Protecting Nonprofit Rights | Center for Effective Government

The Center for Effective Government (formerly OMB Watch) ceased operations as of March 2016. The majority of work and materials has been passed on to the Project On Government Oversight (POGO). This site is being maintained as an archive of materials produced.

Feb 8, 2016

Top 400 Taxpayers See Tax Rates Rise, But There’s More to the Story

As Americans were gathering party supplies to greet the New Year, the Internal Revenue Service released their annual report of cumulative tax data reported on the 400 tax r...

Feb 4, 2016

Chlorine Bleach Plants Needlessly Endanger 63 Million Americans

Chlorine bleach plants across the U.S. put millions of Americans in danger of a chlorine gas release, a substance so toxic it has been used as a chemical weapon. Greenpeace’s new repo...

Jan 25, 2016

U.S. Industrial Facilities Reported Fewer Toxic Releases in 2014

The Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) data for 2014 is now available. The good news: total toxic releases by reporting facilities decreased by nearly six percent from 2013 levels. Howe...

Jan 22, 2016

Methane Causes Climate Change. Here's How the President Plans to Cut Emissions by 40-45 Percent.

UPDATE (Jan. 22, 2016): Today, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released its proposed rule to reduce methane emissions...

February 1, 2011 Charity and Security Network Newsletter

Featured articles, blogs and abstracts (click on headline to read full article):
Vol.3, Issue 02

1. Nation-Wide Protests Support Activists Refusal to Testify

2. FBI Investigative Powers: Unchecked and Too Broad

3. Dueling Patriot Act Reauthorization Bills Differ on Safeguards, Timing

4. Charity Leader Released as FBI Evidence Tampering Becomes Issue in Case

January 18, 2011 Charity and Security Network Newsletter

Featured articles, blogs and abstracts (click on headline to read full article):
Vol.3, Issue 01

1. Prosecutors Fail to Turn Over Key Documents to Convicted Co-Founder of Al Haramain
2. Government Ordered to Pay $2.5 million for Illegal Wiretap of Charity and its Lawyers
3. FBI Infiltrator of Anti-War Group Exposed As More Activists Face Subpoenas
4. To Michael Mukasey, Rudy Giuliani, Tom Ridge and Frances Townsend: Welcome to our World!

January 3, 2011 Charity and Security Network Newsletter

Featured articles, blogs and abstracts (click on headline to read full article):
Vol.2, Issue 24
1. Two Bills Signal Future Action Impacting Due Process for Charities
2. QDDR Outlines Strategy for State Department and USAID
3. Blog: WikiLeaks Exposes Terrorism Funding Sources
4. UPDATED: A Comparison Chart of Due Process Rights in Terrorist Designation Processes
5. Read David Cole’s New York Times Op-ed about Reforming the Material Support Law (from Jan. 3, 2011)
6. Read Joanne Mariner’s article, Civil Society and Counter-Terrorism (December 2010)

December 15, 2010 Charity and Security Network Newsletter

Featured articles, blogs and abstracts (click on headline to read full article):
Vol.2, Issue 23
1. New Treasury Rule Improves Access to Lawyers for Listed Charities
2. Documents Shed Light on Military Officer Spying on Peace Group
3. DOJ Says Protections on Patriot Powers In Place, Others Want More Debate
4. Aid Worker Safety Threatened by Military Agenda
5. Sign the Human Rights Day Online Petition

The Fine Print Is Now Available on Kindle

Dec 13, 2010 by Brian Gumm

The Fine Print is now available for Kindle users via Amazon.com. According to Amazon, "Kindle Blogs are auto-delivered wirelessly to your Kindle and updated throughout the day so you can stay current. It's risk free — all Kindle Blog subscriptions start with a 14-day free trial. You can cancel at any time during the free trial period." Additionally, blogs on Kindle give you full-text content and images. A Fine Print subscription for Kindle users is just $1.99 per month, and a portion of the proceeds go to OMB Watch.

December 1, 2010 Charity and Security Network Newsletter

Featured articles, blogs and abstracts (click on headline to read full article):
Vol.2, Issue 22
1. UN Special Investigator Finds Its Counterterrorism Framework Chills Humanitarian Aid
2. Nonprofit Groups End Talks With Treasury about Ineffectual Guidelines
3. Treasury Comment Shows Nonprofits are Right to End Unproductive Dialog
4. FBI Asked to Stop Targeting Political Activists
5. What Happens to a Charity After an FBI Raid: A Case Study of Life & Relief and Development
6. List of Holy Land Unindicted Co-conspirators Ordered Sealed, But Remains Available

November 16, 2010 Charity and Security Network Newsletter

Featured articles, blogs and abstracts (click on headline to read full article):
Vol.2, Issue 21
1. Subpoenas Re-activated for Three Anti-War Activists
2. US Defends Human Rights Record Before UN
3. Report: Policing Not Enough to Stop Homegrown Terrorists
4. A Comparison Chart of Due Process Rights in Terrorist Designation Processes to the Charity and Security Network’s Model
5. CSN’s Model Policies for Fair Procedures for Listing and Delisting U.S. Charities
6. Experts at Fear Mongering by Wendell Belew

October 29, 2010 Charity and Security Network Newsletter

Featured articles, blogs and abstracts (click on headline to read full article):
Vol.2, Issue 20
1. Brief Argues Material Support Conviction Should Require Knowledge of Terror Connection
2. Judge Hears Former Charity Heads Appeal in Tax Case
3. Government Wants Access to Wiretap Internet
4. Polling Data: Americans View Humanitarian Aid As Tool to Counter Terror

October 18, 2010 Charity and Security Network Newsletter

Vol.2, Issue 19
Featured articles, blogs and abstracts (click on headline to read full article):
1. After Wave of Protests, DOJ Cancels Subpoenas of 14 Anti-War Activists
2. Opinion: The G-Men Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest
3. Report Highlights Protection Payment Problem Facing Development Programs
4. Report: CRS on Combating Domestic Violent Extremism
5. Hearing in House Questions How to Counter Violent Messages on Extremist Websites
6. Managing Risk Critical to Maximizing Humanitarian Impact
7. Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the U.S. Update
8. Improving Civil Society-Military Dialogue in Afghanistan To Counter Terror

October 1, 2010 Charity and Security Network Newsletter

Vol.2, Issue 18
Featured articles, blogs and abstracts (click on headline to read full article):
1. Searches, Grand Jury Investigation Target Anti-War Activists in Chicago, Minneapolis
2. Justice Department Report: FBI Improperly Monitored Activists
3. FBI Agents Caught Cheating on Counterterrorism Exam
4. Obama Unveils Policy Directive on Development
5. Clinton Calls for Addressing Root Causes of Terrorism at UN Summit
6. Treasury Proposes Massive Expansion of Info Collection on International Wire Transfers
7. Peacebuilding Fact Sheet, October 2010
8. Building Better Relationships for Peacebuilding Between Government and Civil Society

Pages

Living in the Shadow of Danger: Poverty, Race, and Unequal Chemical Facility Hazards

People of color and people living in poverty, especially poor children of color, are significantly more likely...

A Tale of Two Retirements: One for CEOs and One for the Rest of Us

The 100 largest CEO retirement funds are worth a combined $4.9 billion, equal to the entire retirement account savings of 41 percent of American fam...

Blowing Smoke: Chemical Companies Say “Trust Us,” But Environmental and Workplace Safety Violations Belie Their Rhetoric

Large chemical companies a...

Gasping for Support: Implementation of Tougher Air Quality Standards Will Require New Funds for State Agencies

New scientific research shows that the current levels of...