Charitable Choice Guide

A GUIDE TO CHARITABLE CHOICE

The Charitable Choice provision (Section 104) of the federal welfare reform law enacted in the summer of 1996 encourages states to involve community and faith-based organizations in providing federally funded welfare services to the poor and needy. The Charitable Choice provision is designed to protect the religious character of faith-based organizations that choose to accept federal funds to help the poor. The provision is designed also to protect the religious liberty of beneficiaries of welfare services.

This guide will help faith-based organizations decide whether to participate in welfare services funded by the new federal welfare block grants. It will also assist state and local governmental authorities in deciding how to interpret and implement the Charitable Choice rules that accompany the federal welfare block grants.

The guide is out of print and no longer available in printed format, but you may download a PDF version (21 pages).

Follow the linked table of contents below to read the Guide online.

	Introduction
	A Letter from Senator Ashcroft
	Questions & Answers
	An Overview of Section 104
	General Principles
	Basic Rules
	Detailed Analysis
	Appendix
	Footnotes
	Publisher's Update

This document is not legal advice nor intended to create any attorney-client professional relationship. An attorney should be consulted for specific advice about how this legislation affects a faith-based provider or how a state must implement it.

A Guide to Charitable Choice is published by:

Center for Public Justice
P.O. Box 48368
Washington, DC 20002-0368
410-571-6300

and

Center for Law and Religious Freedom, Christian Legal Society
4208 Evergreen Lane, Suite 222
Annandale, Virginia 22003
703-642-1070