Advisory Council Provides Recommendations on Faith-Based and Community Organizations

The Chronicle of Philanthropy ($$) details the President's Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships' new report offering suggestions for the government in its work with charities. The panel provided a 164-page document which included recommendations to ensure that religious charities use government money only for secular activities.

The panel was split on whether houses of worship should be required to set up separate organizations to receive federal money. The report also suggests the federal government "clarify how the constitutional separation of church and state applies to charities that receive government grants and contracts." Charities are not allowed to use direct government money for "inherently religious activities" but, the council proposed that wording be changed to "explicitly" religious activities.

One of the report's recommendations dealt with the proposed Partner Vetting System (PVS), a program that OMB Watch has opposed. PVS would require grant applicants to submit detailed personal information on "key individuals" to be shared with intelligence agencies and screened against terrorist watch lists. The panel rightfully advises that the government work with nonprofits to create an alternative to PVS. "PVS as currently designed would significantly harm partnerships with local communities and compromises the safety of U.S. PVO [private voluntary organizations] personnel."

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