Albuquerque Interfaith is a broad-based network of 22 dues-paying community institutions building power to revitalize our democracy for constructive social and economic change.  Our broad-based collaboration includes congregations, neighborhood groups, schools, nonprofits and organizations representing families. 

We are part of the Industrial Areas Foundation, the nation's first and largest network of community organizations and the West / Southwest IAF.

What We Do

Albuquerque Interfaith works to:

• Build relationships of trust among people and institutions across the racial, denominational, economic and geographic boundaries that divide our cities
• Strengthen congregations and community institutions by developing the skills and capacity of their leaders
• Create a vehicle for ordinary families to have a powerful voice in the decisions that affect their lives and communities, instead of leaving decision-making in the hands of a select few
• Take action on concrete, winnable issues, that are transforming our communities every day. 

We believe in independence and are intentionally nonpartisan. We will not endorse any candidate or party for elected office, and we will not pursue or accept government funding for any of our organizations.

Our mission is to embody "universities of public life" dedicated to developing citizens in the fullest sense: participants in our democracy and agents in the creation of a more just society.

How We Organize

Issues, actions, and leaders in Albuquerque Interfaith emerge out of a cycle of organizing. This process begins at the local institutional level, as a "core team" of leaders conducts relational meetings and house meetings.

Relational meetings, or one-on-one conversations, provide an opportunity for two people to share their stories and interests as a way to build a public relationship. House meetings provide a similar opportunity for small groups.

Through these conversations, leaders begin to understand, value, and effectively tell their own stories and learn to elicit stories from others.

As these conversations reveal the issues that people care about most, organizers train leaders in how to conduct research actions - meetings to research potential issues and find out who can effectively address those issues. In public actions leaders raise issues with those public officials accountable for actions that will address those issues.

Reflection and evaluation are primary tools throughout the organizing process. After every relational meeting, house meeting, research action, and public action, leaders reflect on what they learned and evaluate their work thus far.

Throughout all of this, there is ongoing training in the local organization, in 3- or 5-day in-state and regional training sessions and seminars and in IAF National Training.