GOLD2022

Sojourners

Faith in action for social justice

Washington, DC   |  www.sojo.net

Mission

Sojourners is a nonpartisan, faith-based 501(c)(3) organization. Founded in 1971, We offer a vision for faith in public life by: * publishing Sojourners magazine, a digital publication, and other resources that address issues of faith, politics, and culture from a biblical perspective; * organizing, preaching, teaching, and public witness; * nurturing community by bringing together people from the various traditions and streams of the church; * hosting an annual program of voluntary service for education, ministry, and discipleship.

Ruling year info

1974

Principal Officer

Rev. Adam Russell Taylor

Main address

408 C Street NE Sojourners

Washington, DC 20002 USA

Show more contact info

EIN

23-7380554

NTEE code info

Religious Media, Communications Organizations (X80)

Civil Rights, Social Action, and Advocacy N.E.C. (R99)

International, Foreign Affairs, and National Security N.E.C. (Q99)

IRS filing requirement

This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.

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Communication

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Sojourners aims to inform and inspire Christians to put their faith into action in the passionate pursuit of social justice, peace, and environmental stewardship. We work with under served communities to empower them to participate in public life, such as voting, exercising free speech, and presenting their needs to elected officials.

Our programs

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?

Mobilizing-Organizing-Policy

For nearly 50 years, Sojourners has been a connecting point for people of faith on a national and international scale. Sojourners is bringing people together—even across traditional, political, and theological divides—to find real solutions to some of the most significant concerns of our time. Our focus on the common good and finding common ground based on shared values allows us to transcend the usual ideological debates. Our key issues include poverty and inequalities, police violence, women and girls, racial justice, war and peace, immigration reform, welcoming refugees, and climate justice, among other concerns.

Population(s) Served
Adults

Sojourners (www.sojo.net) broadens the public dialogue in the United States regarding the intersection of faith, public life and culture. Sojourners articulates a strong moral and religious imperative behind more just and responsible policies. This is done through both national media and our own media platforms (Sojourners magazine, social media, and our digital platforms), and through speaking tours and interviews of Sojourners’ president Jim Wallis and other staff. Jim Wallis also speaks across the country and around the world. We offer analysis, news and commentary on current issues and events, and we produce a number of additional electronic and print resources for pastors and faith leaders.

Sojourners magazine and digital publication addresses issues of faith, politics, and culture from a biblical perspective. Sojourners reaches 5 million readers annually – educating, inspiring, and mobilizing readers to put their faith in action for social justice. Sojourners has won numerous awards, including a gold medal from the prestigious FOLIO awards for best religious/spiritual magazine of the year.

Population(s) Served
Adults

Sojourners provides educational resources. All resources are mission-related. We create and distribute faith-based educational materials about poverty, the environment, racial justice, interfaith understanding, women and girls, war and peace, and a range of other issues. Resources are available on our website sojo.net.

Population(s) Served
Adults

Where we work

Videos

Goals & Strategy

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.

Charting impact

Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.

Sojourners is a magazine, an online publication, and an international faith-rooted social justice advocacy organization, operating at the intersection of faith, politics, and culture. We envision a future in which Christians put their faith into action in the passionate pursuit of social justice, peace, and environmental stewardship, working in partnership with people of other perspectives, for the common good. We articulate that vision through our nonprofit journalism, multimedia content, advocacy, church engagement, and mobilization of fellow sojourners across the country and around the world.

Our goals include:
• Inspiring people to act by offering compelling stories of people putting their faith in action for social justice
• Influencing the public conversation on issues of faith and justice
• Deepening people's faith and their resolve to act for social justice
• Encouraging and supporting the Church to lead on justice issues and to influence the larger society
• Building a diverse, well-trained core of faith leaders who speak out and act on justice issues
• Growing the number of congregations that are putting faith in action for social justice
• Helping people of faith across the country and around the world feel connected with other justice-seekers, and empowered to act in solidarity with them

For 50 years we have called on people of faith to speak out against injustice and speak for the common good. Sojourners envisions and works towards a world where people reject fear and counter efforts to divide us with love and strategic action. At this time, Sojourners has the potential to profoundly impact the national debate by offering faith-inspired resistance; changing the conversation on faith and justice through Sojourners magazine and online publication; convening diverse partners; advocating for economic, gender, racial, and climate justice through our advocacy work; and offering audience-appropriate resources that help congregations engage in the larger movement for social justice.

Sojourners informs and mobilizes millions of people of faith through online and print journalism, activism, outreach, events, and our faith network. Sojourners' online publication has continued to grow in reach and influence, with 5 million people visiting the website annually.

We help shape national policies and priorities through television, radio, newspapers, and speaking engagements. Our message reaches across the political and theological spectrum, from the top television news programs and newspapers to religious radio, as well as secular and religious publications nationwide.

See Sojourners' 2021 Impact Video here: https://sojo.net/about/about-sojourners

How we listen

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.

done We shared information about our current feedback practices.

  • How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?

    Electronic surveys (by email, tablet, etc.), Focus groups or interviews (by phone or in person), Suggestion box/email,

  • How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?

    To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups,

  • With whom is the organization sharing feedback?

    The people we serve, Our staff, Our board, Our funders,

  • Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?

  • What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?

    It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback,

Financials

Sojourners
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Operations

The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.

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Connect with nonprofit leaders

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lock

Connect with nonprofit leaders

Subscribe

Build relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.

  • Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
  • Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
  • Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations

Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.

Sojourners

Board of directors
as of 11/04/2022
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board co-chair

Kevin Carnahan


Board co-chair

Rev. Dr. Alexia Salvatierra

Academic Dean for Centro Latino, Fuller Theological Seminary

Alexia Salvatierra

Centro Latino, Fuller Seminary

Kevin Carnahan

Board Co-Chair

Colin Watson

Christian Reformed Church in NA

Nicole Bergeron

Aslan Housing Foundation

Jeffrey Brown

Rebuilding Every City Around Peace

Isaiah Castilla

Arabella Advisors

Louise Coggins

LCSW, PLLC

Tim Costello

Micah Australia; Ethical Voice Victoria

Julian DeShazier

University Church Chicago

Tim Dixon

More In Common

Wes Granberg-Michaelson

Reformed Church in America

Betsy Hoover

270 Strategies; Higher Ground Labs

Hana Kim

New Song Community Church

Michelle Maldonado

Lucenscia

Amy Sullivan

Journalist

Board leadership practices

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.

  • Board orientation and education
    Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes
  • CEO oversight
    Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes
  • Ethics and transparency
    Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes
  • Board composition
    Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes

Organizational demographics

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 10/27/2022
info Candid has made improvements to the race and ethnicity options.

Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.

Leadership

The organization's leader identifies as:

Race & ethnicity
Multi-Racial/Multi-Ethnic (2+ races/ethnicities)
Gender identity
Male, Not transgender (cisgender)

Race & ethnicity

Gender identity

 

Sexual orientation

No data

Disability

No data

Equity strategies

Last updated: 10/17/2022

GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more

Data
  • We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
  • We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
  • We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
Policies and processes
  • We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
  • We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
  • We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
  • We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.