ABSTRACT
This chapter presents some of the challenges as well as opportunities for faith-based organizations. Identity of faith-based organizations can create challenges from a number of perspectives both within faith-based organizations and in their interactions with the religious communities where they work. There is a wide diversity of faith-based organizations with differing sizes, structures, histories, missions and ways of working. Furthermore, religious and secular discourses as similar as to not be distinctive, resulting in faith-based organizations sometimes appearing more similar to their secular counterparts than to some other faith-based organizations. Funding is an ongoing challenge for many faith-based organizations. Despite some considerable challenges which faith-based organizations may face, there may also be many social opportunities given by the policy contexts where faith-based organizations situated and through having some resources which are not dependent upon outside funding. Perhaps even more importantly, the strong values base which underpins many faith-based organizations can influence both policy decisions and shape social work practice.
