Issue Briefs

Issue Briefs2019-10-22T07:10:15-04:00

Financial Access and De-Risking: Moving Toward Solutions for Nonprofit Organizations

This issue brief summarizes systemic financial access and de-risking challenges faced by nonprofits, identifies the sources of these challenges, addresses impacts on nonprofit operations, and explores solutions for addressing these challenges. The brief updates a 2017 issue brief on financial access, highlighting congressional efforts to address financial access issues through requirements included in the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act. Read the updated brief here.

June 15th, 2022|

What Donors Should Know Following the Dutch Government’s Decision to Cut Funding for UAWC

On Jan. 5, 2022, the Dutch Foreign Ministry published a letter to the Dutch Parliament announcing that it was cutting its financial support for the Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC), a leading Palestinian civil society organization based in Ramallah. This issue brief summarizes the Dutch foreign ministry's letter, noting that it cleared UAWC of organizational links to the PFLP and based its decision instead on alleged individual links, a

January 11th, 2022|

Negative Impacts of Sanctions on Civil Society

U.S. sanctions have created significant challenges for civil society organizations operating in sanctioned countries or in areas controlled by sanctioned groups. This issue brief offers an overview of the negative impacts of sanctions on civil society, as well as recommendations for addressing them. Read the brief here.

May 27th, 2021|

Nonprofits with USAID Funding May Be Vulnerable to Federal Lawsuits

In the spring of 2018, the Charity & Security Network learned of several lawsuits filed in U.S. courts against nonprofit organizations (NPOs) that receive USAID funding. Using a law meant to combat fraud against the federal government by providing incentives for private citizens to act as whistleblowers (the False Claims Act), as of May 2020 the Zionist Advocacy Center (TZAC) has alleged that four groups violated the anti-terrorist certification

June 3rd, 2020|

Islamophobic Groups Attacking Humanitarian, Peacebuilding Groups and Human Rights Defenders

Click here for a printable PDF of this fact sheet In recent years, two U.S. organizations have conducted smear campaigns against charities and human rights groups that appear intended to shut down or limit humanitarian assistance, peacebuilding and human rights advocacy by or on behalf of Muslim communities. They target groups working in places with large Muslim populations, including Palestine and south Asia. Their work has been used to fuel

February 20th, 2020|

Financial Services Deplatforming Hurts Aid, Peacebuilding

Increasingly, financial service companies and online payment platforms are bowing to pressure from outside groups to “deplatform” or cancel the accounts of nonprofit organizations (NPOs) and human rights defenders working in global hot spots. This affects humanitarian aid, peacebuilding, development and human rights programs. Organizations with a self-professed political agenda are manufacturing and using disinformation to pressure financial service companies and payment platforms to end their relationships with these

August 19th, 2019|

The Prohibition on Material Support and Its Impacts on Nonprofits

Click here for a printable PDF of this Issue Brief The U.S. counterterrorism framework impedes the work of legitimate nonprofit organizations (NPOs) in two ways: first, it prohibits anyone from engaging in a wide range of broadly defined activities that involve listed terrorist organizations, regardless of the purpose or intent behind such engagement. Violating “material support” laws can result in criminal prosecution, extensive jail time and fines. Second, it

August 8th, 2019|

False Claim Act Lawsuits: What Nonprofits Need to Know

Please click here for a printable PDF of this Issue Brief. What is the False Claims Act and why is it an Issue? The False Claims Act (FCA) is a U.S. law that imposes liability on individuals, companies and organizations that knowingly defraud government programs. Private parties, called “relators,” can bring these suits on behalf of the government. Recent lawsuits claim that some nonprofit organizations (NPOs) receiving USAID

November 1st, 2018|

Regulation of Nonprofit Organizations in the U.S. – An Overview

Click here for a printable PDF of this Issue Brief.    Nonprofit organizations (NPOs) in the United States are subject to a complex system of regulation and oversight that combines registration, reporting and monitoring at the federal, state and local levels. These regulatory regimes mostly revolve around raising, spending and accounting for funds, protecting the public from fraud, and encouraging charitable contributions. The First Amendment protections for freedom of association,

November 21st, 2017|

Financial Access and Derisking: Moving Toward Solutions for Nonprofit Organizations

Please click here for a printable PDF of this Issue Brief In recent years, access to financial services has become increasingly difficult for nonprofit organizations (NPOs) that must conduct international financial transactions in order to operate overseas, often in places where their work is needed most. Financial institutions may delay, or refuse to make, transfers between organizations. Sometimes, NPOs are turned away as customers or have their accounts closed.

October 1st, 2017|

USAID’s Partner Vetting System

Click here for a printable PDF version of this Issue Brief. The Partner Vetting System (PVS) is a pilot program created to vet individuals in nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and for-profit entities that apply for United States Agency for International Development (USAID) contracts and grants, to ensure that USAID-funded activities are not inadvertently providing support to entities associated with terrorism. Under the PVS pilot program, the U.S. government requires many grant applicants

February 16th, 2016|

Impact on Women: Counterterrorism Laws and Policies Restricting Peacebuilding and Humanitarian Work

A new C&SN Issue Brief examines the impact on women of counterterrorism laws and policies restricting peacebuilding and humanitarian work. It looks at the disproportionate effect that armed conflict has on women, shines a light on the role women are taking in these global hot spots to improve their lives and their communities, and explains how empowering legislation would allow U.S. humanitarian and peacebuilding groups to partner with these

August 19th, 2015|
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