Beginning in 2018, a handful of groups with a self-professed political agenda have impeded the valuable work of nonprofit organizations through lawsuits, deplatforming campaigns and challenges to organizations’ tax-exempt status. Ostensibly, these groups say their actions are aimed at strengthening security. Instead, their actions impede the nonprofits’ work. At the center of these campaigns is disinformation about the work and reputations of nonprofits, disguised as “research,” which is used to exploit legitimate counter-terrorism laws and whistleblower provisions.
This is the latest chapter in the use of disinformation to delegitimize charitable work. For several years, Charity & Security Network has been aware that disinformation on nonprofits has been given an audience on Capitol Hill, and that this sham “research” has even made its way into commercial tools commonly used by financial institutions to screen customers and potential customers against sanctions lists.
In this section you will find information on False Claims Act lawsuits, Deplatforming, Charitable Status, Grantmaking, the Foreign Agents Registration Act, and the Partner Vetting System.
Featured Resources
Abstract: UN Special Rapporteur Calls for End to Attacks on Civil Society
In her report to the Fortieth session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHCR) on the role of measures to address terrorism and violent extremism on closing space (Advance Unedited Version, A/HRC/40/52, February 18, 2019),
IRS Rejects Complaint Against Doctors Without Borders for its Medical Work in Gaza
In late August 2018 the Zionist Advocacy Center (TZAC), which is spearheading legal tactics aimed at NPOs working in Palestine, announced via facebook that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) rejected its effort to revoke the charitable, tax-exempt
Congressional Effort to Exclude IRW from USG Funding Defeated
A Congressional budget amendment that would have de-funded a large UK-based humanitarian aid organization was successfully fought back earlier this week. The amendment, which was proposed by Rep. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) as part of
Wikileaks Exposes Trove of Insight on U.S. Government Counterterrorism Rules and Charities
On Sept. 1, 2011, a searchable archive of over 250,000 unredacted U.S. State Department cables became available on the internet. The publication of the cables expanded a window on American diplomacy that first opened in November 2010 when
What Happens to a Charity After an FBI Raid
Case Study: Life & Relief and Development (LIFE) On the eve of Ramadan in September 2006, the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) conducted a raid on the Detroit area headquarters of Life for Relief and Development (LIFE). Without
Examples of Negative Impact of U.S. Counterterrorism Laws on Charities and Philanthropy
U.S. counterterrorism laws and policies have had negative impacts that make it more difficult for charities and grantmakers to operate and in some cases, block donations for charitable programs from being used at all. The