH leaders believe?

• Democracy is not merely voting but actively engaging in the public arena to solve challenges in our communities.
• The "Iron Rule": Never do for others what they can do for themselves.
• Leaders are not born, but made.
• We believe in meeting face to face and developing the public relationships that are the glue of our society.
• We believe in building for power: power that is reciprocal, that is tempered by our religious traditions and power that creates a table that includes more people in the dynamics of public life.

What are the benefits to a congregation or organization?

• PATH will work with the congregation to identify and develop new leaders.
• PATH supports leaders in their efforts to effectively address the common, core issues that are impacting their lives and communities.
• PATH will develop a diverse team of leaders to support the congregation's internal development.
• All PATH member congregations are connected to a wide network of congregations that support one another in their local and countrywide campaigns. 

How can a congregation join?

• Congregation leaders will work with the organizer to build an PATH Action Team.
• Each member congregation will pay membership dues to support the work of the organization. The dues also pay for trainings, and local and county-wide actions.

How is PATH Funded?

• Dues: The majority of PATH�s funding is from dues from member congregations. This enables the organization to hire staff that are accountable to the member congregations.
   
• Foundations

• Catholic Campaign for Human Development
• Unitarian Universalist Veatch Program at Shelter Rock
• Horizon Foundation
• Chesapeake Bay Trust

• Private Donations: Each year PATH raises corporate funding and private donations.