On February 1, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s public comment period on the revised set of voluntary anti-terrorism financing guidelines ends.  title="http://www.treasury.gov/offices/enforcement/key-issues/protecting/charities-intro.shtml" href="http://www.treasury.gov/offices/enforcement/key-issues/protecting/charities-intro.shtml">Click here to submit comments directly to the Treasury Department On December 5, 2005, the Treasury Department issued a revised set of voluntary anti-terrorism financing guidelines to assist charitable organizations in complying with Executive Order 13224 and the USA Patriot Act following 9/11.  title="http://www.treasury.gov/offices/enforcement/key-issues/protecting/charities-intro.shtml" href="http://www.treasury.gov/offices/enforcement/key-issues/protecting/charities-intro.shtml">Read the new guidelines.  While effective immediately, the revised guidelines are open for public comment until February 1, 2006.  The revised guidelines replace the “U.S. Department of the Treasury Anti-Terrorist Financing Guidelines: Voluntary Best Practices for U.S. Based Charities” issued in November 2002.  A number of organizations have been critical of key aspects of the original Treasury anti-terrorist financing guidelines since they were first issued. In April 2004, a group of more than 40 organizations called the Treasury Guidelines Working Group, began developing a response to the guidelines that is more realistic and appropriate for the sector. The resulting "Principles of International Charity" was submitted to the Treasury Department in March 2005. title="http://www.cof.org/files/Documents/International_Programs/2005Publications/Principles_Final.pdf" href="http://www.cof.org/files/Documents/International_Programs/2005Publications/Principles_Final.pdf">Read the Principles of International Charity.