Mixed Reactions to Funding of Faith-Based Organizations

January 30, 2001

Source: The Washington Post

On January 30, 2001, The Washington Post reported that "President Bush, giving teeth to his father's decade-old "Thousand Points of Light" initiative, launched a broad governmental effort yesterday to invigorate religious charities and other nonprofit organizations in the battle against the nation's social problems. In the first step of what could be an unprecedented collaboration between the government and nonprofits, the president created offices in five Cabinet agencies and the White House with a charge to ease regulations and boost government funding of charities, many of them with religious ties." He also "moved to enhance AmeriCorps and the other national service programs developed in the Clinton administration." In the face of criticism that the new initiatives may be unconstitutional, the Bush camp emphasizes the goal of the program: "boosting communities and civil society." The new measures will also include tax proposals to allow for easier deductions for charitable giving. There has been criticism of the proposals as a dangerous entanglement of government in religion, but support has also come from both sides of the aisle. Part of the program will likely include an agency to solicit private donations to support activities which the government cannot fund because of constitutional issues. The program will also work with AmeriCorps to make better use of its volunteer force, a type of aid which helps avoid the constitutional problems of providing funding to religious institutions.