About the Roundtable on Religion
and Social Welfare Policy
Religious organizations have been providing social services to needy Americans for generations. "Charitable Choice" requirements for a "level playing field" for faith-based contractors in large federally financed programs have been on the books since 1996. But despite the long history, and even though both major candidates in the most recent US Presidential election proposed to broaden opportunities for faith-based social services, the direct involvement of religious groups in publicly-financed social services is a flash-point of hot debate, and a topic requiring much-needed answers.
Formed in January 2002 with a grant from The Pew Charitable Trusts to the Research Foundation of the State University of New York, the Roundtable on Religion and Social Welfare Policy was created:
"To engage and inform government, religious and civic leaders about the role of faith-based organizations in our social welfare system by means of nonpartisan, evidence-based discussions on the potential and pitfalls of such involvement."
The Roundtable’s charge is:
"to increase awareness among key stakeholders, including policy makers, religious and civic leaders, and the media, of the critical issues related to faith-based social service programs by means of in-depth analysis and discussion based on the best social service science, legal and policy research."
Guided by an Advisory Council of prominent civic, media, religious,
and academic leaders (click
here for list), the Roundtable has become the preeminent
source of expert, unbiased information on policy and legal
developments concerning the involvement of faith-based organizations
in social services. Drawing on a wide range of experts from
government, civic, religious and research organizations, the
Roundtable's events and publications have helped to better
define and measure the character of faith-based social services;
to gauge private and public sector support for their work;
and provide new views on their comparative effectiveness.
Jim Towey, Director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives: "We’re all excited about the promise of this project and how it’s going to provide some tangible data and information on what faith-based organizations do, what difference they make....We want to know if faith-based organizations are any better, or any worse, in providing services and that’s why we’re excited about some of the data that’s going to come from the Roundtable." "We’re thankful for the Roundtable in helping to drive this debate and discussion forward."
Rabbi David Saperstein, Director, Religious Action Center for Reform Judaism: "I want to acknowledge the extraordinary work of the Roundtable to spur vitally needed research and make that research available to policy makers and players in the field of social services. They have made a profound difference in the national discourse."
Alan Cooperman, Religion Correspondent, The Washington Post: "The Roundtable has been a provider for me, and I believe my brother and sister journalists, of value-neutral information on the Faith-Based Initiative for some time. Thank you. You’ve been very helpful to us."
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