The future of the Lab

An important message about the future of the Chaplaincy Innovation Lab and its community 

June 27, 2024

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

Thank you for all your kind words upon my appointment as the tenth President of Bryn Mawr College. I’m grateful for all your love and support as I transition into this role, which begins on Monday.

I write to share important news about next steps for the Chaplaincy Innovation Lab.

• The Lab will continue its highly-regarded work of professional development, networking, continuing education, and more;
• Going forward, the Lab’s organizational structure will reflect its two areas of excellence: the Lab’s programmatic activities will be led by co-founder Michael Skaggs, while research will move with me to Bryn Mawr; and
• The Lab will increasingly rely on new revenue streams to sustain its important work.

New Organizational  Model

As many of you know, since 2018 Brandeis University has incubated the Lab. With my move to Bryn Mawr, the research and programming arms of the Lab will move to new administrative homes.

The research arm of the Lab will move to Bryn Mawr College on July 1, 2025.

The programmatic arm of the Lab will continue under the “fiscal sponsorship” of an existing 501(c)3 designated organization. The fiscal sponsor will provide core operational services to CIL, but the two organizations will remain fully independent of each other.

New Financial Model

In its early years, grants allowed the Lab to offer most of its programs and services at no charge while building a highly valued set of resources for the chaplaincy community. However, grant-based funding is cyclical and does not promise long-term sustainability. The Lab therefore plans to establish a financial based model based on community investment to sustain and grow its programs:

• The Lab has recently assumed the work of Thorne Consulting, the only placement and career services firm focused on spiritual care professionals in the United States.
• The Lab will expand its sponsorship program, which underwrites the costs of specific webinars and programs.
• The Lab will also expand its fundraising program. Over the years, generous donors have contributed occasionally to express their appreciation for the Lab’s work. The Lab will expand its capacity to request and receive individual donations.
• Finally, the Lab will implement a subscription model. Participants who find value in Lab programming will be able to unlock additional benefits by subscribing.

New Subscription Model

On September 1, 2024 the Lab will introduce a subscription model, inviting individual subscribers to pay a reasonable fee for ongoing access to the Lab’s most appreciated programs and services. Professional chaplaincy associations and educational institutions will also be invited to become enterprise-level subscribers to make these resources even more accessible for their members.

Subscribers will be entitled to:

• Register for live webinars at no additional cost;
• Receive verification of program attendance and specification of learning outcomes;
• Access the Lab’s full catalog of past webinars;
• Register for future sessions of the Lab’s Field Guide for Aspiring Chaplains;
• Access the full series of past Field Guide sessions;
• Join the Lab’s private Facebook group, which we believe to be the largest online gathering space of chaplains in the world;
• Access all future Lab eBooks, as well as the full back catalog of publications;
• Receive priority registration for Conversation Circles and other programming;
• Receive discounts on career consultation fees;
• Receive discounts on fees for career document review (e.g. resumes, CE / BCC portfolios, etc.)

Sustain the work of the Lab and the spiritual care community it serves

The Lab depends on the support and participation of those who benefit from and value its work. If that’s you, I encourage you to consider several actions.

• Watch for more detailed information about subscription later this summer and plan to subscribe.
• Speak to the leadership of professional organizations in which you are active about your involvement in the Lab. Encourage them to consider subscribing organizationally.
• Consider making a regular philanthropic commitment to the Lab.
• If you are seeking to fill a position or searching for a new one, hire Thorne Consulting.
• Share your enthusiasm for the work of the Lab. Post about your participation on social media. Tell colleagues about your experiences with the Lab and encourage them to join you.

I am grateful for all of you and for the changes you have made in the world through your dedicated work. May the Lab continue to bring us together to ensure that everyone has access to spiritual care in this troubled and beautiful world.

As always,

Wendy Cadge

Founder, Chaplaincy Innovation Lab,

President-Elect, Bryn Mawr College