Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy

Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy (VICPP) is a non-partisan coalition of 23,000 members including 700 faith communities and 1,000 clergy of all faiths and people of goodwill, all working for a more just society.

Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy - Engaging people of faith and goodwill to advocate for economic, racial, social and environmental justice in Virginia’s policies and practices through education, prayer and action.

VICPP is an advocacy organization, not a social service one.  Although we support and appreciate the great work and ministries provided by social service agencies across the Commonwealth, we complement that work by addressing policy issues. One bill can magnify or negate thousands of hours and millions of dollars’ worth of social service work.

Historically, VICPP has been a leader on poverty issues, working on expanding school breakfast programs, reducing predatory lending, and advocating Medicaid expansion. Today we focus on racial justice,  immigrant rights and economic justice issues like requiring employers to offer paid sick days.

To be effective, VICPP must be strategic about the issues on which it focuses. VICPP is “the lead” on some legislation, which means we help draft the legislation, recruit sponsors and build statewide support on the issue. On other issues, we support the work of partner organizations. In large coalition efforts, like Medicaid expansion, our role is primarily to engage the faith community in all aspects of the initiative.