$353 Billion.

The resources to transform church land already exist.

Across the United States, churches are entering a once-in-a-generation transition. Thousands of church buildings and properties will change hands in the years ahead.
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At the same time, church-related institutions hold more than $353 billion in invested assets.

‍The future of church land shouldn’t be decided by markets. Church money can help shape the future of church land.

DOWNLOAD THE POSITION PAPER

THE OPPORTUNITY

The church has the land.

The church has the capital.

Developing just 5% of church-owned land could represent approximately:
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$450 Billion.

In community redevelopment.

Housing. Community space. Healthcare. Small businesses. New sources of congregational revenue. New ways for churches to remain rooted in the neighborhoods they serve. But unlocking that opportunity requires a different approach to capital.

THE MONEY IS ALREADY HERE

More than $353 billion is already invested by church-related institutions.

A conservative review identified:
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$95.9B
Protestant pension funds
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$10B+
Denominational foundations
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$12.1B
Catholic foundations
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$12.2B
Seminaries
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$94B
Christian-affiliated colleges and universities
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$129.5B
Adjacent Christian investment institutions
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$353.7 Billion Total.

And even that is not the whole picture.

What if we moved just 5%?

By investing a little differently. The church does not need to give away invested funds, just move them.
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A 5% allocation of the church-related assets identified in this research would create approximately:

$17.65 BILLION
in mission-aligned capital.
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Used strategically through patient loans, equity investment, guarantees, first-loss capital and other catalytic investments, that could help support:
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1,500–2,900
church property projects
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and unlock approximately:
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45–90 BILLION
in total development.

WE KNOW IT CAN WORK.

One church. 26 homes. 30+ community partners.

In Madison, Wisconsin, Common Grace Church faced an aging building, millions of dollars in deferred maintenance, and the possibility of leaving its neighborhood.
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The project they imagined — a new church and community center alongside affordable housing — could not work with conventional market financing.
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Then church-aligned capital entered the picture.
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A below-market loan helped unlock a $7.7 million redevelopment.
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Today the site includes:
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26 affordable homes
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30+ community partners

A congregation that remains rooted in its neighborhood
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Without the catalytic financing, the property likely would have become just three or four expensive homes.
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We already have what we need to begin.

The land exists.
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The capital exists.
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The institutions exist.
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The projects are emerging.
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Now we need to connect them.
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Windows of Opportunity: Church Investment on Church Land explores what could happen if church institutions began investing even a small portion of their existing assets in the future of churches, neighborhoods and communities.
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Download the POSITION paper