OUR MODEL

Texas Impact is a religious grassroots network whose members include individuals, congregations, and governing bodies of Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and other faiths. Texas Impact exists to advance state public policies that are consistent with the shared values of Texas faith communities.

Texas Impact works on a wide variety of public policy issues within the broadly held social concerns of mainstream religious traditions. Texas Impact uses a process of discernment on public policy issues similar to the processes used by many faith traditions, using Scripture, the wisdom of the faith traditions, current public policy information and data, and the experiential knowledge of people of faith to develop our positions and policy goals.

Texas Impact’s board consists of a delegation made up of up to two representatives from each Member Institution as well as several at-large and special members. There are currently about 50 members of the board.

Member Institution make annual pledges to Texas Impact and send members to Texas Impact’s board. Member Institutions include:

• Judicatories (regional governing bodies) of mainline Christian denominations in Texas such as United Methodist annual conferences

• Regional chapters of social justice groups affiliated with specific religious traditions such as the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism

• Regional and local single-faith and interfaith groups such as Interfaith Action of Central Texas

• Statewide units of religious women’s groups such as Church Women United

The board sets Texas Impact’s legislative agenda, approves policy positions, and maintains contact between Texas Impact and the Member Institutions. The executive committee oversees day-to-day operations, and there are other standing and ad hoc committees to address issues and projects as they arise. The full board meets three times a year, and committees meet as needed in person or via conference call.

Board members may be ordained or lay people, and come from religious communities throughout Texas.

Texas Impact works collaboratively with religious and secular groups. We strive to make information about state government and public policy accessible to people of faith and all interested Texans.