The Center for Interfaith Relations

What The Center for Interfaith Relations does

The Center for Interfaith Relations is a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 61-1149619) founded in 1996 and headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky. Its mission is to promote and support interfaith understanding, cooperation, and action, embodied by the motto 'Many Faiths, One Heart, Common Action.' The organization's flagship program is the annual Festival of Faiths, a nationally recognized three-day interfaith gathering held at the Kentucky Center for the Arts; the 30th Annual Festival is scheduled for November 11-13, 2026. Year-round programming includes creative contests (Poetry of the Sacred, Sacred Essays, Young Authors, Young Creators Sacred Arts), bimonthly Holy Ground gatherings for clergy and faith leaders at the Earth and Spirit Center, and content series published via a blog, YouTube video archive, and recurring newsletter distribution.

The organization operates without any proprietary technology platform, relying on a WordPress website (centerforinterfaithrelations.org), a dedicated Festival of Faiths website (festivaloffaiths.org), an e-commerce storefront (shop.festivaloffaiths.org), and standard social media channels. Its business model is donation-driven: individual one-time contributions, the Sacred Stars monthly recurring donor program, and modest merchandise sales. Contests are free to enter with prize awards to winners, and most programming is offered free of charge. Institutional funding is anchored by a core partnership with Louisville-based Brown-Forman, supplemented by two minor named partners.

The leadership team consists of approximately five named individuals led by Executive Director Rev. Dr. Lauren Jones Mayfield, who was appointed in December 2024 after Sarah Reed's 12-year tenure. The organization serves a horizontally segmented audience across Louisville and beyond, including general community members, clergy and faith leaders, and students/creative writers. No revenue figures, headcount totals, or growth metrics are publicly disclosed.

Name

The Center for Interfaith Relations

Legal name

Center for Interfaith Relations

Website

https://centerforinterfaithrelations.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Center for Interfaith Relations is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1996 in Louisville, Kentucky, that hosts the annual Festival of Faiths and year-round interfaith programming including creative contests and clergy gatherings, funded primarily through individual donations and institutional partners such as Brown-Forman.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Interfaith Community Engagement

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious Organizations (81311)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Interfaith & Ecumenical Councils and Dialogue Organizations (BPAGAJAJ)

Keywords

• Interfaith dialogue programs
• Faith community events
• Religious literacy initiatives
• Interfaith festival programming
• Clergy professional development

Headquarters

HQ city

Louisville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: The organization operates as a nonprofit relying primarily on individual donations. Donors can make one-time contributions or enroll in the monthly donor program called Sacred Stars. The organization celebrated nearly 30 years of operation in 2026 and marks its 30th Annual Festival of Faiths.
2. E-commerce Sales: The organization operates an e-commerce shop (shop.festivaloffaiths.org) selling Festival of Faiths merchandise including apparel and other items.
3. Contest Entry Fees: The organization hosts creative contests including Poetry of the Sacred, Sacred Essays, Young Authors, and Young Creators Sacred Arts. While many contests offer prize awards to winners, the submission process is managed through Submittable platform.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Center for Interfaith Relations is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that convenes interfaith dialogue through the annual multi-day Festival of Faiths in Louisville, KY, alongside creative writing and sacred arts contests, recurring clergy gatherings under the Holy Ground initiative, and an editorial blog. Programming is offered free to participants and is sustained through donations, recurring monthly giving (Sacred Stars), and institutional sponsorships.

Product overview

The Center for Interfaith Relations operates as a non-profit organization offering a portfolio of programs centered on interfaith dialogue and community engagement. The flagship offering is the annual Festival of Faiths, a nationally recognized event bringing together diverse faith traditions. Additional programs include creative contests (Poetry of the Sacred, Sacred Essays, Young Authors, Young Creators), Holy Ground clergy gatherings, and a blog featuring spiritual content. The organization also runs a monthly donor program (Sacred Stars) and accepts donations to support its mission of celebrating faith diversity and fostering common action.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Festival of Faiths: Nationally renowned annual festival celebrating diverse faith traditions with speakers, performances, and interfaith dialogue. The 30th annual festival is scheduled for November 11-13, 2026 in Louisville, KY.

Products and services

• Festival of Faiths Annual multi-day interfaith festival held in Louisville, KY, convening participants from diverse faith traditions for dialogue, performances, and shared programming; offered free to community members and supported through donations and sponsorships.
• Poetry of the Sacred Contest Annual creative writing contest accepting poetry submissions on sacred and interfaith themes; open to individual writers at no cost.
• Sacred Essays Contest Annual creative writing contest accepting essay submissions on sacred and interfaith themes; open to individual writers at no cost.
• Young Authors Contest Annual creative writing contest for young authors writing on sacred and interfaith themes.
• Young Creators Sacred Arts Contest Annual sacred arts contest for young creators, complementing the Young Authors Contest with broader artistic expression.
• Holy Ground Recurring interfaith clergy gathering series providing structured opportunities for faith leaders to convene, dialogue, and collaborate across traditions.
• Sacred Stars Monthly Donor Program Recurring monthly donation program offering supporters a structured way to provide ongoing financial contributions to sustain the Center's interfaith programming.
• Center Blog Editorial blog publishing interfaith commentary, religious literacy content, and updates on Center programming, available free to the public via the organization's website.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Interfaith Alliance: National nonpartisan interfaith advocacy organization promoting religious freedom and inclusive civic life. Comparable to CIR as both work at the intersection of multiple faith traditions in the U.S., though Interfaith Alliance focuses more on policy advocacy.
• Interfaith Philadelphia: Philadelphia-based interfaith organization convening religious leaders and communities for dialogue and cooperation. Directly comparable to CIR as a city-anchored interfaith convener running festivals, clergy programs, and community engagement.
• Parliament of the World's Religions: Global convener of large-scale interfaith gatherings dating to 1893. Comparable to CIR's Festival of Faiths as the premier recurring interfaith convening event, though operating at much larger international scale.
• Interfaith Center of New York: NYC-based interfaith service and training organization supporting religious leaders and communities. Directly comparable to CIR's Holy Ground clergy programming and interfaith convener role, though operating at larger urban scale.
• Religions for Peace: Global interfaith coalition with national chapters in 90+ countries promoting multi-religious cooperation. Comparable to CIR as a multi-faith convening and action organization, though globally distributed rather than locally rooted.
• Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding: New York-based nonprofit promoting interreligious understanding, particularly in workplaces and schools. Comparable to CIR's interfaith mission but focused on practical education and curriculum rather than large festival events.

Broad incumbents

• National Council of Churches: Large ecumenical organization representing 30+ Christian denominations in cooperative witness. Adjacent to CIR's interfaith work but focused specifically on Christian ecumenism, not multi-faith dialogue.
• Fetzer Institute: Private foundation funding spiritual transformation and interfaith understanding research and programming. Comparable to CIR as a supporter and convener of interfaith initiatives, though primarily a grantmaker rather than direct program operator.
• Auburn Theological Seminary: Progressive seminary training religious leaders with a focus on interfaith leadership and social justice. Comparable to CIR in supporting interfaith clergy development, though operating as a seminary rather than a community convener.

Emerging players

• Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development: Smaller nonprofit mobilizing faith communities around climate and sustainability issues. Adjacent to CIR's interfaith model but focused on environmental action rather than dialogue and festival programming.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/FestofFaiths
• Facebookfacebook.com/FestofFaiths

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Center for Interfaith Relations