Taking its inspiration from online dating applications, Partners for Sacred Places has launched a first-of-its-kind website that connects Chicago religious congregations with arts organizations and other nonprofits so they can share space, volunteers and resources. The MacArthur-supported web application, called iSPi, will allow congregations to play a unique, critical role in their neighborhoods. The website will help inventory, manage, and match venue space and nonprofit needs, empowering churches, mosques, and synagogues to use their underutilized space to serve their neighbors. Interested groups will complete an online profile about their program priorities, work style, attitude towards community engagement, and institutional capacity. Partners for Sacred Places staff will use the site to filter and sort profiles to identify potential matches.
