In a striking example of strategic philanthropy, Khachkar Studios has launched a $10+ million pilot program designed to bring high-impact support to Armenian churches across the United States. The initiative, announced on April 11, seeks to empower selected churches to deliver measurable outcomes in faith engagement, leadership development, and community outreach.
The pilot is structured around performance metrics rarely seen in religious giving. At its core is KPI #1: the increase in Non-Holiday Badarak Faithful (“The Faithful”) — parishioners attending Sunday services beyond the major holidays. As of 2024, this group represents just 13,000 people nationwide, a mere 3 percent of the U.S. Armenian population and one of the lowest percentages among American Orthodox communities.
To address this challenge, Khachkar Studios has shortlisted 37 churches based on their potential to drive “The Faithful” growth. Each will be evaluated on Social Return on Investment (SROI) — a percentile-based metric that measures how effectively each dollar invested results in increased engagement. Churches will be asked to answer one critical question in every decision: What is the SROI, and where does it rank among benchmarks?
This data-centric approach reflects the organization’s belief in accountability and stewardship, grounded in the parable of the talents: those entrusted with more must achieve more.
Selected churches can receive between $40,000 and $80,000 annually — figures equivalent to approximately 100 days of Sunday plate donations or a US$1 million endowment. The support is linked to participation in eight high-impact activities, including church leader training, outreach home visits, Bible study expansion, and media creation. Each activity is supported with $2,000 to $9,600 per year.
Importantly, this transformation is designed to be practical and sustainable. With mobile technology and streamlined training, each church needs only six hours per week of shared volunteer time to fulfill its goals.
Khachkar Studios is also addressing a second major performance gap: Armenian churches’ underinvestment in media outreach. The studio plans to spend more than 25 times the combined total of all other Armenian churches in the U.S. on its “Good News” campaign. Seven dedicated workstreams — from podcasts to music and events — will support a robust media strategy aimed at energizing faith across generations.
The Pilot Briefing Packet, now accessible on the Khachkar Studios website, includes anonymized data on the 37 shortlisted churches, a consolidated financial statement on 164 U.S. Armenian churches, and 10 of the most important insights from over 200 internal studies.
Khachkar Studios operates in affiliation with the Charles & Agnes Kazarian Foundation, JI-Analytics, and Japonica Partners. This pilot not only reimagines religious giving — it challenges the sector to embrace a future of faith empowered by evidence.
