With gratitude and hope
Dear Friends of Invested Faith,
Even after a year marked by so many unanticipated difficulties in the world, Invested Faith is sparkling with new developments and opportunities. We’ve begun to get ready for a busy 2022 filled with identifying and granting faith-rooted social entrepreneurs. As you know, I feel that doing this work is part of faithful living in this moment in which we find ourselves.
At the end of 2021, I want to take just a moment to express my deepest gratitude for your interest, support, and enthusiasm for the work of Invested Faith. I believe 2022 will be even more exciting, so hang on for the ride!
P.S. Interested in how you can support Invested Faith with an end-of-year tax-deductible gift? Know a faith-rooted social entrepreneur we should meet? Want to have a conversation about how your institution can send its witness forward by helping us build this fund? Please reach out; I’d love to talk with you.
Rev. Ronnie Farmer
Ronnie Farmer, Marion, Indiana
I Have a Dream Preschool Academy
An innovative visual artist and minister, Rev. Ronnie Farmer finds his calling at the intersection of art, justice, and theology. As founder and managing director of the I Have a Dream Preschool in Marion, Indiana, Farmer is the only African American male leading an early childhood education initiative in the city of Marion. The Dream Academy is a language immersion early childhood education program which employs native Spanish speakers and encourages racial justice and global citizenry through age-appropriate programs.
Research data indicates that racial bias is formed by the time a child is seven years old.
“If you can put a child in a space that is multi-ethnic, multi-class, not just among their peers, but even among the leadership they see, you can reorient the way the child sees their neighbor and really help that child to grow up without some of the biases that cause harm as they walk into adulthood, which is pretty significant.
One of the things that we committed to from the beginning was that we wanted to be intentional about building a multi-ethnic, multi-class team so that any child who came into the Dream Academy could look up and see someone who looked like them in leadership," ~Ronnie Farmer.
Read more about Ronnie Farmer and the I Have a Dream Preschool Academy here.
Through a working partnership with our fellow faith-rooted social innovators at Glean Network, Invested Faith is excited to share the talent and skills of Minahil Khan, consulting part-time in graphic design and marketing strategy.
Minahil Khan is a data-driven creative who loves to explore the various avenues through which we create and share information. Khan recently completed a BBA in Marketing with a minor in IT from The University of Massachusetts-Amherst. Her other academic interests include FinTech and Islamic Law.
“You can always find me talking world affairs, reading Emily Dickinson, or producing disruptive art - whatever that may look like. I am in absolute awe of the work Invested Faith is carrying out, and I'm so excited to be a part of such a beautiful organization!”
It's time to make a difference! This is the last week to make a tax-deductible contribution to Invested Faith for 2021!
The beautiful thing about this effort is that even the smallest investment can create significant change. Give what you can; you may not believe how impactful your gift can be.
Read more about giving to Invested Faith here.
We are so very grateful for your generous financial support and encouragement for the work of Invested Faith this year.
It’s been an amazing year - because of you!
Interested in becoming an Invested Faith Fellow? Or maybe you know someone who fits our criteria: rooted in faith, working for justice, building community, and addressing systemic problems in their community? At Invested Faith, we don't do typical grant applications. Read more about our criteria and how to apply here.
Grant a social entrepreneur. If you’d like your gift to go directly to someone working innovatively to reimagine the faith community, your tax-deductible gift of $5000.00 can make that happen.
Spread the word! Help us build our audience by using your social media presence and word of mouth to tell others about this important work. Join us on Facebook and LInkedIn and share our posts with your friends.
Help us build a fund to seed the future. Support the ongoing development of Invested Faith through a tax-deductible gift. Click here to support our work.
