Industrial Areas Foundation Optional email code Who We Are Founded in 1940 the Industrial Areas Foundation is the nations largest and longeststanding network of local faith and communitybased organizations. The IAF partners with religious congregations and civic organizations at the local level to build broadbased organizing projects which create new capacity in a community for leadership development citizenled action and relationships across the lines that often divide our communities. The IAF created the modern model of faith and broadbased organizing and is widely recognized as having the strongest track record in the nation for citizen leadership development and for helping congregations and other civic organizations act on their missions to achieve lasting change in the world. The IAF which includes the West Southwest IAF and Metro IAF currently works with thousands of religious congregations nonprofits civic organizations and unions in more than sixtyfive cities across the United States and in Canada Australia the United Kingdom and Germany.