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 Home > News & Policies > June 2001

President's Faith-Based & Community Initiative Wins Key Endorsement

Presidential Action:

Today the President will travel to Detroit, Michigan to accept a key endorsement from the U.S. Conference of Mayors for his faith-based and community initiative.

150 Mayors are highlighting their commitment to establishing faith-based and community partnerships to work more effectively with charitable organizations in delivering effective, results-oriented social services to needy Americans.

Key Organizations Support Faith-Based and Community Initiatives:

Today's endorsement by the U.S. Conference of Mayors is just the latest in a steady stream of respected national charities, ministries and philanthropic organizations that have announced their support for key provisions of the President's faith- and community-based initiative, including:

  • Boys and Girls Town
  • Center for Public Justice
  • Empower America
  • Habitat for Humanity International
  • National Baptist Convention U.S.A. Inc., Housing Commission
  • National Association of Evangelicals
  • National Center for Community Economic Development
  • National Center for Faith-Based Initiative
  • National Catholic Council for Hispanic Ministry
  • New York Hispanic Clergy Association
  • National Hispanic Religious Partnership
  • Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self Development
  • Salvation Army
  • Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations
  • U.S. Catholic Conference

Key Elements of the President's Effort to Rally America's Armies of Compassion and H.R. 7:

Stimulate an outpouring of private giving to nonprofits, faith-based programs, and community groups by expanding tax deductions and other initiatives:

  • Granting a charitable tax deduction to 80 million non-itemizing American taxpayers -70% of American taxpayers
  • Promoting corporate in-kind donations such as equipment, facilities, vehicles, and real property
  • Permitting charitable contributions from IRAs without penalty
  • Increasing food assistance by expanding the deduction for charitable food donations
  • Designating Compassion Capital Funds to provide technical assistance and other support to programs achieving strong civic purposes

Eliminate federal barriers to effective faith-based and community-serving programs through legislative, regulatory, and programmatic reforms:

  • Expanding established Charitable Choice principles to enable private, charitable and religious organizations to compete, on a nondiscriminatory basis, for federal funds for social service programs such as:
  • Juvenile Justice and crime prevention
  • Housing assistance
  • Job training
  • Elder care
  • Hunger relief
  • Domestic violence prevention
  • After school and adult education services
  • Community Development Block Grant

Empowering low-income families to save and build assets through Individual Development Accounts

For more information please contact White House Press Office at (202) 456-2580