Festival of Faiths: A Template

FESTIVAL OF FAITHS A Template

FESTIVAL OF FAITHS A Template

TABLE OF CONTENTS Now Is the Time to Create a Festival of Faiths.................................................................................. 6 The Festival of Faiths Celebrates Unity in Diversity....................................................................... 7 The Festival of Faiths Exerts a Positive Impact on a City .............................................................. 8 Creating a Festival of Faith: Initial Steps......................................................................................... 10 Acquire Good Leadership ....................................................................................................................... 10 Define a Purpose .................................................................................................................................... 10 Create a Mission Statement .................................................................................................................... 11 Celebrate Diversity........................................................................................................................... 11 Express Gratitude for Unity ............................................................................................................. 12 Strengthen the Role of Religion in Society through Common Action .............................................. 12 Build a Database .................................................................................................................................... 13

Planning a Festival of Faiths ............................................................................................................... 14 Create an Organizational Structure ........................................................................................................ 14 Assemble a Board of Directors.......................................................................................................... 14 Create an Organizational Chart ....................................................................................................... 14 Assemble a Festival Planning Committee ......................................................................................... 14 Preparation for Planning .................................................................................................................. 15 Coordinating a Festival of Faiths ............................................................................................................ 17 Selection of a Festival Theme............................................................................................................ 17 Assessment of Financial Resources.................................................................................................... 17 Budget ............................................................................................................................................. 18 Duration of the Festival of Faiths ..................................................................................................... 18 Venue for the Festival of Faiths......................................................................................................... 19 Develop a Timeline .......................................................................................................................... 20 Types of Events for the Festival of Faiths ........................................................................................... 20 Organizing Volunteers ..................................................................................................................... 23 Building Ties to the Media ............................................................................................................... 25 Evaluating the Festival of Faiths ....................................................................................................... 25 Creating Archives ............................................................................................................................. 25

Appendix A ............................................................................................................................................... 26 Chart of Organization ............................................................................................................................ 26 Roles and Responsibilities ...................................................................................................................... 27

Appendix B ............................................................................................................................................... 28 Sample Timeline .................................................................................................................................... 28

Appendix C ................................................................................................................................................ 30 Event Checklist ...................................................................................................................................... 30

Appendix D ............................................................................................................................................... 31 Sample Volunteer Guide ........................................................................................................................ 31 4

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he first Festival of Faiths in the United States was held in Louisville, Kentucky, in November 1996 for the purpose of celebrating the region’s rich religious diversity.

This was the first event in the nation to use the title, Festival of The template draws upon our experience of Faiths, which was subsequently copyrighted by the organization.

18 years in presenting Festivals of Faiths The Center for Interfaith Relations (CIR), the governing Board for and of 28 years as an organization. the Festival of Faiths, is, however, most eager for others to establish a Festival of Faiths in their own cities. This template has been prepared as an aid to those who are contemplating such an endeavor. The template draws upon our experience of 18 years in presenting Festivals of Faiths and of 28 years as an organization.

CIR has long desired to make such a template available and is grateful to the Rockefeller Family Fund for making it possible to do so.

In October 1998, two years after the first Festival of Faiths was presented, the United States Senate passed a resolution stating that the “Louisville Festival of Faiths should be commended and should serve as a model for similar festivals in other communities throughout the United States.” Two defining features of the Festival of Faiths appropriate time for this movement to emerge, as became apparent in these events from its early openness to religious diversity is a demand of the age, history. The first is that a Festival of Faiths benefits particularly in the United States, the most religiously the community by celebrating the religious diversity diverse nation in the world. A glance at America’s represented within it. The second is that the Festival can changing demographics underscores the need for best be understood as a movement rather than a unique openness. Between 1990 and 2001, the number of event; it is a model to be widely imitated throughout Americans self-identifying as Christians dropped from a nation whose social infrastructure is rapidly being 86 to 76 percent of the population. At the same time, defined by religious diversity. estimates suggest that there are five million Muslims Making this template available affirms our belief in the United States, a million Hindus, more than two that the Festival of Faiths should indeed become million Buddhists and nearly half a million Sikhs. the movement that it was meant to be. Now is an

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Now Is the Time to Create a Festival of Faiths The argument for interfaith outreach based upon demographics intensified after 9/11, according to Rev. Bud Heckman who, with Rori Picker Neiss, edited Interactive Faith: the Essential Interreligious CommunityBuilding Handbook. Before 9/11, he claims, immigrant communities had to learn to accept their exclusion from the Judeo-Christian mainstream, and thus to accept minority status as a fact of life. After 9/11, the burden of understanding was shifted to members of the predominant religions, who were forced to acknowledge that divisive tensions existed in society, and they were not in anyone’s best interest. It was time to get to know each other and to learn to love each other as well.

While the demographic argument can easily justify a Festival of Faiths in every American city, there are compelling reasons for creating Festivals of Faiths quite apart from this argument. The words of Thomas Merton explain clearly and simply why all sizeable American cities should want to host Festivals of Faiths:

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. . . we are already one. But we imagine that we are not. And what we have to recover is our original unity. What we have to be is what we are.

This is a profound insight, as it calls to mind the vast unity of all human life and all earth life that is, was or will be. This unity is beyond our grasp, but it is the most important feature of our existence. We cannot know who we are unless we have some understanding of this truth. Yet, Merton pointed out that while we are actually one, we can imagine that we are not, and one reason for this is our daily experience with diversity. We see examples of diversity everyplace, but only insight will lead us to perceive the “original unity” composed of this diversity. The intent of the Festival of Faiths is to enable us to reconcile diversity with unity and to do so within the context of the religions of the world, each one distinct but all together comprising the eternal harmony of a unified whole.

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The Festival of Faiths Celebrates Unity in Diversity A desire to create a communal understanding and appreciation of the reality of unity in diversity motivated the presentation of the first Festival of Faiths.

This notion had a long period of incubation in an organization called the Cathedral Heritage Foundation (CHF) formed in 1985 for the purpose of restoring, revitalizing, and sustaining Louisville’s Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Assumption. The goal of the project was to restore the Cathedral not only as a place of worship, but as a vital artistic, humane, and cultural resource for the entire community, nurturing a fully human life for all. This was the mission of the great medieval cathedrals and, to some extent, of this Cathedral in its early years during the late 19th century.

An appropriately interfaith Board was assembled to carry out this project, and during the course of its 10-year work on behalf of the Cathedral, it presented A T E M P L AT E

many artistic and interfaith programs for the benefit of the entire community. Eleven years after the Cathedral Heritage Foundation board was assembled, the first Festival of Faiths was presented in 1996.

The evolution from the Cathedral project to the creation of a Festival of Faiths is remarkable to note.

The thread running through this entire development is a confidence in religion to serve the common good.

Religion’s expression for the common good is “the good of one’s neighbor.” All religions believe that their members must serve their neighbor. The entire schedule of events of a Festival of Faiths is designed to create opportunities for placing religious traditions in dialogue with each other so that participants will be able to recognize one another as neighbors. As neighbors, in accord with their respective beliefs, they can join in serving the needs of their common neighbors.

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The Festival of Faiths Exerts a Positive Impact on a City The Festival of Faiths is widely acknowledged as an asset to the city of Louisville, having contributed to enhancing the quality of life in several distinctive ways.

The Festival of Faiths 1. unites the community; 2. demonstrates that religious pluralism is good for a community;

3.

4.

5.

builds interfaith understanding; nurtures community through enlightened programs; stimulates common action to meet community needs.

1. The Festival of Faiths Unites the Community The Festival of Faiths is one of the most broadlybased organizations in the community, reaching out to all people of faith regardless of age or occupation. Underlying this outreach is the presumption that we are, in fact, all one, but because each is a diverse component of this unity, each has something unique to contribute to the whole. The broad range of persons summoned to come together recalls the vast unity of all human life and all earth life that is, was, or will be, each interrelated with and interdependent upon each other. Unity within the community, as within all planetary life, involves a broad range of relationships between and among component parts. Because of its broad outreach, the Festival of Faiths has been one of Louisville’s most powerful instruments for motivating harmony by creating a will to benefit from the rich resources of diversity.

2. Religious pluralism is good for a community When faith groups lack a strong incentive to celebrate the benefits of religious pluralism, they can become enclaves that compartmentalize a 8

community. Under these circumstances, the community is splintered into separate minority groups, often distrustful of each other. Celebrating religious pluralism challenges this isolationism.

The realization that some religious traditions have been revered by millions of people over the course of thousands of years is cause for respect.

In many instances, these traditions have inspired artistic, architectural, and literary masterpieces as well as admirable customs and practices. The Festival of Faiths, in its celebration of diversity, shines a bright light on world religions and the accomplishments that they have achieved in their mission of leading people to God. In this day of religious pluralism, any community stands to benefit from the exposure to the countless benefits deriving from religions that a Festival of Faiths provides.

3. The Festival of Faiths builds interfaith understanding Charles Osgood, in speaking of the Festival of Faiths almost 20 years ago, observed that “In some places in the world religion separates and divides people, but in Louisville, Kentucky, it is bringing them together.” The Festival of Faiths encourages members of diverse faith traditions to meet each other, and makes it easy for them to do so. The Festival of Faiths challenges the notion that “the other” is to be feared, or constitutes a threat to one’s commitment to a certain faith tradition.

There is no religious mainstream within the Festival of Faiths; no world religion is relegated to minority status. At the Festival of Faiths, each religious tradition is equally “other,” that is to say, distinctively itself. The Festival exists to place these distinctive parts in dialogue with each other so as to build understanding and mutual respect among religious groups. It is doubtful that community building can take place in any American city today unless strong bonds of interreligious trust are woven.

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4. The Festival of Faiths nurtures community through quality programs

5. The Festival of Faiths stimulates common action to meet community needs

The Festival of Faiths attempts to build community through relevant programs of high quality. To this end, the Festival invites the great forward thinkers and innovators of our day to its platform. Over the course of its 18-year history, distinguished speakers from around the world have presented their ideas, among them religious and scientific leaders as well as policy makers. Festival programs have included not only keynote addresses, but also interfaith prayer services, art and photography exhibits, a Sufi concert, events designed for young people and for families, films, and facilitated discussions on topics ranging from land sustainability to racism. Among its distinguished guests are Wendell Berry, Sheikh Hamza Yusuf, Gina McCarthy, Rabbi Arthur Green, Robert Kennedy, Jr., Swami Didi Ji, Chief Francois Paulette, Diana Eck, Bill McKibben, Richard Rohr, OFM, Jill Bolte Taylor, and Martin Marty.

Discussion beyond the Festival has been encouraged by tool kits, containing a booklet of stimulating articles on the Festival theme and an appropriate DVD as well. To the extent possible, Festival programs are offered free-of-charge so that they can be available to the entire community.

The Festival of Faiths makes use of its broad outreach to direct awareness to community needs. Examples abound, but a few will serve as illustration. A Festival celebrating Sacred Soil, one in a four-year series on the primal elements, created an ongoing program focused upon meeting the demands of sustainable agriculture on nearby lands owned by religious communities. A program on local homelessness sparked community response and was a factor in a community program called “the race to end homelessness.� Recent Festivals on the theme of Compassion have reinforced Mayor Greg Fischer’s commitment to the Charter for Compassion, designating Louisville a Compassionate City.

Through the Festival of Faiths, religious organizations have the opportunity to move the city to a level of maturity that insists upon responsibly meeting the challenges posed by persistent human needs: food, clothing and shelter; healthcare; safety; acceptance, belonging and self-esteem; education; beauty and transcendence; outlets for creativity and so much more. Through common action, pulpits partner with individuals and organizations to solve problems and to create the will to promote the general welfare.

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1 Creating a Festival of Faith: Initial Steps A. Acquire Good Leadership The first Festival of Faiths was able to draw upon the seasoned guidance of the CHF board. This board had a clear sense of mission and identity, and an extraordinary capacity for leadership. The board was religiously diverse, composed largely of established, responsible, and imaginative leaders in the community. Among them were business executives, religious leaders, patrons of the arts, of historical preservation, of education, and other pursuits. All of them were individuals who were appreciative of the role that religion can play in the community. Moreover, these board members had access to the funding required first of all for the Cathedral project and then for a successful Festival of Faiths. It seems clear that neither project would have come to fruition without such leadership.

Based upon our experience, our first recommendation is to acquire appropriate leadership and the broad-based support that you will need to create a Festival of Faiths. A good place to start is to convene a meeting charged with the task of exploring the feasibility of offering a Festival of Faiths. In attendance should be leaders, religious and lay, from the faith traditions represented in your community as well as key civic and business representatives. In this initial outreach you will begin to build the network of community support that you will need for a Festival of Faiths. Before convening this meeting, we suggest that you review carefully this template so that you will be able to present a clear definition of a Festival of Faiths, its benefits to your community and some idea of necessary resources. If it is successful, your first meeting should conclude with a pledge of broad-based support for a Festival of Faiths in your community.

The agenda for your first meeting might include the following: • Explain the concept of a Festival of Faiths • Suggest some positive benefits that a Festival of Faiths would bring to your community • Survey invited guests for a pledge of support for a Festival of Faiths 10

• Survey resources available within the group, such as office space, administrative assistance, use of mailing lists, professional advice in organizing, marketing, etc.

• Call for volunteers to assume leadership roles Subsequent meetings will follow from this initial one, with leadership emerging from within the group.

One of the most important activities of the founding group is to expand the organization, attracting the human resources required to meet envisioned goals.

B. Define a Purpose Before you proceed much farther, you would be well advised as a group to spend some time reflecting upon your purpose and subjects related to this. You need to be quite clear on the uniqueness of the role of the Festival of Faiths in the community, a role that is not duplicated by any other interfaith organization.

A brief survey of the many websites for interfaith groups and organizations currently in existence affirms this. Many interfaith organizations exist to promote dialogue, to combat injustice, to resist hatred of a particular religious group or to create peace. Some are grassroots organizations that came into existence in reaction to particular events within the community, the nation or the world.

The Festival of Faiths, in contrast, was founded to celebrate religious diversity, recognizing it first as a community asset with an endless supply of resources and also as an outward sign of the vast unity of all human and earth life. This celebration has become all the more relevant today, when virtually every American city has become religiously diversified through immigration patterns of the last century, offering unprecedented possibilities for growth through interreligious and cultural exchange. The more one reflects upon religious diversity the more one becomes aware of the virtually endless possibilities that can derive from it.

Secondly, a core belief of the Festival of Faiths is that the Spirit is alive in every established religion and FESTIVAL OF FAITHS

therefore, every act of worship by every single person is a blessing to one and all alike. This belief makes it possible for us to invite the entire community to come together in thanksgiving for all of its Hindus, Jews, Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Sikhs, Baha’is and others. It also encourages us to appreciate the particularity of each tradition, each having served as a guide to truth for countless believers over the course of many years. To be able to engage such a group of people in common action for the good of the community is indeed a blessing.

Finally, the Festival of Faiths stands on the principle that individuals can grow spiritually within their own faith tradition through interreligious exchange.

Certainly, for example, Thomas Merton felt that he could become a better Catholic monk through his exchange with Buddhist monks, culminating in his meeting with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The Festival of Faiths’ appreciation for religious diversity is an appreciation for the particularity of each faith tradition.

Within the context of the Festival of Faiths, common action is the vehicle for interreligious exchange, and each person is encouraged to participate in this action in accord with his or her beliefs and practices. The Festival of Faiths affirms that any perception of unity apart from the reality of diversity is an illusion.

Key points that you might make in defining the purpose of a Festival of Faiths would include the following: • The Festival of Faiths embraces the notion that communities are enriched through their religious diversity, which offers opportunities for interreligious and cultural exchange as well as for common action for the good of all.

• As an interfaith organization, the Festival of Faiths is unique in adopting as its purpose the celebration of religious diversity and promoting common action among all houses of worship in its community.

• The celebration of religious diversity is timely, as America has become the most religiously diverse nation on the planet.

• The celebration of a more encompassing religious diversity precludes provincialism and opens us up to a more mature understanding of the unity of

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the whole of human and earth life, composed of its diverse parts.

• The celebration of diversity opens up our minds and hearts to the expansive reach of inclusion, which culminates in the perception of the unity envisioned by Thomas Merton when he proclaimed that “we are already one.”

C. Create a Mission Statement You are ready to write your mission statement after having reflected sufficiently upon your purpose.

This statement will give direction and purpose to your resolve. The mission statement of the Festival of Faiths might serve as an example: 1. To celebrate the diversity of regional faith traditions 2. To express gratitude for our unity 3. To strengthen the role of religion in society through common action

1. Celebrate Diversity It is important to note at the outset that an appreciation for religious diversity need not signal the abandonment of one’s religious commitment or practices. To the contrary, this appreciation is founded upon the belief mentioned above that the Spirit is at work in all religions. Thomas Merton once commented that those who want to find God, do so, but not necessarily in the same way. The pursuit of the divine has for thousands of years sent many people down many paths. Merton’s own quest led him to seek spiritual guidance beyond Christianity, particularly in the meditative traditions of Tibetan Buddhism. Merton found this experience spiritually enriching, developing what Bud Heckman terms in his book on the subject, “interactive faith.”

For Merton, religious diversity occasioned a personal awakening to a deeper spiritual life as a Catholic monk. There is, however, more to be considered. Francis X. Clooney, S.J. has observed that in the current world, “no religious community is exempt from the pressures of diversity or incapable of profiting from drawing on this new religious template” (Comparative Theology, 3).

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Diversity always presents an array of “others,” and certain pressures can result from this. Rather than force themselves to deal with “others,” some might withdraw into a comfort zone of familiarity, shutting out unwanted intrusion. Others might bend over backwards to accommodate the “other” to the point of losing their own religious identity.

While it is possible to lose one’s way in the thicket of diversity, it is also possible to find that “others” can be enormously interesting and at the same time, in harmony with one’s own religious beliefs and practices. Religious diversity’s most important feature is that it can open up an insight into the myriad possibilities that exist in religion. Festivals of Faiths can effectively bring to light such possibilities.

2. Express Gratitude for Unity Expressing gratitude for our unity follows upon the celebration of religious diversity. At the Festival of Faiths, Hindus, Buddhists, Jews, Christians, Muslims, Baha’is, Sikhs and Indigenous people come together in the spirit of trust and openness to share with all an event sacred to their tradition. A recent Festival focusing on the theme of Sacred Fire: Light of Compassion, fell on the weekend of Diwali, the Hindu New Year. Local Hindus offered a Havan, or fire ceremony, appropriate to the feast, and an engaging story-telling from the Ramayana of the exiled Hindu Ram and Queen Sita and their battle against evil and darkness. At the same Festival, the Muslim community presented a Sufi concert, highlighted by the poetry of Rumi and whirling dervishes.

Throughout this Festival, Indigenous participants guarded the sacred fire, lighted from coals handed down from the Eternal Fire of the Potawatomi.

Programs such as the ones just mentioned can be offered only within a culturally and religiously diverse community. Such programs, traditional to some, usher others into exotic new worlds.

Each participates from his or her position on the spectrum of diversity, hearing, as it were, in the language of his or her own religious tradition.

This mutual but diversified benefit constitutes a remarkable experience of unity in multiplicity. This is the unity envisioned in the mission statement of the Festival of Faiths, validating the belief that we can all live and work together, becoming in the 12

process more mature individuals, grateful for the benefits of a richly diverse community.

3. Strengthen the Role of Religion in Society through Common Action The third component of the Festival of Faiths’ mission statement, strengthening the role of religion in society, represents a commitment to common action on behalf of the entire community. Communities stand to benefit enormously from the shared activity of the large number of people of faith within them.

Realizing this, the Festival encourages its participants to join in the spirit of compassion for the betterment of their neighbors and of their planet as well.

Common action is, therefore, a distinctive feature of every Festival of Faiths. A crucial planning decision is the selection of an action that can be supported by all faith traditions, that will benefit the entire community, and that relates to the Festival theme.

The 2010 Festival of Faiths adopted the theme of Sacred Air: Breath of Life. Because trees play an important role in safeguarding air quality, the common action adopted for this Festival centered on the proper selection and planting of trees, as well as care for them. Certainly, this adoption elicited broad support and created an opportunity for persons of all religious traditions to share their beliefs and practices regarding stewardship for the earth. It gave a particularly strong voice to local Buddhists and Hindus, who have long stressed the importance of air and breathing to physical and spiritual health.

It is important to note that this third component generates among Festival-goers significant contributions of time, talent, and treasure to the local community and creates as well an opportunity for partnerships among the civic, business, and religious communities. Following the 2010 Festival, Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer, a longtime supporter of the Festival and former CIR board member, established an Advisory Council on Trees. As a result, areas of greatest need for a canopy were identified, and some businesses have stepped forward to fund these needs, joining in the effort to safeguard “sacred air.” The most rewarding result of this common action is that it has raised consciousness of the importance of trees and, following from this, of the necessity for planting them wisely, FESTIVAL OF FAITHS

compatible with their identity, the planting site, and the function that they are to serve. Since the 2010 Festival, neighborhood planners or renovators contact our office intermittently to report on tree projects or to seek advice on them.

D. Build a Database The first practical step toward creating a Festival of Faiths is the creation of a database. Fortunately, most communities already have organizations, secular and religious, that would be receptive to the notion of interfaith outreach and networking. Many such organizations exist to advocate for a particular cause, to promote dialogue among groups in the interest of improving relationships, or to provide a needed service within the community. Some groups might have connections to national organizations while others could be grassroots in nature, founded to promote a particular goal within a specific venue. These groups can constitute the foundation for a database, the creation of which is a necessary early step in engaging the community.

Following are suggestions for further steps that might be taken in creating a useful database:

faith traditions and cultural backgrounds. The book is meant as a follow-up to How to be a Perfect Stranger: The Essential Religious Etiquette Handbook,” by Stuart Matlins and Arthur Magida, also very helpful. The chapter on “Interfaith Organizations and the Web” provides a fine inventory of interreligious resource organizations.

5. You will note that the inventory of interreligious resource organizations is vast. We recommend that you check regularly with United Religions Initiative at its website, www.uri.org., as its tool kits, addressing many initiatives, are most helpful.

Creating a useful database is time consuming, but it is an effort that offers many rewards. Your research will enable you to meet the people who share your interests and to begin building the trust and cooperation in the community that your project requires. From this community outreach, your leadership will be able to strengthen its ability to represent the religious composition of the community.

1. Conduct a census of the houses of worship in your area and note all contact information. Some of this information may be available at a website managed by local government. Information is also available in directories published annually by some religious organizations.

2. Conduct a census of interreligious resources in your area. This information will have to be collected from several sources. A good place to begin a search is with area “Religious Organizations;” then proceed to particular local faith traditions; then to national and international “interfaith/interreligious organizations” as a clue to finding local affiliates.

3. Contact or visit local houses of worship and inquire about any interfaith activity and the names of and contact information for those involved.

4. Acquire a copy of Interactive Faith: the Essential Interreligious Community-Building Handbook, ed.

by Rev. Bud Heckman with Rori Picker Neiss.

This award-winning, book provides indispensible information on connecting with people of all A T E M P L AT E

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2 Planning a Festival of Faiths A. Create an Organizational Structure

3. Review and approve all programs

1. Assemble a Board of Directors

5. Create strategic plans

After having made some strides in creating a database and in writing a mission statement, you are ready to begin the planning process by creating an organizational structure, beginning with a Board of Directors. This level of governance is a necessity for establishing a firm foundation for the planning that you are about to undertake. As mentioned above, a successful Festival of Faiths requires the leadership of community and religious persons who have the experience and stature to obtain broad local engagement. In addition, in order for Board members to offer the leadership that is entrusted to them, they need to understand thoroughly the unique features of a Festival of Faiths. (More will be said about these features below). A weekend retreat for Directors, dedicated to preparing them to assume their leadership role, is strongly recommended. If funding allows, the Festival of Faiths would be happy to host such a retreat, preferably in Louisville, where helpful human and material resources are available.

In addition to meeting the general requirement of leadership and community stature, Directors collectively should reflect the interfaith mission of a Festival of Faiths, representing as many faith traditions as possible within the area. One Board member should serve as Chairperson of the Festival of Faiths, the manner of selection being determined by the Board. General Board responsibilities begin with defining the organization as non-profit and satisfying the local, state, and national requirements for obtaining tax-exempt status. Once other required documents, including by-laws and articles of incorporation, have been adopted, the Board is ready to assume customary responsibilities, such as the following: 1. Set the mission and the tone of the organization

4. Oversee operations

6. Create fundraising and development plans 7. Review and approve an annual budget 8. Review and approve auditing and accounting procedures 9. Review annually Form 990

2. Create an Organizational Chart Even a group planning its first Festival of Faiths will benefit from an organizational chart that envisions the broad range of responsibility involved in this undertaking. A sample chart is provided as Appendix A, with a summary of duties assigned to each office. Those using this template will, no doubt, alter this chart to suit their particular needs.

3. Assemble a Festival Planning Committee a. Composition Membership on the Planning Committee should be composed of volunteers and open to all who wish to serve, as well as to persons recruited out of regard for the skills and experience that they are able to contribute. Care needs to be taken to assure that members, both religious and lay, reflect all of the faith traditions in the community. You will want to attract attendees to the Festival from the various houses of worship in your area, from the business, civic, and medical communities, from educational institutions at every level, from a wide range of service providers, activists, and many others. Keep in mind that a successful Festival attempts to engage the entire community and plans its programs and its strategy for outreach accordingly. You will need people on your Planning Committee who collectively can reach out to a diverse community.

2. Provide advice, counsel, and support as needed

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b. Preparation for Planning Once your volunteers for the Planning Committee are identified, attention should be directed to two important tasks, both of which can be carried out by the Festival Chairperson and any other Director(s) of his or her choice. They need to communicate clearly to the volunteers the unique character of a Festival of Faiths. In addition, they must assess the level of commitment on the part of volunteers to a Festival of Faiths.

(1) Understand the Unique Qualities of a Festival of Faiths It is important that planners understand the particular characteristics of a Festival of Faiths as a starting point for their activities. To reiterate, these qualities all have a communal impact and can be described as follows: a. A celebration of religious diversity b. An expression of gratitude for unity c. A strengthening of the role of religion in the community through common action

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As one thinks about celebrating religious diversity, one might be inclined to reflect upon the thousands of years of war, brought on by fervent religious intolerance for diversity.

More immediately, one might recall Samuel Huntington’s argument in The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order (1996) that post-Cold War conflict would have its root cause in cultural diversity rather than ideological differences. We witness on a daily basis the intolerance for cultural and religious diversity expressed in hate crimes all over the globe. Yet, while we acknowledge the historical and contemporary resistance to “otherness,” we are drawn to the observation of Francis X. Clooney quoted above, that “no religious community is … incapable of profiting from drawing on this new religious template” of diversity.

While the Festival of Faiths celebrates diversity, it does so within the context of the vast unity of which all life is a part. The late Father Thomas Berry and other eco-theologians across the religious spectrum have provided valuable insights into the nature of this vast unity.

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They invite us to see ourselves as members of one family, related to each and every species that has preceded us, joined in an intricate and interdependent connection with the whole of creation over the course of over 13 billion years. We are also to note that we are related with all emergent creation, participating in a life so vast as to elude our grasp.

The Festival of Faiths not only provides an opportunity to glimpse this sweeping view of unity but to appreciate as well the distinctiveness of the participating religious traditions. At the Festival, each of the various religions is showcased, revealing among many other things its traditions of prayer and meditation, the responsibilities that it assumes toward the poor, and the truths that it holds inviolate. While there is far more to know about the religions of the world than can ever be revealed in a Festival of Faiths, one truth that the Festival underscores is that the people of diverse religious groups share values that enable them to work together for the good of the community that they share.

Another conviction of the Festival of Faiths is that communities benefit from religion, especially when believers of all persuasions work together as neighbors. Such a group of people has enormous resources upon which to draw, gleaned from the beliefs and practices that have been cherished by diverse believers for many, many years. Common action for the good of all is the outward sign of compassion, the virtue that, according to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, underlies personal happiness as well as the happiness of others.

Although a Festival may last only a few days, the relationships that are forged by those who volunteer and attend become vital community resources and offer leadership potential for many who may not have been identified by the traditional power structure, which has often excluded racial and religious minorities. These relationships are the building blocks for a more compassionate and inclusive city.

(2) Assess the Level of Commitment of Festival Planners You will be looking to the Festival planners for a wide variety of services — for decisionmaking, organizational skills, and a broad range of other resources. Because its staffing is largely composed of volunteers, Festivals of Faiths thrive on the commitment of those who believe in the enterprise and find fulfillment in bringing it to reality. Probably the best measure of commitment is the dedication that one has for making his or her community aware of and appreciative of its religious and cultural diversity. If one is irresistibly attracted to this goal and wants to talk to and work with others who are like minded, then his or her commitment is assured. You need to know that you have the support of people whose commitment is assured. Otherwise, you could be left with the work of coordinating a Festival of Faiths without a suitable staff. What constitutes a suitable staff will become clear in this next section, which deals with the principal tasks involved in coordinating a Festival of Faiths.

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B. Coordinating a Festival of Faiths 1. Selection of a Festival Theme Selecting a theme for the Festival of Faiths is primary, and on this, both the Board and the Planning Committee should be involved. It is important that the theme be inclusive and rooted in the beliefs and practices of all faith traditions.

Our experience suggests that a theme that can be envisioned as part of a series works best, as it allows an opportunity to build upon what has been established. Recently, a series of Festivals of Faiths was presented on the Primal Elements. Hindus, Jews, Christians, Muslims, Sikhs, Baha’is and Native Americans found in their beliefs and practices directives for good stewardship and assurances that the elements are sacred because they come from God and in some way provide opportunities for encounters with the divine. This series led quite naturally to a current series on compassion as the outgrowth of the practice of meditation.

2. Assessment of Financial Resources At this point in the process, you have confidence in a high level of commitment on the part of Festival planners and have probably identified the ones who will play key roles. You have decided on a theme that you expect to be effective in bringing faith communities together in a celebration of diversity.

You need now to assess the financial resources at your disposal. Your initial guidelines for raising and spending money will be determined by whether or not the Festival needs to pay for itself. In either case, you will need to raise money.

A preliminary step in this process is to prepare a list of possible partnerships and donors. The Board should play a key role in the composition of this list because its members probably will have the greatest access to community and religious leaders as well as to individuals of means who support the idea of a Festival of Faiths in your community. As nearly as you can assess, use the list to compose an “ask list,” broken down into suggested levels of giving.

Depending upon your community, the levels might range from $10,000 or more to $250 or less.

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Next, a list of assignments must be made so that personal appeals can be made to every prospective donor at or above a certain level. These appeals can best be made by persons who are comfortable asking the prospective donor for a contribution.

Before direct appeals can be made, however, decisions can be made on benefits to be awarded to donors at each level. These awards might take the form of complementary tickets to Festival events or to a dinner given sometime during the Festival for donors. Also, letters should be sent to prospective donors telling them something about the proposed Festival of Faiths, specifying the amount of the “ask,” and informing them that they will soon be contacted by a representative of the Festival. Donors identified at lower levels can be approached through personal letters with no obligation to make a direct contact.

These letters could very well be your first large contact with the community, and they need to represent you well. By now, you need your logo and your Festival stationery. From now on, you can expect to experience more and more the need for administrative assistance and for minimal office space. If you are fortunate, you will be able to get along at this point with volunteer help and donated space and equipment. You will want to avoid the expense of an office, even modestly staffed with paid employees, for as long as you can.

Even before the “asks” are made, your donor list will enable you to set a fundraising goal, which will provide an estimate of resources that will be at your disposal. Bear in mind, however, that expectations often considerably exceed and rarely underestimate reality. Such thinking can be helpful in enabling you to frame realistic possibilities for Festival events.

Along with your estimate of access to resources, you will need to estimate Festival expenses. The fundraising goal that seems within reach will provide a good idea of the level of community commitment for your venture. In addition, it will enable you to make decisions on the sale of tickets for Festival events or for designing other strategies that will enable you to present the Festival of Faiths that you have envisioned.

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As the vision of Festival events takes shape, you will be in a position to evaluate and expand upon your initial “ask list,” including possible partnerships as well as other donors. Partners include a wide range of donors. Some provide in-kind services; others might be willing to underwrite an entire event in which they share a strong interest; still others might cover a speaker’s fee or sponsor a reception following an event, perhaps so that their membership can enjoy an audience with the speaker. Most partners will assist in promotion through sharing website information and posting your logo, enabling you to become known and trusted in the community.

Another item to be considered in assessing financial resources is money that can be raised from the sale of tickets to events or from the sale of merchandise.

It is also possible to schedule a fundraising event within the Festival, such as an elegant dinner or an address by a popular speaker who draws large audiences. While people are willing to buy tickets to such events, the events themselves are costly and demand careful planning. With an effective marketing campaign, such events can not only pay for themselves but can raise money as well.

Sponsoring partners for such events are certainly desirable, even necessary, as a safeguard against financial losses.

3. Budget Recently, the overall budget for the Festival of Faiths, a five consecutive-day event, was around $250,000, which was raised through a combination of fundraising and ticket sales. This figure includes staff salaries as well as costs directly related to the Festival itself. A rough breakdown of expense categories follows: • Rental fees for venue • Design, décor, a/v rental • Mailing • Printing, Signage • Marketing • Honoraria • Lodging and hospitality for Festival presenters

• Catering • Special services, including parking, insurance, etc.

• Staff salaries • Miscellaneous The Festival of Faiths can approximate overall costs and assets from experience and is therefore able to set realistic parameters for each event as the Festival schedule of events is conceptualized. These parameters include an assessment of the number of volunteers needed, of partnerships that might be developed to assist in underwriting certain costs as well as in creating an audience.

If you are planning a Festival of Faiths for the first time, you will have a rough notion of likely assets from your assessment of financial resources.

Working from that, you might find helpful the above list of cost categories as a budget guide for the event that you wish to offer, enabling you to make important decisions on issues such as duration, venue, and program goals. These issues are variables that are directly related to financial resources, and these resources tend to increase over time, encouraging ever more ambitious Festivals of Faiths.

4. Duration of the Festival of Faiths The Festival of Faiths usually takes place over a period of five consecutive days which includes the first weekend in November. Exceptions are made during a presidential election year to avoid competing with “election fever.” In this case, the Festival is held later in the month. While the Festival places value on adhering to a predictable period of time for its events, from time to time, adjustments are necessary. For example, Mayor Greg Fischer requested that a Festival of Faiths be offered in May 2013 as a lead-in to a visit of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Even though this represented a notable departure from our normal schedule, the occasion warranted it. At the same time, we felt it imperative to honor public expectations, so a Festival of Faiths is planned for November 2013 as well.

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FESTIVAL OF FAITHS

The point to be emphasized is that the decision on dates for the Festival of Faiths is important. Items that must be taken into consideration when selecting dates are the holidays and sacred days observed by local faith communities and traditional events that have established positions in the community calendar. Given the competition for a place on this calendar, choosing dates carefully is important, and once such choices are made, it is wise to assume ownership over this period of time. You want the community to reserve time for your event, and this obliges you to be consistent in your planning.

The duration of a Festival of Faiths is driven primarily by access to financial resources. A Festival of Faiths can range from a single event to a weeklong series of events. A Festival can be offered seasonally, with a single event or more offered several times during the course of the year. In any case, the duration must be scaled to available resources, and decisions governing scale impact every other planning decision that you will make.

The Festival of Faiths has opted for a five-consecutive day format rather than for an equal number of days spread out over the course of the year. We believe that the Festival gains emphasis from its duration.

It provides an opportunity for all faith traditions to present a program, highlighting the importance of the Festival theme in the faith life as well as in the daily life of their members. Out of this involvement comes an impetus for a diversified participation in common action, each person in accord with his or her beliefs and practices. One of the impressive outcomes of the Festival of Faiths is the recognition that people of widely different beliefs and practices can be variously motivated to work toward achieving the same goal.

Examples abound, but one particularly clear one emerged from a recent menu-planning session, where the guest of honor was Hindu. Some placed an emphasis on serving only locally grown foods at the vegetarian luncheon. Others insisted on preparing vegetables and fruits without adornment, such as sauces of any kind. Food should place one close to nature and tasting the natural flavors accomplishes this. In the end, the values of both directed the selection and preparation of food for what turned out to be a very successful meal.

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Duration also allows the time for a widely varied program, involving distinguished keynote speakers, panel discussions in which local leaders participate, films, art exhibits, interfaith prayer services, programs for youths, for families, and for serving business, civic, medical and educational interests.

The production challenges to such an event are apparent, as are the costs. Size, however, is a variable in planning a Festival of Faiths; scale is the constant.

5. Venue for the Festival of Faiths Most Festival of Faiths events are presented at a designated site, but cooperative arrangements are worked out with organizations such as the Rotary Club, the Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, and other educational institutions that find it convenient to feature Festival speakers at their regularly scheduled events. Such arrangements enable the Festival of Faiths to reach larger audiences, and they encourage partnering relationships, helping to achieve the goal of reaching out to the entire community.

In other cases, some programs have to be presented at special venues, such as a house of worship for an interfaith prayer service, or a theater for an event such as a Sufi concert, which attracts a larger audience than the designated venue can accommodate. While the Festival of Faiths places value on adhering to a central location for its events, it is willing to make reasonable exceptions.

The venue for the Festival of Faiths changes from time to time, depending upon varying Festival needs and availability. Normally, sites can be considered that meet space requirements, are accessible to differently-abled persons, have access to convenient parking, and meet other requirements such as adequate kitchen and bathroom facilities. Other desirable amenities are a stage with suitable lighting, sufficient electrical outlets, and WiFi. Every Festival of Faiths will not have the same venue requirements.

It is wise, however, to assess your needs before selecting a venue, as it is difficult to “make do� when what is available to you is not what you need. Large modifications, requiring carpentry or electrical services, can be quite expensive.

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6. Develop a Timeline Planning a Festival of Faiths is a year-round process involving a large number of people. The Executive Director should assume responsibility for developing a timeline and for monitoring it, making sure that the process remains on track. A sample timetable appears as Appendix B.

7. Types of Events for the Festival of Faiths Several factors must be kept in mind when planning Festival of Faiths events. The theme, budget, and venue will provide initial guidelines. Other factors of importance include the classification of the event and the target audience.

a. ClassiďŹ cation of Festival Event (1) Perennial Events Events, as plants, can be classified as perennial or annual. Just as a garden benefits from the presence of both types of plants, so does the Festival of Faiths. Perennial events include an opening ceremony called the Interfaith Thanksgiving Service, an Interfaith Prayer Breakfast, a Children of Abraham Dinner and an elaborate dinner to honor donors and volunteers. There is merit in creating perennial events that easily adapt to the Festival theme, as they create an element of familiarity in the community and attract a regular following. Partners for such events are usually forthcoming.

The Interfaith Thanksgiving Service opens the Festival of Faiths. It is held in a house of worship large enough to accommodate attendance, creating an advantageous interfaith outreach, and it is held in the early evening. To emphasize from the outset the spirit of celebration of diversity that will persist throughout the Festival, the Service is followed by a reception where a light buffet that observes every dietary restriction is available to all, free of charge.

The Interfaith Prayer Breakfast, scheduled at 7:30 a.m., is a pay-for-itself event at $25.00 per person, and is usually offered at the Festival site as a catered, buffet meal. As this event is always well attended (between 350-400 persons), a 20

prominent keynote speaker is featured. Perhaps more than any other Festival of Faiths event, the Prayer Breakfast makes a strong appeal to the business and to the religious community as well. Both local corporations and religious organizations routinely sponsor tables of 10 to accommodate their people.

The Children of Abraham Dinner rotates from Temple Shalom, to James Lees Memorial Presbyterian Church, to a local mosque.

The event, which proposes to pay for itself, includes an interfaith prayer service and a dinner reflective of the tradition of the host but at the same time, observant of the relevant dietary restrictions. This event had a life of its own before the Festival of Faiths was launched, and it retains its own identity within the larger interfaith outreach of the Festival of Faiths. Recalling their common fatherhood in Abraham, attendees of this event each year make a prayerful and passionate appeal for harmony among Jews, Christians and Muslims. The program is determined by its own purpose and therefore remains consistent from year to year, with little modification in light of the Festival theme. Yet, the Children of Abraham Dinner, while faithful to its own beginnings, by choice continues within the context of the Festival of Faiths. This provides an example of how a Festival of Faiths can grow from existing organizations that wish to preserve their intentions but to be supportive and a part of an organization that has a more expansive outreach.

The gala Festival dinner was originally conceived as a fundraiser and functioned in this capacity for at least a decade. However, in more recent years, while retaining its gala features, the dinner has become an occasion for recognizing donors and volunteers. While usually held at the Festival venue, decorated to reflect the Festival theme, on one occasion it was transferred to the very gracious home of a Festival supporter. Both venues had much to recommend them and will probably serve as alternatives in the future.

FESTIVAL OF FAITHS

Other events that vary from year to year are nonetheless perennial in the appeal made to certain targeted audiences. In recent years, in particular, large day-long events have been planned for youth of middle-school and highschool age. Family events, for grandparents to toddlers, have been a Saturday morning feature.

Also, films and art exhibits are regular features and musical events are frequently presented.

Local houses of worship have regularly prepared exhibits highlighting the Festival theme, as does the broad category identified as “non-houses of worship,” which includes businesses, non-profits, and individuals whose mission or products relate in some way to the Festival theme.

As mentioned above, a built-in element of predictability can provide consistency in Festival planning as well as in Festival expectations among its supporters. Perennial events help to create recognition and to establish a following, both of which are beneficial in promotion as well as in planning.

(2) Annual Events The majority of Festival of Faiths events are annual, purposing to develop the Festival theme in an interfaith manner and to appeal to broad public interest. The most important requirement for these events is that they be of high quality, presented by experts who represent both the subject and the sponsoring faith tradition with authority. This is not to say that every presenter needs to have a recognized “marquee name;” every presenter does need to have credibility among the relevant faith group and the experience and position to qualify as an expert on the subject addressed. It is well to remember that some people will be attracted to the Festival of Faiths because they are supportive of its purposes. Most of the audience, however, is made up of people who have a strong interest in the subject under discussion or a sense of loyalty to the faith tradition sponsoring the event. The goal is to orchestrate in every single case an event of such substance that attendees will leave stimulated and convinced of the

A T E M P L AT E

quality of the program, even one presented by a person or persons unfamiliar to them.

As already mentioned, developing a Festival theme requires a variety of events that might include keynote addresses, panel discussions, films, prayer services, and artistic presentations such as art exhibits, music or drama. It is only through such variety that important Festival of Faiths goals can be met, such as reaching out to the entire community and developing the theme from as many aspects as possible. Although the Festival of Faiths has scheduled concurrent events, our experience suggests that this should be avoided, if possible.

b. Targeting an Audience Event planners need to identify the target audience for every Festival program in terms of age, range of interest and size. Many programs target an audience by content. For example, the event entitled “Compassion in Business” was directed to a group of local CEOs and HR professionals. The size of the audience was set at 100 participants in light of its format, which included a speaker followed by discussion groups of 10 persons, led by a Certified Leadership Development and Executive Coach.

Other programs are directed to specific age groups. At a recent Festival of Faiths event for 400 middle and high school students, a “Dialogue on Racism” took place, managed by 40 experienced facilitators provided by the Human Relations Commission. Students were carefully selected within their respective schools – public and private – to insure that all minority groups were represented -- cultural, religious, racial, gender, and economic. This same Festival featured another youth event at a local campsite, which took place in the evening and included a hayride, folk music, discussion on exclusion and plenty of food. This event was managed by a group of Presbyterian ministers who drew from houses of worship all over town, working largely with youth ministers to recruit attendees.

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Regardless of the quality of a youth event, the success of recruiting students to attend it rests upon the establishment of good relationships with the superintendant of schools, public and private. For some years the Festival of Faiths tried without success to establish such a relationship with the public schools. Persistence paid off, as it usually does, and the Festival now has excellent relationships with local school administrations. There might be a lesson in our experience for you.

Successful targeting requires an accurate assessment of interests and identifying leaders within groups who can draw upon and create interest among members. We recommend drawing up a list of potential groups of attendees and contacting the leaders of these groups directly in order to determine the level of interest, or to create interest. It is most important that you know in advance of the Festival program both the expected composition and the number of the audience. Your presenter will benefit from this information, and it will enable you to foresee set-up needs and to make appropriate space allocations. Perhaps the most important 22

outcome of careful audience targeting is that it enables Festival planners systematically to survey the community, making sure that the interests and needs of as many people as possible are served through a well diversified schedule of events.

Appealing to large interest groups can sometimes carry challenging consequences, as it can create a forum where tensions surface.

A widely attended program on homelessness at a recent Festival of Faiths provided such a forum, drawing sharply divided comments from the audience on the causes of homelessness as well as on the advisability of providing food, shelter, and health care for homeless persons.

The situation was diffused by knowledgeable presenters who were able to provide reliable, objective, and well documented information on the subject under discussion. Sound information is simply a requirement for any program that is open to the public.

Experience has taught us that the most willing group of attendees for most events comes from a rather homogeneous group of the college-educated middle class, regardless of race, sex or ethnicity.

FESTIVAL OF FAITHS

Christians and Jews who meet this description are among the Festival founders. Subsequently, immigrant Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs and others, now citizens, have joined the Festival leadership, and, in some cases, have invited the community at large to join with them in celebrating traditional observances. The Muslims, for example, host an interfaith Iftar dinner each year, inviting one and all to celebrate as their guests the breaking of the Ramadan fast. A large percentage of local Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs are professionally active as physicians, engineers and professors.

While they remain committed to their faith traditions, they interact with a diverse community on a daily basis and are grateful supporters of the Festival of Faiths for the opportunities that it offers to share their cherished religious traditions with the larger community.

The segments of the population most reluctant to participate in the Festival of Faiths are found in adult groups that have little or no interest in interfaith activity, seeing it either as irrelevant or as a danger threatening to dilute their religious identity. Unless Festival planners are able to work through recognized leaders within these groups, there is little likelihood that they will be a part of any target audience in the near future. By and large, however, the youth from all segments of society tend to join in Festival of Faiths events with enthusiasm. Perhaps a new pool of leaders will come from their ranks.

8. Organizing Volunteers Volunteers are the foot soldiers of Festivals of Faiths.

For each of the 2011 and 2012 Festivals, presented over a five-consecutive day period, approximately 250 volunteers participated, their duties ranging from planning events, to transporting presenters from the airport to their lodging, to meeting and greeting attendees upon their arrival at the Festival site. Volunteers were indispensable to every phase of these Festivals of Faiths. They were its face and voice, giving to the Festival a true communal identity; they created and implemented programs for every faith tradition and age group; they extended the outreach of the Festival to all areas of the community; they brought a broad skill mix A T E M P L AT E

to the Festival, adding to its quality, its potential, and its credibility; and they brought energy, humor, motivation and good will to the Festival of Faiths.

During the early years of your Festival of Faiths, in all probability your entire staff will be made up of volunteers. They will play a role in planning events and then targeting and recruiting an audience for them. They will be on the scene when each is presented at a venue that they helped to select.

This same group will decide on the duration of the Festival, determine the programs, and monitor the overall budget as well as the event budgets. They will also engage in promotion and carry out fundraising activities. While the volunteers described carry out leadership tasks, your Festival of Faiths will require many others who assume far more simple responsibilities.

The Festival agenda itself will determine your need for volunteers on all levels. Some suggestions for key volunteers follow, with job descriptions for each. These descriptions can, of course, be modified to meet your needs. As noted on the Chart of Organization, all volunteer chairs report to the Assistant Director.

1. Event Chairs • Plan event for which Chair is responsible • Schedule date/ venue/ program agenda • Create event committee and recruit necessary volunteers • Recruit the audience targeted, both in size and composition • Draw up promotional materials for use in recruiting an audience • Obtain bios, photos and event description from speaker • Complete Event Checklist to assure that proper set-up and equipment are provided (A sample is provided in Appendix C) • Send appropriate “Thank you” note to speaker and, with Chair of Hospitality, select modest hospitality gift • Observe budget limits set by Festival Chair • If relevant, make necessary catering arrangements 23

2. Volunteer for Design and Logistics • Plan and execute all aspects of design – Place signs where needed – Carry out Festival brand for consistency – Create an attractive setting for each event • Allocate space for all Festival events • Provide all electronic and set-up needs • Be prepared to assist speakers with power point, etc.

3. Chair of Volunteers (Responsible only for volunteers who work at the Festival itself)

• Provide appropriate gifts to guests • Send appropriate “Thank you” notes to guests and dignitaries not associated with an Event Chair

5. Chair of Communications • Collaborate with Festival Leaders in promoting the Festival and preparing written materials, which might include – Event descriptions – Press releases – Fliers – Signage

• Prepare guidelines for volunteers (A sample is provided in Appendix D)

• Prepare all award citations

• Recruit and train volunteers

• Manage website and social media sites

• Satisfy need for volunteers for each Festival event

• Interact with partners on website

• Create simple means for identifying volunteers – name badge, e.g.

• Manage tickets and reservations for Festival of Faiths events

• Plan Festival “thank you” party for all Festival volunteers, to take place as soon as possible after the Festival

• Keep data on programs, attendance, media coverage and such for Festival Archives

4. Chair of Hospitality • Meet hospitality needs for all speakers, guests and dignitaries, including transportation and lodging

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• See that all dietary restrictions are known to hosts

• Develop and maintain databases

The above list might be more detailed than those planning an initial Festival of Faiths would need.

Even modest Festivals of Faiths, however, require a wide range of skills and therefore some plan for a division of responsibility is helpful.

FESTIVAL OF FAITHS

9. Building Ties to the Media Critical to the success of the Festival of Faiths has been a close working relationship with key figures in the local news media. In 2013, that outreach was expanded to include regular, timely posting of videos of Festival programs and speakers on YouTube. Indeed, a Festival of Faiths YouTube Subscription list was created so that all events could be accessed in a convenient manner. The fact that the chairman of the 2013 Festival was an independent film producer made the expansion into video a much less challenging proposition.

Working with the local newspaper is vital to getting coverage both before and during the Festival. In the early years, the publisher’s wife was a member of the Board, and her involvement led to support of fundraising activities as well as to access to publication. Meetings with key editors produced a variety of forms of coverage including guest opinion pieces by Festival speakers and panelists. A planning meeting with editorial, features and news editors, at least two months before the Festival date, produces the best results. A close relationship with the news department’s religion writer is also a key to success.

10. Evaluating the Festival of Faiths Perhaps the last item on the agenda of the Planning Committee is determining how to evaluate the Festival. This can be as simple as a debriefing, attended by the Festival Chair, event chairs and staff. Minimally, this debriefing would include a review of the appeal and quality of each event and how well it addressed the Festival theme and purpose; an assessment of attendance with respect to targeted goals; and media coverage. We have found the services of a good facilitator to be invaluable in conducting the debriefing and providing a consensus report afterwards. An evaluation tool that we have found interesting as well as effective is a “mystery shopper,” who attends Festival events and notes comments overheard in the hallways, rest rooms, etc. On one occasion we benefited from the volunteer services of an agency that interviewed random attendees and recorded their comments, most of which turned out to be remarkably favorable.

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Our experience has taught us that we are probably our own best critics. Successes in fundraising, in attracting an audience to events, and in earning media coverage of events are objective measures for evaluating the Festival that cannot be overlooked.

Invariably, some comment made by a Festival attendee will take the form of a testimonial, and it should be recorded for posterity. In addition, you will certainly find occasion to quote such comments from time to time, and they will encourage you to set ever higher standards in succeeding Festivals.

11. Creating Archives An account of every Festival of Faiths should be preserved in your organization’s archives. Included should be the promotional materials generated, the print media coverage, and photos and videography.

Included as well should be the testimonials referred to above, although you might choose to keep an ongoing record of such comments.

Archives are a record of the past, and they give significance to the past. In so doing, they give purpose to present efforts and inspire ongoing endeavor. Our archives record our history, and history, we know, is the only true judge of our undertakings.

Kathleen Lyons Executive Director Festival Faiths Festiv val ooff F July 19, 2013 Jul uly 19 2

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Appendix A

Chart of Organization Board of Directors

Festival of Faiths Chair

Executive Director

Assistant Director

Administrative Assistant

Communications Director

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FESTIVAL OF FAITHS

Roles and Responsibilities Board of Directors

• • • • • •

Governance/Oversight Strategic Planning Mission/Vision Financial Management/Fundraising Set FOF Budget Network/Create Interfaith & Corporate Support for FOF

Festival of Faiths Chair

• • • • • •

Work with Planning Committee Determine FOF Theme Determine Dates, Duration, Venue for FOF Set FOF Program of Events Determine Honoraria/Awards Set Budget for Each Event with Assistant Director

Executive Director

• • • • • • • • •

Serve as Liaison with Board/Festival Chair Strategic Planning Mission/Vision Monitor Event Budgets Create and Monitor Timeline for FOF Manage Staff Network/Create Partnerships & Event Sponsors Acknowledge Donors/Prepare Tax Letters Acknowledge FOF Speakers/Volunteers

Assistant Director

• • • • • • • • • •

Recruit Event Chairs /Assist with Creating Event Committees With Chairs, Target and Recruit Audiences Set/Oversee Event Budget with Festival of Faiths Chair Communicate with Speakers Manage Logistical Needs Manage Hospitality Needs Make All Check Requests/Distribute Pay Bills Serve as Liaison with Chair of Volunteers Handle Ticketing

Communications Director

• • • • • • •

Assume Responsibility for Production/Distribution of Print/Online Collateral Manage Content (Print/Online) Manage FOF Brand Manage Public/Community/Media Relations Assume Responsibility for Marketing/Promotion Provide Creative Services Manage A/V Production

Administrative Assistant

• • • •

Database Manager Bookkeeper Office Manager Clerical Duties

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Appendix B

Sample Timeline January– March p p p p p p p p p

Select and schedule meeting of Planning Committee Choose and fine-tune Festival theme Determine Festival venue Select Festival brand Begin brainstorming on calendar of events/programs Create timeline for all promotional activities (website; save-the date posting; press kit; media outreach) Begin developing a fundraising plan Determine overall Festival budget Review and update database

April-May p p p p p p p p p p p p p

Complete calendar of events Finalize budget for each event Appoint Event Chairs; distribute Task Sheets and Event Templates Target audience for each event and develop promotion strategies Address hospitality needs for Festival speakers and guests Decide on admission costs, if any, to events Contract for ticketing services Seek sponsorship for underwriting selected costs (an entire event; travel costs; honorarium; reception) Seek partners for events/ entire Festival Continue promotional activities; create promotional materials for events Begin work on Festival brochure, listing all events and information on speakers Contract with printer and designer Send “ask” letters to prospective donors

June-July p p p p p p

Finalize all contracts – venue; designer; videographer; printer, caterer, etc.

Develop alternative sites for any outdoor events Investigate need for special permits, licenses, insurance, etc.

Continue work on targeting audiences for each event Continue to seek sponsors and partners Collect information on speakers from Event Chairs and continue work on Festival brochure

August-September p p p p p 28

Secure necessary permits and insurance Determine volunteer needs for events Collect event templates from Event Chairs, assuring that set-up and a-v needs can be met Finalize hospitality arrangements for Festival presenters Follow-up to confirm sponsorships and underwriting FESTIVAL OF FAITHS

August-September (continued) p Determine needs for signage at Festival venue and arrange printing p Send copy for Festival brochure to printer, with completion date no later than September 1st p Meet with all chairpersons for Festival review, followed by a fun reception

October p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p

Distribute Festival brochures as promotional material Hold walk-through of events with committee and responsible staff and volunteers on site(s) Review with Event Chairs budgets and task sheets Confirm staff or volunteer assignments for registration, hosting etc.

Write to participants to confirm participation, schedule, etc.

Review timeline Confirm transportation schedules Confirm hotel reservations Prepare transportation and accommodations list (include arrival time, flight number, airline, person assigned to meet, hotel, etc.)

Request checks, to be distributed just after presentation Assign someone to introduce each speaker/event; provide necessary information to introducer Confirm any special security needed for event Prepare welcome packets for participants Schedule deliveries of any special equipment or rentals Confirm setup and tear down time with event sites Meet with chairpersons and staff to finalize any of the above

November 1-7 p p p p p p p p p p

Meet with committee/chairs for last-minute details Confirm number attending each event from ticketing Hold training session with volunteers, finalize assignments Secure two or three volunteers to assist with emergencies Finalize registration staff Schedule pick-up or delivery of any rented or loaned equipment Reconfirm details with events site(s), hotels and transportation Deliver timelines/scripts to all participants Confirm number of volunteers Final walk-through

Event Days p p p p p

Check with volunteers to make sure everything is covered Set-up registration areas Check sound/lighting equipment and staging before any rehearsals Distribute checks to presenters Enjoy!

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Appendix C

Event Checklist Title Date (Include Day)

;

Time

am/pm

Expected Length

minutes

Must End By

am/pm

/20

Name:

Contact Person

Room Setup

/

Cell Phone:

Email:

(Simple sketch of desired set up with podium, tables and chairs; Be Detailed)

Audio/Visual

(Keep as simple as possible) p # of Microphones p Screen p Projector p Laptop Computer p CD/DVD p Thumb Drive

p Mac p Wifi

Volunteers p # of Volunteers Needed Basic description of job to be performed by volunteers:

Any special needs or other info: 30

FESTIVAL OF FAITHS

Appendix D

E L P SAM VOLUNTEER GUIDE

Festival of Faiths The Henry Clay Louisville, Kentucky

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All Volunteer Information Daily Festival Programs

Welcome Desk

The daily program offerings for the Festival are printed on large 18” x 24” posters on easels in the Henry Clay lobby. Invite guests to review the information and return to enjoy other programs.

The Welcome Desk is the first point of entry for the guest and the ‘information center’ for the Festival. If an attendee asks you a question and you do not know the answer, walk them to the Welcome Desk for assistance.

Festival of Faiths Program

Tool Kits

Attendees may have been attracted to come to one specific program during the Festival of Faiths. The Festival of Faiths consists of about 25 programs that take place from November 3-9. Copies of the Festival of Faiths program are available in the lobby. Please pick up a copy and take time to become familiar with all of the Festival offerings.

Encourage attendees to come back to other Festival events and hand them a Festival program. For information about all the Festival of Faith Events and Programs, click here http://festivaloffaiths.org/newsevents/archive.php

Each year, the Festival of Faiths offers a “Tool Kit.” The Tool Kit is an educational resource to continue the learning process of the Festival off-site. This is a great resource for teachers and groups. Tool Kits can be purchased at the Carmichaels booth or the Welcome Desk for $29.

Donation Box There is a donation box near the Welcome Desk in the Henry Clay lobby. If guests mention that they liked a program, you might want to say: “We are so fortunate that 95% of the Festival programming is complimentary. If you want to ensure that future programs are free, please make a donation to the Festival.”

Exhibits An educational component of the Festival is our Exhibits.

Houses of worship, not-for-profits and community groups exhibit at the Festival in order to share valuable information with attendees. Invite guests to visit the exhibits on the first, second and fourth floors.

In your Volunteer Guide, there is a list of all exhibitors in alphabetical order and the location of their booth.

“Passport Program” There is a “Passport Program” to encourage Festival attendees to visit the exhibitor booths. Guests pick up a ‘passport’ at the Welcome Desk. They will need to find the booths that have numbers (1-10) and get their passport ‘punched.” Once they have accumulated 10 punches, they bring their passport to the Welcome Desk. For participating in this program, guests receive a complimentary Festival tote bag.

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Event Location for the Festival of Faiths The majority of events will take place at The Henry Clay, 604 South 3rd Street, South West corner of 3rd and Chestnut Streets. In your Volunteer Guide you will find a list of programs and the room in which each program will take place.

Volunteer Check-In/Sign-In Volunteers need to check-in 15 minutes before their shift at the Welcome Desk on the first floor of the Henry Clay. Please sign the Volunteer Sign-In sheet at this desk.

Volunteer Name Badge All volunteers will be issued a Volunteer Name Badge.

When you check-in 15 minutes before your shift at the Welcome desk, you will receive your Volunteer Name Badge. Most volunteers are working multiple shifts.

You may leave your name badge at the Welcome Desk, or you can take it home and wear it for your future shifts.

Volunteer “Green” Room The Volunteer Green Room is located on the 4th floor of The Henry Clay. Volunteers will be able to leave their coats, get a snack, sign up for additional shifts, relax, make new friends and network with each other in this room. Remember not to leave valuables in the Volunteer Green Room.

FESTIVAL OF FAITHS

Security

Parking

The Festival of Faiths does not have a locked area to store your personal belongings while you volunteer. Please leave all valuables (wallets, cell phones, lap tops, purses, etc.) at home or in your trunk.

Volunteers will need to provide their own parking. We suggest that volunteers carpool or use TARC. Many moderately priced surface parking lots are adjacent to the Henry Clay. Some of these surface parking lots are unattended and you will need to put your money in a lock box, so bring plenty of $1 bills to feed the machine.

Here are some parking lots that you may choose to use:

Volunteer Perks Your Volunteer Name Badge will allow you to observe select ticketed events, seated when available, or as a “Standing Room Only” participant. These include the Will Allen luncheon on Saturday, or the Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor presentation and the Harry Pickens EDGE Outreach concert, both on Sunday. Most events, and all demonstrations and exhibits, are free to the public. If you are volunteering during a ticketed event, your volunteer service may include participation in the event meal. The Volunteer Chair will inform volunteers of this option.

Volunteer Uniform While not mandatory, we suggest that all volunteers wear a white top/shirt and black bottom/pants, skirt. Most importantly, wear comfortable shoes.

Event Attendance Numbers All volunteers who are in any room with a program are asked to make a ‘head count’ and to enter this number on the attendance chart at the Welcome Desk.

A T E M P L AT E

1. Directly across from Henry Clay – South East corner of 3rd & Chestnut streets. The lot that directly abuts 3rd & Chestnut streets is a non-staffed lot with a money box. Once you park your car, look at the number of your parking space and go to the money box.

2. There is another surface lot directly across from the “620” building at 620 South 3rd Street. That surface parking lot is also non-staffed, but it has a pay box that gives change. The maximum cost of parking in this lot is $3.50.

3. There is a surface lot on the North East corner of 3rd and Chestnut Streets. This is a non-staffed lot with a money box. Once you park your car, look at the number of your parking space and go to the money box (Facing 3rd street). The maximum cost of parking in this lot is $3.50.

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VOLUNTEER REMINDERS

VOLUNTEER JOBS

• Check in at the Welcome Desk (1st Floor of The Henry Clay) 15 minutes before your volunteer shift.

Greeters

• Wear a Smile • Greet all guests and thank them for attending the Festival.

• Encourage guests to attend another Festival event or program.

• If you are asked a question and you do not know the answer, please respond “I do not know the answer to that question. A Volunteer at the Welcome Desk will be able to help you.”

Event Greeters will be stationed on the first, second and fourth floors of The Henry Clay. Greeters will welcome guests and help them get to Festival events. This job requires standing during the volunteer shifts, so please remember to wear comfortable shoes. People with positive attitudes, welcoming spirits and good customer service skills apply now! At the beginning of your shift, take the time to walk the floor you are assigned to and become familiar with the exhibit booths.

Greeters will: • Encourage visitors to visit the exhibits • Point guests to event room locations

SAV E T HE DATE Please plan to attend the post-festival Volunteer Thank You Party

• Smile – Welcome Guests. Thank them for attending.

• Help answer questions. When you do not know the answer, walk the attendee to the 1st floor lobby and the Welcome Desk will assist.

Welcome Desk Hosts

Tuesday, November 16 Kentucky Museum of Arts and Crafts 715 W. Main Street 5:00 – 7:30 pm

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Welcome Desk volunteers will be stationed on the first floor of The Henry Clay. Volunteers for this job have the opportunity to be seated during their shift. The Welcome Desk will be the main point of contact for the Festival.

Volunteers will hand out programs and information on the daily events. All presenters and volunteer will check in at the Welcome Desk. At the beginning of your shift, read the program events for the day so that you are familiar with the offerings and can relay information to guests.

FESTIVAL OF FAITHS

Welcome Desk hosts will: • Greet visitors upon arrival

PHON E N UM B E R S

• Direct visitors to the exhibits or specific events • Point to daily events and encourage visitors to return to other events • Staff the donations box • Sell Tool Kits

For any Festival of Faiths questions or challenges, please call one of the event coordinators or volunteers on their cell phones:

• Have volunteer sign in and give them a name badge • Oversee the event attendance chart and post event attendance numbers

Student Aids The Festival will welcome Elementary, Middle, High School and College students for specific educational programming opportunities. Volunteers who love to interact with young people should apply! Student Aid volunteers will work with teacher and school chaperones. They will receive their volunteer duty orientation from these leaders.

Event Volunteers Event volunteers will be stationed in the rooms of the Festival programs. Event volunteers may be asked to assist with room set up, distributing handouts, asking guests to sit up front, showing time cards to panel presenters, placing surveys on chairs and collecting completed surveys, assisting the presenters/panel members, etc. Some of the events are ticketed. If you would like to enjoy an event but do not want to buy a ticket, volunteer for that session! Some Festival events occur during a meal. Your event supervisor will let you know if volunteers will be able to enjoy the meal complimentary.

Event Volunteers will: • Welcome guests to the program room • Encourage guests to take seats in the front • Estimate the size of the attendance. Once the program has started, do a head-count and estimate the attendance of the program. Record your estimate on the Attendance chart at the Welcome Desk.

A T E M P L AT E

We Love Our Volunteers!

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CENTER FOR INTERFAITH RELATIONS 415 W. Muhammad Ali Boulevard Louisville, Kentucky 40202 (502) 583-3100 www.festivaloffaiths.org