Pew Funds Faith-Based Study

In late February, the Pew Charitable Trusts announced it had given $6.3 million to the Rockefeller Institute of Government (RIG), based at the State University of New York in Albany, to establish the Roundtable on Religion and Social Welfare Policy. One of their primary tasks will be "to obtain a comprehensive, impartial body of research on...[the] complicated issues" surrounding faith-based initiatives.

Headed by RIG director Richard Nathan, the roundtable "will produce research on the capacity and effectiveness of faith-based social services, and on the important legal and constitutional issues surrounding government support of such activities." The George Washington University Law School will join the RIG in the research, and Search for Common Ground, a Washington, DC-based conflict-resolution nonprofit, will play a "key role in the initiative's major convening activities."

Luis Lugo, director of Pew's religion program, said the roundtable would address the pressing need for nonpartisan, fact-based analysis of the role of religious organizations in social welfare policy. "The reality is that we do not really know enough about faith-based social services-how effective they are when compared with secular alternatives, what they do best, or even the degree to which the faith factor is interwoven into their work--nor about the possible legal parameters of religious groups competing for federal dollars."

Resources for more information on faith-based initiatives:

§ Faith-Based Involvement: The Welfare Information Network offers far and away the most comprehensive clearinghouse of information on faith-based issues. The site provides announcements of new reports, studies and grant opportunities; an extensive list of WIN publications on welfare reform, fatherhood, "charitable choice" and other issues; federal and state-specific initiatives; technical assistance providers; and publications related to faith-based involvement. WIN links to a large number of organizations from across the political spectrum.

§ Faith-Based and Community Initiatives: Rallying the Armies of Compassion. This White House website provides government documents, the President's speeches and news releases to rally the troops.

§ "Charitable Choice": created by the Center for Public Justice, which claims to be "committed to public service that responds to God's call to do justice in local, national, and international affairs." Focuses on "charitable choice" and welfare issues, and offers links to current news stories, reports and studies.

§ Sacred Places, Civic Purposes: Congregations, the Government and Social Justice: project of the Washington, DC-based center-right Brookings Institution, exploring "congregations' proper roles...in lifting up the poor, and what their relationship to government should be." Brookings recently published "Can an Office Change a Country? The White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, A Year in Review."

§ The Center for the Study of Compassionate Conservatism: Worth checking out because Marvin Olasky, the godfather of "compassionate conservatism" is on its board of directors, and several of his articles are available. www.compassionateconservative.cc

§ American Atheists: follows church-state separation issues and has published important investigative reports on "faith-based" issues. Check out AA's "FlashLine" section for breaking stories.

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