partnerships Resources

Charitable Choice for Welfare & Community Services:  An Implementation Guide for State, Local, and Federal Officials

(Published by The Center for Public Justice, December 2000. Copies of the Implementation Guide are available for purchase from The Center for Public Justice.)

Summary:

This is a focused introduction to the finer points of compliance with the Charitable Choice guidelines of the 1996 federal welfare reforms. It is directed to public officials at all levels of government who might be affected by the rule changes. It includes a primer on charitable choice, sample language for contracts with FBOs, a compliance "checklist," and brief descriptions of steps various state officials have taken to promote government-faith collaboration. This guide is helpful to public officials, since, as its author states, "Many of the requirements Charitable Choice applies to procurement are very different from, and in some cases even the opposite of, the requirements that accompany other federal, state, or local funds. This means that officials must not simply assume that their procurement policies and practices are in compliance with Charitable Choice, even if they have contracted extensively with religious affiliated providers in the past."

Why does FASTEN recommend this resource?

This resource is a must-have to any government organization that contracts with FBOs and wishes to better understand how to comply with the Charitable Choice guidelines. The practical tips, checklist, and contract language are very well written.