MCAN works to develop new and support existing broad based community organizations in New England. These are made up of congregations, and sometimes other organizations and unions, acting together for their values and interests. They work to strengthen the community and the congregation (or organization).

This effort roots community organizations as federations of religious congregations (and sometimes other organizations). They are characterized by being: interfaith, multi-issue, multi-racial, multi-economic class, dues based , making decisions by a large group of leaders not a small hierarchy, employing professional organizers as staff persons, taking action to address deeply felt community and work problems, and reflecting together on how religious and democratic values inform our efforts.

These are organizations that involve many congregations and are motivated by belief in religious faith values and the values that come out of America’s democratic traditions. Service (tzedakah) and justice (tzedek) are complementary components of what is called derekh tzedek or the path of justice. Neither alone is sufficient; both are integral parts of our religious teachings and traditions.

The organizations focus on leadership development as the key to building large scale involvement which gives the organizations the "people power" to gain support for their proposals for solving community and work problems. The organizations are places where people can learn about public life and how they can act effectively for their values in it. This means there is reflection on the faith teachings that each denomination has that call upon people to act on their values to make this a world that God would want and respects the dignity and brings forth the talents of each person. There is also reflection on our democratic traditions and how a vital democracy is more than once a year elections.

We look at the key characteristic of leadership as those who can mobilize others to act around share goals. You cannot be a leader unless you are listening to others and involving them in action. Just coming as one person and speaking up does not make someone a leader, but almost anyone can be a leader if they do the work to listen to and involve other people. Our organizations believe that there needs to be a large group of leaders for there to be the power to initiate the programs and changes that people want.

Our affiliated organizations are political but not electoral. We do not endorse candidates for office, but we do engage politicians and corporations with proposals on how they can work with us in solving serious community problems in areas like housing, jobs, health, education, crime prevention, etc. There are 150 organizations like this around the country.

These organizations focus on 4 main areas:

1. Action on local concerns of a city, neighborhood or town--changing policy or budget appropriations or initiating self help programs on local concerns.
2. Action on problems at a regional or statewide level because either the decision is made by a political or corporate leader at that level and the problem is widely shared by congregations across a metropolitan area.
3. Leadership development at the congregational level to develop new leaders and strengthen the skills of existing leaders. An organization or community can't be strong if the congregations are not strong. Organizations work with individual congregations that are members of these organizations to develop leadership development campaigns including trainings and special efforts at outreach through 1:1 relational meetings and small group meetings. Reflection on faith teachings are part of the trainings and planning meetings.These leadership development efforts enable a congregation to build more community amongst congregation members, develop new leaders, identify congregational and community concerns of people, and then act on them.
4. Reflection on how our religious faith values and our democratic values help us to look at what’s happening now in our country and communities and how we are called by these traditions to act so that people can write new stories of hope and justice.

MCAN currently has 6 affiliated organizations it helped found in Massachusetts and one Vermont: United Interfaith Action of SE Massachusetts, Brockton Interfaith Community, Essex County Community Organization, Worcester Interfaith, Pioneer Valley Project, Metropolitan Interfaith Congregations Acting for Hope, and Vermont Interfaith Action. OLTC is funded by dues from affiliates and denominational and foundation grants.

MCAN, along with its affiliated groups, led the campaign in 1993 to establish state budget funding for local community policing efforts. Then we worked to increase that funding and continue it annually and it is now funded at $20 million a year. MCAN also helped win passage of the state's Drug Asset Forfeiture Law.

MCAN groups helped negotiate an agreement with Bank of Boston/Bay Banks for $38 million in lower interest rate mortgages over 4 years. We also worked to get the state bond spending for housing spending raised by $30 million in 2001.

MCAN/OLTC affiliated organizations worked on successfully in preventing large proposed cuts in the state’s Adult Basic Education program in 2001 and 2002. MCAN helped lead a campaign in 2003-2004 that won $6 million in new state funding for job training. In 2006 as one of the four lead organizations of the Workforce Solution Group coalition (part of SkillWorks), we organized for passage of $11 million for job traning programs along with $3 million for Adult Basic Education programs. The legislation we organized to pass also will enable community based organizations, cities, community colleges, and unions to receive federal matching funds through the Food Stamp Employment Training Program (FSET) for job training and education they do for working poor food stamp recipients.

MCAN was an active member in the coalition of community groups and unions that worked to get the minimum wage legislation passed in July 2006. It will raise the minimum wage from $6.75 to $7.50 on 1/1/07 and to $8.00 on 1/1/08.

MCAN worked in a coalition with the Black Ministerial Alliance, the Boston Ten Point Coalition, and the Dorchester Youth Collaborative to pass legislation to give tools to prosecutors to lessen witness intimidation by gangs. We also helped pass budget appropriations for a State Witness Protection Program funded at $1.5 million and the Shannon Grant Program for $11 million in grants to cities for prevention programs and law enforcement initiatives against gangs.

OLTC (now MCAN) was formed in 1985. It also founded Massachusetts Affordable Housing Alliance in 1986 and directed that organization through 1990. OLTC worked with the Indus-trial Areas Foundation (IAF) to form Greater Boston Interfaith Organization in 1996 and co-directed that effort from 1996-2002. MAHA and GBIO are now organizational allies of MCAN.

MCAN is affiliated with the PICO National Network, a national federation of over 50 congregation based community organizations located in twenty states.