Congregations and Charitable Choice

Abstract

The Charitable Choice Provision of the Welfare Reform Act of 1996 enabled congregations to compete for federal dollars as providers of social services. For all the press that Charitable Choice has received, surveys show that few people in congregations are familiar with its provisions. Participation in Charitable Choice programs has been low so far, though this may change with the renewed emphasis on faith-based providers being promoted by the new administration in Washington. An article on the Front Porch Alliance examines a local effort to form partnerships between government and faith-based organizations. Another article, on the history of religion and social welfare in Indianapolis, argues that faith-based organizations have long played a primary role in creating local institutions to care for those in need.