Federal Policy on the Ground: Faith-Based Organizations Delivering Local Services

Faith-based initiatives are a core component of the Bush administration's domestic agenda, and it has pursued their adoption vigorously. This study focuses on how these efforts have been received at the state and local levels, whether and how they have changed the involvement of faith-based organizations (FBOs) in public programs, and what we know and need to know about the nature of the services FBOs deliver.

The study was conducted in three cities to examine how federal policies regarding faith-based involvement in public programs play out in state and local settings. It focused on four program areas within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that either have Charitable Choice provisions in their authorizing legislation or specifically encourage FBO participation in the provision of publicly funded services. Three programs; TANF, SAPT, and CSBG are all block grants that give state or local officials significant discretion in spending federal money. The Compassion Capital Fund, in contrast, is a special discretionary program with no involvement by state or local governments. It gives grants to nongovernmental intermediaries to provide technical assistance to faith-based and community organizations and otherwise help in capacity building. It also gives grants directly to FBOs and community organizations.

Excerpt from, "Federal Policy on the Ground: Faith-Based Organizations Delivering Local Services"