JAMAICA, NY – New York State Senator James Sanders Jr. successfully hosted the Faith, Funding & Community Development Summit on October 14, bringing together clergy, faith leaders, houses of worship, financial institutions, nonprofit professionals, and community development experts for an afternoon focused on expanding access to funding, building organizational capacity, and strengthening communities throughout Southeast Queens and the Rockaways.

The summit provided attendees with practical tools and resources to help faith-based organizations secure funding, develop affordable housing initiatives, expand community programming, and sustain long-term growth.

Presenters included Michelle McClymont of BOC Capital and Erin Sweeney of ConnectOne Bank, who discussed financing and lending opportunities; Rashida Tyler, Executive Director of the New York State Council of Churches and Project Manager for the Interfaith Affordable Housing Collaborative, who addressed faith-based housing development; and Miguel Bonilla of the Mayor's Office for Nonprofit Services. Rachel Galton of Partners for Sacred Places and Daniel Cruz of the National Fund for Sacred Places discussed funding opportunities, preparing effective grant applications, and the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the grant writing process. Ted Geier of Support Center, led a fundraising training and planning session focused on strengthening organizational capacity, developing compelling cases for giving, and improving direct solicitation skills. He also highlighted key fundraising principles, including matching the right solicitor with the right prospect, and shared resources on donor motivations, overcoming barriers to asking for contributions, and assessing grant readiness.

Attendees also engaged directly with banking and residential lending professionals Vanessa Phillips, Kam Biswas, Chris Blake, and Ryan de France during networking and tabling sessions designed to foster partnerships and connect organizations with financial resources.

"As someone who is knowledgeable & experienced in grant writing and helping communities identify funding opportunities, I know that access to information can be the difference between a good idea and a transformative project," said Senator James Sanders Jr. "Too often, faith-based institutions serve as the backbone of our communities, providing food assistance, youth programs, counseling, housing support, and countless other services, yet they are unaware of the funding opportunities available to them. This summit was designed to change that."

Senator Sanders personally facilitated an interactive question-and-answer session on grant writing and funding strategies, sharing best practices for identifying grant opportunities, developing competitive applications, and building the organizational infrastructure necessary to secure and manage funding successfully.

"Our houses of worship and community organizations are not just places of prayer; they are centers of hope, service, and economic development," Sanders continued. "By bringing together funders, financial institutions, government agencies, and faith leaders under one roof, we are helping to build stronger organizations that can deliver greater impact for the people they serve. When we invest in the capacity of these institutions, we invest in stronger neighborhoods and a brighter future for Southeast Queens and the Rockaways."

The Faith, Funding & Community Development Summit is part of Senator Sanders' ongoing commitment to economic empowerment, community development, and ensuring that local organizations have the tools and resources needed to thrive.