The Urban Manufacturing Alliance’s Equity and Inclusion Community of Practice (CoP) engages a network of manufacturing practitioners committed to connecting the growth of the production economy to an equity and inclusion agenda in cities. The work of the CoP is a mix of ecosystem building, storytelling, and policy development that showcases promising practices and programs that are harnessing the power of manufacturing and drives this work forward in local communities.

This thought-piece explores the role of faith-based and faith-informed organizations in the manufacturing sector and aims to encourage discussions on how manufacturing practitioners and faith-based and faith-informed organizations can work together towards the common goal of reducing economic disparities. Six organizations based in Pittsburgh, Nashville, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Detroit, and Chicago are featured in this thought-piece. Through her research, UMA Board Director and Founder of Urban Made Project, Nicole Lau, was able to identify four roles faith-based and faith-informed organizations most often play that benefit manufacturers: Skills Development, Wraparound Services, Workspace, and Advocacy and Outreach.