Yesterday President Obama took action to reorganize the White House Office for Faith-Based Initiatives by changing the name, the way the office is structured and the way it will function. The office will no longer just deal with faith-based groups. Now neighborhood organizations and non-profits will have equal access to the funds.
From the White House press release:
“‘Over the past few days and weeks, there has been much talk about what our government’s role should be during this period of economic emergency. That is as it should be – because there is much that government can and must do to help people in need,’ said President Obama. ‘But no matter how much money we invest or how sensibly we design our policies, the change that Americans are looking for will not come from government alone. There is a force for good greater than government. It is an expression of faith, this yearning to give back, this hungering for a purpose larger than our own, that reveals itself not simply in places of worship, but in senior centers and shelters, schools and hospitals, and any place an American decides.’
The White House Office for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships will be a resource for nonprofits and community organizations, both secular and faith based, looking for ways to make a bigger impact in their communities, learn their obligations under the law, cut through red tape, and make the most of what the federal government has to offer.”
Read the full article here.
You can find the full list of the appointees to the reconstituted organization at the link above.
One of the big changes that Obama has made is that there will be careful scrutiny now to make sure that government funding is used only for programs that provide service. Using the money in a way that could be seen as having an evangelistic focus is strictly forbidden.