While Congress has been unable to agree on what standards should apply to religious organizations that receive government funding for social services programs, the Working Group on Human Needs and Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, composed of experts with diverse views, has published Harnessing Civic and Faith-Based Power to Fight Poverty, a statement of 38 specific consensus recommendations. The top priority is increased government funding for social services programs. The project is sponsored by the Roundtable on Religion and Social Welfare Policy. The recommendations fall into five categories:

• Increased resources to meet human needs;
• Responsibilities for government agencies, including neutral standards and transparency;
• Responsibilities of faith-based organizations, including respect for the religious freedom of program beneficiaries, transparency, and "to the extent practicable" a separate 501(c)(3) affiliate for houses of worship that wish to receive funding for social services programs;
• Community empowerment, including training and technical assistance for faith-based and community organizations; and
• Closing knowledge gaps, through research and data collection.

In the controversial area of employment practices, the group agreed that religious organizations should be transparent about their hiring policies. While there was not agreement on whether religious discrimination should be allowed when hiring for government funds, there was agreement on a clear statement of current law.