| For Immediate Release 5/16/2005 |
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| Charitable Sector Needs To Take a Stance on Policies Deleterious to Free Speech & Civil Liberties, Statement of National Foundation Watchdog Encourages | |||
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Terrorist list-checking inappropriate for, and harms accountability of, charitable sector, and is ineffective and counter-productive for foundations and nonprofits Click here to read the whole PDF statement "Philanthropic Grantmaking Institutions Must Refrain from Placing Inappropriate, Ineffective, and Unnecessary Responsibilities for Anti-Terrorism Enforcement onto the Shoulders of Nonprofit Grant Recipients" WASHINGTON-The National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP) today has issued a statement that calls on foundations and nonprofits to cease the practice of including terrorist list-checking requirements in their grant agreements language. NCRP is fully aware of the challenges of preventing and squelching terrorism since September 11, and is supportive of our government taking proper action and responsibility for protecting U.S. citizens from terrorism. However, foundations and nonprofits should not be required to absorb government actions such as voluminous list-checking. We believe that list-checking and other such practices have grave potential to change grantmaking behaviors in taking on issues and serving constituencies that might be controversial or unpopular, as well as contribute to the reluctance of grant seekers to subject their organizations to unnecessary certifications. While some foundations are imposing the list-checking in hopes that such actions will protect foundations against the seizure of assets by the federal government, they must realize that there is absolutely no "safe harbor" against such consequences. Ultimately, such practices might be inadvertently contributing to a climate of fear in the nonprofit sector. In addition, NCRP has been made aware of increasing incidences, of nonprofits being de-funded or not being invited to submit proposals to foundations. |
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