Explores prevalent assumptions about what religious organizations are and do, how they fit into the independent or nonprofit sector, and what is reasonable to expect of or for them. Reviews basic facts about the nature, scope, operations, and support of religious organizations, examining their levels of independence. Focuses on the basic…

Surveyed urban welfare-to-work programs to investigate the dilemma of faith-based and other nonprofit organizations having to choose between government funding and independence. Federal funding, though key to increasing an organization's impact and size significantly, also limits its independence. Proposes three steps toward resolution (e.g.,…

This directory is organized into two sections covering grant and loan programs from religious sources that fund causes related to basic human need, social justice, and self-determination for economically deprived and diverse peoples. The first section describes 67 grant programs from 10 denominations (Baptist, Catholic, Christian Church: Disciples…

This directory profiles 39 private sector grant makers that are prominent funders of Native American programs. Since this directory is national in scope, grant makers whose philanthrophy is limited to one state or a single metropolitan area are not included. The first section lists 24 private family charitable foundations established by wealthy…

A working paper on U.S. church-related funding for (or sponsorship of) South African programs is presented to guide support-seeking organizations in South Africa to appropriate resources and to inform interested parties outside South Africa about potential resources and ways in which they might cooperate or assist. Information is provided in two…

A practicum was designed to keep an after-school and evening youth center in operation in spite of the loss of the main source of financial support (i.e., the contributions of the founding church). The program director, youth ministries director for an urban parish, sought additional support and implemented various strategies to keep the program…

This manual provides information for pastors, parents, and church members who are starting a child care program in their church, and for churches that are changing or expanding their child care program. Chapter 1 reports the results of a 1982 survey of child care in local parishes by the National Council of Churches. Chapter 2 explains four steps…

The word "summer" brings to mind images of a relaxed, unstructured season--a time markedly different from other seasons of the year. In the United States, we have a particularly entrenched notion that summer is different--a notion reflected in popular assumptions about summer as a "break" and reinforced by carefree depictions…

The 1998 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) was the first federal legislation to contain a "charitable choice" provision allowing faith-based organizations (FBOs) to compete for state and federal government funds on the same basis as secular providers. For FBOs that consider pursuit of government…