South Bend, Indiana:
Through the Turning Point Initiative, a local hospital (Memorial Hospital) voluntarily began to tithe a percentage of its net revenue (10%) to the community and it has scores of impressive programs to show for it. It has used this money to fund immunization programs, lead screening, child advocacy, congregational nursing, mammography screening, and expanded health care coverage. In addition, the fundamental idea behind tithing - a mechanism to bind the community together - has permeated the way that Memorial Hospital views its relationship with the community. As a result of their relatively long experience with tithing, Memorial is uniquely situated to ask some transformative questions about the meaning of partnership.