On Thursday, September 20th, the Brooklyn Economic Development Corporation & the Re-NEW Brooklyn Program hosted a free conference for all Brooklyn faith-based organizations, community organizations, business improvement districts, merchant associations, and local development corporations:

Lifting UP
Brooklyn

A Faith-Based Approach to Community Development

Brooklyn’s churches, synagogues, temples, and mosques are anchors in their communities. In addition to providing spiritual support and guidance, many also provide or arrange for needed social services such as housing, day care centers, and even retail shopping. As landowners, religious organizations often have the potential to develop their real estate in a manner that will provide these services and benefit both their members and the entire community—but how does one do that?

In arranging this conference, it was BEDC’s goal to provide Brooklyn’s faith-based institutions with the tools and skills necessary to engage in community-oriented real estate development. Our conference featured two in-depth panel discussions with experts in the field, including a “Visionary Panel” of successful faith-based organizations and a “Practicum Panel” of professionals who work with these organizations. Welcoming remarks were delivered by Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, SBS Deputy Commissioner Larry Scott Blackmon, and US EDA Representative Ed Hummel. A keynote address was delivered by Reverend Patrick Duggan, the Deputy County Executive for Economic Development in Nassau County, NY. At the end of the conference, a networking luncheon was held to connect the faith-based organizations in attendance with the BIDs, merchant associations, local development corporations (LDCs), and other community organizations in their area.

BEDC is very interested in forming partnerships with faith-based organizations and in encouraging collaboration among neighborhood groups. If you would like to know more about the community organizations in your area, or if you would like assistance in evaluating a potential real estate development, please contact Matthew Rao at (718) 522-4600 x25 or mrao@bedc.org.

Conference Documents for Download

Keynote Presentation from Rev. Patrick Duggan, “Mission Focused Faith-Based Development”

Presentation from Alexandra Klein, CPC Resources

Conference Program, which includes the speakers list and links to presenting organizations

Click Here to Listen to Audio Recordings of the Conference

Recording Track List

• 1. Introduction by Joan Bartolomeo, President of BEDC
• 2. Invocation by Rev. Patrick Duggan, and Welcoming Remarks from Ed Hummel, Economic Development Representative, US EDA
• 3. Welcoming Remarks from Larry Scott Blackmon, Deputy Commissioner, NYC Small Business Services
• 4. Welcoming Remarks from Marty Markowitz, Brooklyn Borough President
• 5. Visionary Panel: Success Stories in Faith-Based Real Estate Development, Part 1
• 6. Visionary Panel: Success Stories in Faith-Based Real Estate Development, Part 2
• 7. Visionary Panel: Success Stories in Faith-Based Real Estate Development, Part 3
• 8. Visionary Panel: Success Stories in Faith-Based Real Estate Development, Part 4
• 9. Visionary Panel: Success Stories in Faith-Based Real Estate Development, Part 5
• 10. Visionary Panel: Success Stories in Faith-Based Real Estate Development, Part 6
• 11. Visionary Panel: Success Stories in Faith-Based Real Estate Development, Question and Answer, Part 1
• 12. Visionary Panel: Success Stories in Faith-Based Real Estate Development, Question and Answer, Part 2
• 13. Keynote Address by Rev. Patrick Duggan, Deputy County Executive for Economic Development in Nassau County, Part 1
• 14. Keynote Address by Rev. Patrick Duggan, Deputy County Executive for Economic Development in Nassau County, Part 2
• 15. Keynote Address by Rev. Patrick Duggan, Deputy County Executive for Economic Development in Nassau County, Part 3
• 16. Keynote Address by Rev. Patrick Duggan, Deputy County Executive for Economic Development in Nassau County, Part 4
• 17. Keynote Address by Rev. Patrick Duggan, Deputy County Executive for Economic Development in Nassau County, Question and Answer
• 18. Practicum Panel: Putting Together a Real Estate Project, Part 1
• 19. Practicum Panel: Putting Together a Real Estate Project, Part 2
• 20. Practicum Panel: Putting Together a Real Estate Project, Part 3
• 21. Practicum Panel: Putting Together a Real Estate Project, Part 4
• 22. Practicum Panel: Putting Together a Real Estate Project, Question and Answer, Part 1
• 23. Practicum Panel: Putting Together a Real Estate Project, Question and Answer, Part 2
• 24. Practicum Panel: Putting Together a Real Estate Project, Question and Answer, Part 3
• 25. Practicum Panel: Putting Together a Real Estate Project, Question and Answer, Part 4