As a child, Danny suffered through abuse and trauma. His family faced poverty that was severe enough to enter them into Virginia’s welfare system. In the instability and danger of his childhood, he struggled to feel safe, and he didn’t think he belonged anywhere. Today, Danny doesn’t like to talk much about his past, but the traumas of his childhood lurk in the shadows of his adult life. He is currently serving time at an adult facility, but he and his family have become strong advocates for those in similar situations. They know intimately how valuable these children’s lives are […]

President Trump’s recent grants system reform directive—Executive Order 14332, “Improving Oversight of Federal Grantmaking” (August 7, 2025)—has alarmed many involved in partnerships with federal programs. They call it a further grab for presidential power, a further politicization of the process by which federal funding is awarded to private organizations, including faith-based organizations, to carry out services and research for the public good. Many of the proposed changes, though, are positive, including reforms to enable smaller organizations new to federal funding to participate. However, new uncertainty will accompany grant awards, requiring organizations interested in federal partnerships to be very careful in […]

For faith-based nonprofits engaged in education and human services, federal grants have long served as both a resource and a point of tension—expanding the reach of their ministries while often raising questions about missional compromise, compliance, and clarity. In 2025, nonprofit leaders are telling a consistent story: the terrain of federal partnership has grown shakier. Budget instability, shifting priorities, and agency changes have introduced new layers of uncertainty for mission-driven organizations. This theme was at the heart of a July webinar hosted by Maryland Nonprofits, titled “Navigating the Uncertainty of Federal Funding,” led by grant strategist Rachel Werner of RBW […]

On July 14, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced the launch of its new Center for Faith. Housed in the SBA’s Office of Economic Development, the Center for Faith aims to facilitate access to capital, counselling and government contracting for faith-based businesses, community organizations and houses of worship, according to the SBA news release. It seeks to ensure that eligible Americans benefit from agency resources regardless of their religious affiliation. SBA administrator Kelly Loeffler shared with the Washington Examiner that the agency is “proud to uphold the principles of religious freedom that our nation was founded on.” Through these […]

In 1995, the only instance of the Johnson Amendment—a provision in the U.S. tax code that prohibits 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations, including churches, from endorsing or opposing political candidates—being enforced against a church occurred in Binghamton, New York, where Branch Ministries urged Christians not to vote for Bill Clinton through newspaper advertisements. The International Revenue Service (IRS), citing the Johnson Amendment, responded by revoking the church’s tax exemption. In light of this, many churches have opted to refrain from engaging their congregations in political discussions, especially those pertaining to political candidates. The recent decision by the IRS to file a joint […]

In a quiet but significant victory, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the Catholic Charities Bureau of the Diocese of Superior qualifies for a religious exemption from Wisconsin’s unemployment tax system. In doing so, the Court reaffirmed what is too often forgotten: that religious institutions engaged in mercy and justice work beyond their sanctuaries remain fully religious in identity and purpose. Catholic Charities Bureau (CCB), the social services arm of the Diocese, had been denied the exemption by Wisconsin’s Department of Workforce Development, which claimed that CCB’s work was “primarily charitable and secular.” Because the agency served people of […]