On this page, you will find information on Grantmaking, the Foreign Agents Registration Act, and the Partner Vetting System.
The rights of nonprofit organizations (NPOs) to free speech, association and assembly often come under pressure or even direct attack as a result of over-reaching laws and regulations. The problem is exacerbated by donors and enforcement agencies that shift risk downstream onto NPOs. For example, counterterrorism clauses or certifications that NPOs must sign as part of the grant agreement and USAID’s problematic Partner Vetting System may be inconsistent with humanitarian principles or privacy standards. In addition, since investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election raised the profile of the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), , which requires registration and disclosure by those acting “for or on behalf of” foreign governments and entities, have led to overly broad application of the law to fundamental civil society relationships . Information and analysis in this section calls attention to threats to the rights of nonprofit organizations and efforts to address them.
Featured Resources
Israel Shuts Down Palestinian Civil Society Groups as U.S. Continues to “Review” Unsubstantiated Allegations from Last Fall
Washington, D.C., Aug. 18, 2022 — Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz has reportedly ratified the terrorism designations of three of the six Palestinian human rights and civil society organizations first designated by the Israeli military
Biden’s Moment of Truth About Palestine – Electronic Intifada
C&SN Director Paul Carroll is quoted calling on President Biden to end his "position of callous ambivalence" towards the six Palestinian organizations that Israel wrongfully designated as terror groups last year. Read the full article
Israel’s West Bank Ordinance: The Latest Effort to Suppress Palestinian Civil Society – Just Security
June 8, 2022 C&SN Director Paul Carroll unpacks the implications of an Israeli government ordinance slated to go into effect in July that would further a longstanding campaign to undermine Palestinian civil society. Read the
ECNL Releases Practical Guidance for CSOs to Navigate Access to Financial Services
By Ashleigh Subramanian-Montgomery On April 29, 2022, the European Center for Not-for-Profit Law released their Practical Guidance resource, Navigating access to financial services for CSOs: a practical guidance and accompanying video. The Practical Guidance highlights
American Bar Association Calls on Israel to Disclose Evidence to Designated Palestinian NGOs
On April 22, 2022, Reginald Turner, the President of the American Bar Association (ABA)—the largest voluntary association of attorneys and legal professionals in the world—wrote a letter to Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Israel’s
Broad-Based Sanctions on Russia Undercut Russian Civil Society When It Is Needed Most
By Gabe Murphy Coverage of the war in Ukraine has rightly emphasized the critical role of civil society in responding to this moment. Both local civil society groups and international nongovernmental organizations have mobilized to