Foundations
Here's a look at documents from U.S. foundations
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FFRF Blasts Florida's Unconstitutional School 'Prayer Hotline'
MADISON, Wisconsin, April 3 -- The Freedom From Religion Foundation issued the following news release on April 2, 2026:
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FFRF blasts Florida's unconstitutional school 'prayer hotline'
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is warning that a newly announced Florida Department of Education complaint system threatens to undermine constitutional protections.
In a letter sent to Florida Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas, FFRF outlined serious concerns about the department's new reporting process, which invites parents and community members to file complaints alleging that prayer or
... Show Full Article
MADISON, Wisconsin, April 3 -- The Freedom From Religion Foundation issued the following news release on April 2, 2026:
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FFRF blasts Florida's unconstitutional school 'prayer hotline'
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is warning that a newly announced Florida Department of Education complaint system threatens to undermine constitutional protections.
In a letter sent to Florida Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas, FFRF outlined serious concerns about the department's new reporting process, which invites parents and community members to file complaints alleging that prayer orreligious expression is being restricted in public schools. FFRF is cautioning that this encourages religious activity in public schools while ignoring the right of students to be free from religious coercion. While the department claims the system is intended to safeguard religious freedom, FFRF says that it presents a dangerously one-sided view of the law.
"As the U.S. Department of Education's own guidance acknowledges, schools may not sponsor or appear to favor religious activity," FFRF Legal Counsel Chris Line writes. "Yet the [Florida] Department's new reporting mechanism focuses exclusively on alleged restrictions of religious expression, without any parallel mechanism to address violations of the Establishment Clause."
This imbalance, FFRF contends, risks misleading school officials and emboldening unconstitutional conduct. "The department's approach sends a clear message that the state is more concerned with expanding religious activity than preventing its unconstitutional imposition," the letter states.
FFRF notes that students already have the right to engage in private, voluntary religious expression. However, the Constitution prohibits public schools from endorsing or promoting religion, particularly through the actions of teachers and staff, whose authority can exert coercive pressure on students.
Each year, FFRF receives numerous complaints from Florida families regarding violations of state/church separation in public schools. In 2025 alone, the national watchdog received more than 80 complaints about entanglements in Florida schools, many of which concerned school-sponsored prayer and staff-led religious activity. "Given the inherent power imbalance between students and school officials, even subtle religious activity can become coercive," FFRF emphasizes.
The organization is particularly concerned that the complaint system could encourage educators to push the boundaries of the law, mistakenly believing they are permitted to lead or participate in religious activities with students. "The result will likely be increased religious coercion, especially affecting younger students," FFRF warns.
"Longstanding Supreme Court precedent affirms that public schools must remain free from religious indoctrination," notes FFRF Co-President Dan Barker, "and ensures that families, not government officials, have the right to direct their own children's religious upbringing."
FFRF is urging the Florida Department of Education to reconsider the complaint process and to ensure that any guidance fully reflects the Constitution's requirement of neutrality. If the department fails to uphold students' constitutional rights, FFRF stands ready to step in to protect freedom of conscience and urges parents and students to report violations directly to FFRF's legal team.
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The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a national nonprofit organization with over 41,000 members and several chapters nationwide, including more than 2,000 members and a chapter in Florida. FFRF's purposes are to defend the constitutional principle of separation between church and state, and to educate the public on matters relating to nontheism.
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Original text here: https://ffrf.org/news/releases/ffrf-blasts-floridas-unconstitutional-school-prayer-hotline/
[Category: Religion]
TPPF Announces Panels on Islamist Influence, Saving College Sports, and Polling for Texas Policy Summit
AUSTIN, Texas, April 2 -- The Texas Public Policy Foundation issued the following news release:
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TPPF Announces Panels on Islamist Influence, Saving College Sports, and Polling for Texas Policy Summit
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AUSTIN -Today, the Texas Public Policy Foundation announced its three General Session panels in the Zlotnik Ballroom at this year's Texas Policy Summit:
Saving College Sports: How to Protect a Unique American Institution
Wednesday, April 8th | 3:15pm to 4:15pm
Recent cultural shifts and changes in governance threaten the future of college sports, especially women's sports and the
... Show Full Article
AUSTIN, Texas, April 2 -- The Texas Public Policy Foundation issued the following news release:
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TPPF Announces Panels on Islamist Influence, Saving College Sports, and Polling for Texas Policy Summit
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AUSTIN -Today, the Texas Public Policy Foundation announced its three General Session panels in the Zlotnik Ballroom at this year's Texas Policy Summit:
Saving College Sports: How to Protect a Unique American Institution
Wednesday, April 8th | 3:15pm to 4:15pm
Recent cultural shifts and changes in governance threaten the future of college sports, especially women's sports and theOlympic sports. Join the panel as they discuss how to ensure this uniquely American institution is preserved for future generations of student athletes.
* Brian Phillips, TPPF Chief Communications Officer (Moderator)
* Cody Campbell, TPPF Board Member and Appointee to President Trump's Council on Sports, Nutrition and Fitness
* Jay Graham, Spur Energy Partners Chairman, CEO, and Founder
* Daniel W. Pullin, Texas Christian University Chancellor
Numbers, Narratives & the Next Year: America & Texas in 2026
Thursday, April 9th | 4:00pm to 5:00pm
This panel will bring together three leading pollsters to analyze the political and policy landscape in America and Texas as we move through 2026. Panelists will examine public opinion trends, electoral dynamics, and key policy issues shaping the state and nation. The discussion will provide insights into how voters are thinking, what issues matter most, and how political and policy shifts may influence the year ahead.
* Brian Phillips, TPPF Chief Communications Officer (Moderator)
* Michael Baselice, Baselice & Associates President and CEO
* James Henson, Ph.D., Texas Politics Project Founder and Executive Director
* Christopher Wilson, EyesOver US and Stratus Intelligence CEO
Ideology Infiltration: Confronting Political Islamism in American Education
Friday, April 10th | 9:30am to 10:15am
Distinct from Islam as a religion, radical Islamism seeks to challenge constitutional principles, reshape how students understand liberty and Western values, and advance foreign-backed agendas in our schools and universities. Hostile foreign nations and the "red-green alliance" between certain Islamist groups and far-left activists use soft power to advance shared political goals. Join us as we examine the growing influence of political Islamism in American institutions.
* Mandy Drogin, TPPF Senior Fellow (Moderator)
* Hon. Brent Hagenbuch, State Senator (TX-30)
* Hon. Cole Hefner, State Representative (TX-5)
* Sam Westrop, Middle East Forum's Islamist Watch Project Director
What: Texas Policy Summit
When: April 8-10, 2026
Where: AT&T Conference Center | 1900 University Ave. Austin, TX 78705
Learn more about Texas Policy Summit and view the full agenda at TexasPolicySummit.com
Click here to register for Texas Policy Summit as a member of the media.
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Original text here: https://www.texaspolicy.com/press/tppf-announces-panels-on-islamist-influence-saving-college-sports-and-polling-for-texas-policy-summit
Freedom From Religion Foundation: Okla. Taxpayers Seek to Block Unconstitutional Religious Public School
MADISON, Wisconsin, April 2 -- The Freedom From Religion Foundation posted the following news release on April 1, 2026:
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Okla. taxpayers seek to block unconstitutional religious public school
A group of seven Oklahoma taxpayers -- including families with children attending public schools -- filed a motion today in federal court seeking to intervene in a lawsuit brought by the National Ben Gamla Jewish Charter School Foundation.
This religious organization is trying to open the nation's first religious public charter school in Oklahoma -- a clear violation of state and federal law that
... Show Full Article
MADISON, Wisconsin, April 2 -- The Freedom From Religion Foundation posted the following news release on April 1, 2026:
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Okla. taxpayers seek to block unconstitutional religious public school
A group of seven Oklahoma taxpayers -- including families with children attending public schools -- filed a motion today in federal court seeking to intervene in a lawsuit brought by the National Ben Gamla Jewish Charter School Foundation.
This religious organization is trying to open the nation's first religious public charter school in Oklahoma -- a clear violation of state and federal law thatdefines charter schools as public schools that must be secular and open to all students. Like all public schools, charter schools cannot lawfully indoctrinate religion or discriminate. However, Ben Gamla's charter school application makes clear that Jewish religious teachings will be integrated into "every dimension of . . . life" at the school, including classroom instruction and other activities.
Additionally, Ben Gamla's application indicates that the school plans to exclude students and staff who do not share its faith. Ben Gamla's application states: "Admission assumes the student and family willingness to adhere with respect to the beliefs, expectations, policies, and procedures of the school." Students and families outside that faith would effectively be excluded on the taxpayer's dime because the school would promote the beliefs of a specific religion. And Ben Gamla's application further states that the school may base employment decisions on religion.
The public school families are seeking to join the lawsuit, The National Ben Gamla Jewish Charter School Foundation Inc. v. Drummond, to oppose Ben Gamla's effort to force Oklahoma to authorize and fund an unconstitutional religious public charter school. They object to their tax dollars funding a public charter school that will indoctrinate students into a particular religion, in violation of Oklahoma and federal law and our nation's longstanding commitment to the separation of church and state. They also object to public funds being diverted from their nonreligious and inclusive public schools -- which already face serious resource limitations -- to a religious school that plans to discriminate based on religion. These taxpayers are asking the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma to allow them to participate in the case in order to safeguard their interests in public education, religious freedom and church-state separation.
"My family is Jewish. We know firsthand that people of all faiths are best served when public schools don't impose one idea of religion over others," says Kara Joy McKee, a proposed intervenor and parent of a public school student. "A religious public charter school would undermine religious freedom and drain tax dollars from schools that are welcoming to students of all faiths, families and backgrounds."
"Public education is a foundation of our pluralistic society, and it is worth protecting," says another proposed intervenor Rabbi Dan Kaiman, Principal Rabbi of Congregation B'nai Emunah in Tulsa, Okla., and the parent of two public school students. "I care deeply about Jewish education, but our community does not need or want the government's help to pass our values on to our children. The separation of church and state is what protects every faith community, including my own."
The proposed intervenors are represented by the Freedom From Religion Foundation, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, the Oklahoma Appleseed Center for Law and Justice, Education Law Center and the American Civil Liberties Union. Many of these organizations represented Oklahomans who challenged the first attempt to establish a religious charter school in their state, which the Oklahoma Supreme Court declared unconstitutional two years ago.
"We're honored to be part of this pushback against religious imposition," says Freedom From Religion Foundation Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. "The public school system must remain secular -- and we'll do our utmost to ensure that."
"The courts, Oklahoma public school families and taxpayers, and Jewish leaders in the state all have rejected the creation of the nation's first religious public school," says Americans United President and CEO Rachel Laser. "We're proud to represent Oklahomans who won't let a religious organization backed by Christian nationalists strong-arm the people of Oklahoma into violating the Constitution's promises of religious freedom and church-state separation."
"Oklahoma kids and families deserve public schools that embrace everyone," notes Oklahoma Appleseed Interim Executive Director Brent Rowland. "That includes respecting the religious freedom of every child and family rather than imposing a government-supported religious viewpoint on students, regardless of what the viewpoint is. We're grateful for partners and for Oklahomans who steadfastly insist on religious freedom within every public school -- whether neighborhood or charter -- and stand against diversion of public school resources to establish religious schools."
"Our clients are seeking to vindicate the age-old, basic constitutional principle that religious schools can't be public schools, and public schools can't be religious," says Daniel Mach, director of the ACLU Program on Freedom of Religion and Belief. "That vital protection, guaranteed by both Oklahoma and federal law, helps ensure that public education remains available to all students, free from religious pressure or discrimination."
"There is a concerted effort underway to demolish the church-state separation and anti-discrimination guarantees that are crucial parts of this nation's public school system," says Jessica Levin, litigation director at Education Law Center. "The Oklahoma Supreme Court has declared religious charter schools unconstitutional, but just two years later we must defend against them once more. We will never stop fighting to protect and strengthen the public education opportunities that are the bedrock of our democracy."
Ben Gamla's lawsuit was filed less than two weeks after Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond filed a lawsuit in state court arguing that the Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board intentionally and improperly manipulated the administrative record of its denial of Ben Gamla's application in a manner designed to aid Ben Gamla's litigation position. Concern about statements by a majority of the board's members expressing disagreement with state law prohibiting religious public charter schools is one reason that the proposed intervenors are seeking to participate in Ben Gamla's lawsuit.
Americans United Associate Vice President and Associate Legal Director Alex J. Luchenitser is the lead attorney for the proposed intervenors, representing them together with Nancy A. Noet and Samuel T. Grover of the Freedom From Religion Foundation; AU Constitutional Litigation Fellow Luke Anderson; Brent Rowland and Morgan Bandy of Oklahoma Appleseed Center for Law and Justice; Dan Mach and Heather L. Weaver of the ACLU; Jessica Levin, Wendy Lecker, Patrick Cremin and Katrina Reichert of Education Law Center.
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The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to defending the constitutional principle of separation between state and church and educating the public on matters relating to nontheism. With about 42,000 members, FFRF is the largest association of freethinkers (atheists, agnostics and humanists) in North America. For more information, visit ffrf.org.
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Americans United for Separation of Church and State is a religious freedom advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1947, AU educates Americans about the importance of church-state separation in safeguarding religious freedom. Learn more at www.au.org.
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The Oklahoma Appleseed Center for Law and Justice is a 501(c)3 public interest law firm that fights for the rights and opportunities of every Oklahoman.
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Education Law Center (ELC) pursues justice and equity for public school students by enforcing their right to a high-quality education in safe, equitable, nondiscriminatory, integrated and well-funded learning environments. ELC seeks to support and improve public schools as the center of communities and the foundation of a multicultural and multiracial democratic society. Visit edlawcenter.org.
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For more than 100 years, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has worked in courts, legislatures, and communities to protect the constitutional rights of all people. With a nationwide network of offices and millions of members and supporters, the ACLU takes on the toughest civil liberties fights in pursuit of liberty and justice for all.
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Original text here: https://ffrf.org/news/releases/okla-taxpayers-seek-to-block-unconstitutional-religious-public-school/
[Category: Religion]
Foundation for Economic Education Posts Commentary: What Nobel Minds Get Wrong
DETROIT, Michigan, April 2 -- The Foundation for Economic Education posted the following commentary on March 31, 2026, by Mani Basharzad, research associate at the Institute of Economic Affairs:
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What Nobel Minds Get Wrong
The greatest danger to sound economic reasoning is that its conclusions are often counterintuitive.
Each year after the Nobel Prize announcements, laureates, who are among the greatest minds of their generation, gather and shape a broader intellectual conversation. At this year's gathering, a Nobel laureate in physics posed a question to the economic laureates: "Can
... Show Full Article
DETROIT, Michigan, April 2 -- The Foundation for Economic Education posted the following commentary on March 31, 2026, by Mani Basharzad, research associate at the Institute of Economic Affairs:
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What Nobel Minds Get Wrong
The greatest danger to sound economic reasoning is that its conclusions are often counterintuitive.
Each year after the Nobel Prize announcements, laureates, who are among the greatest minds of their generation, gather and shape a broader intellectual conversation. At this year's gathering, a Nobel laureate in physics posed a question to the economic laureates: "Canwe grow without limit? What about finite resources?" He added, "At some point, must we also modify this growth system--which wants to consume more and more of the Earth's resources?"
To answer this question, we need to go back to a bet made about humanity's fate in 1980. Economist Julian Simon and biologist Paul Ehrlich made a wager about the future of humanity. At the heart of the bet was a simple question: Would population growth lead to resource scarcity and human decline, or to greater prosperity and innovation?
The terms of the bet were straightforward: Ehrlich would select a $1,000 basket of raw materials that he expected to become scarcer--and therefore more expensive--over time. He chose copper, chromium, nickel, tin, and tungsten. If the price of the goods rose above (an inflation-adjusted) $1,000, Simon was to pay Ehrlich the difference; if they fell, Ehrlich was to pay. The contract was signed on October 6, 1980, for a ten-year period. The outcome was decisive: by 1990, the real price of the basket had fallen by 36%, and Simon received a check from Ehrlich for $576.07.
The sides chosen in the bet reflect the different philosophies of the two men. Ehrlich, author of The Population Bomb, was deeply pessimistic. He predicted that hundreds of millions would starve to death and warned that population growth posed a serious threat to the survival of the human race. He even suggested coercive government measures to control family size, going so far as to recommend compulsory sterilization in India.
Simon, by contrast, took the economic view. He believed that "human imagination is the ultimate resource" and argued that as population grows, so too do innovation, productivity, and the capacity for substitution in markets. If one resource becomes scarce, people find substitutes--a lesson anyone who has taken Micro 101 will recognize through the substitution effect.
Ehrlich tried to portray Simon as simplistic, even claiming that in the ecology debate, "Simon is the absolute equivalent of the flat-earthers." But in reality, Ehrlich's own conception of "resources" was simplistic. When economists say that resources are scarce, they mean scarce relative to human wants, as Lionel Robbins defined economics as "the science which studies human behaviour as a relationship between ends and scarce means which have alternative uses." This does not mean that resources are fixed in relation to population.
In an economic sense, resources are constantly changing, and growth is not only about discovering new resources but also about using existing ones more effectively. Since the Industrial Revolution, markets have demonstrated humanity's ability to escape the Malthusian trap. The evidence is clear: global population increased by 145% between 1960 and 2016, while incomes rose by 183%.
Despite losing the bet and the weight of evidence, Ehrlich's intuition persists, even among our most celebrated thinkers. Ehrlich passed away on March 13, 2026, but his intuition is alive and well. This points to a deeper challenge for economics. As Friedrich Hayek argued in his 1933 lecture "The Trend of Economic Thinking," the greatest danger to sound economic reasoning is that its conclusions are often counterintuitive.
Economists argue that price controls worsen shortages, that decentralized markets outperform central planning, and that policies like minimum wages can harm the very workers they aim to help--claims that frequently run against popular intuition.
This is how "scientism" works: ideas that look and sound scientific can displace what is actually true simply because they carry the appearance of credibility. We should not forget that the dangers of misinformation do not come only from conspiracy theorists, but also from the very community that ought to resist it: the scientific community. Take eugenics, for example. It did not originate with conspiracy theorist podcasters, but from the heart of the scientific establishment.
This is the problem of the "pretense of knowledge." When dealing with experts in the social sciences, we should remember our "inevitable ignorance." Consider socialism as another example. Albert Einstein wrote an essay titled "Why Socialism?" At the time, socialism was widely seen as scientific--not because of compelling evidence, but because it sounded scientific. Eugenics sounded scientific. Race theory sounded scientific. But sounding scientific does not make something science. Science is not a status; it is an ongoing conversation. Figures like Ehrlich, however, often sought to end that conversation--dismissing opponents as "flat-earthers" while advocating sweeping policies.
The Simon-Ehrlich bet, then, is not truly over. Winning an argument in theory does not mean winning in public opinion. As the saying goes: free traders win debates, but protectionists win elections.
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Mani Basharzad is a Research Associate at the Institute of Economic Affairs and an Asia Freedom Fellow at the London School of Economics. His work has been published by the New York Post, National Review, The Spectator, and Daily Express.
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Original text here: https://fee.org/articles/what-nobel-minds-get-wrong/
FFRF: Utah's Bible Mandate Targets Young Students With Religious Agenda
MADISON, Wisconsin, April 2 -- The Freedom From Religion Foundation issued the following news release on March 31, 2026:
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FFRF: Utah's bible mandate targets young students with religious agenda
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is castigating a newly enacted Utah law that will require public school students -- beginning as early as third grade -- to study bible passages as part of the state's social studies curriculum.
Under HB312, signed into law last week by Gov. Spencer Cox, Utah public schools must incorporate selected bible passages referenced or "alluded to" in U.S. historical
... Show Full Article
MADISON, Wisconsin, April 2 -- The Freedom From Religion Foundation issued the following news release on March 31, 2026:
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FFRF: Utah's bible mandate targets young students with religious agenda
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is castigating a newly enacted Utah law that will require public school students -- beginning as early as third grade -- to study bible passages as part of the state's social studies curriculum.
Under HB312, signed into law last week by Gov. Spencer Cox, Utah public schools must incorporate selected bible passages referenced or "alluded to" in U.S. historicaldocuments into required classroom instruction for students in grades three through 12. The law directs the state to embed these passages into core social studies standards, with implementation set for the 2028-29 school year.
"Our Constitution, not the bible, is the foundation of American law," says FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. "The Constitution makes no mention of a god or religion, much less any 'allusions' to the bible. Its principles are what students should be studying, such as why the First Amendment bars religious tests for public office and government establishment of religion."
Gaylor called the new law a "mischief-making Christian nationalist piece of legislation intended to prey on the youngest captive audience of school children by deliberately giving them the false impression that our country is based on religion. It is an affront to the history of the secular roots of our nation."
The law requires instruction to "focus ... on religious texts' literary forms, historical context, and documented influence on American civic thought and the state's founding history rather than on theological or doctrinal questions." But FFRF warns that requiring teachers to present and interpret biblical passages, particularly to students as young as third graders, will inevitably blur the line between education and religious endorsement.
The law risks creating confusion, division and constitutional violations in classrooms. Teachers will be placed in the untenable position of presenting religious texts in a way that puts the focus on the bible, instead of U.S. history. Students and families who are not religious may feel marginalized or coerced. Utah is home to a religiously diverse population, including millions of residents who are atheist, agnostic or religiously unaffiliated, as well as adherents of non-Christian and non-Mormon faiths.
"This law mandates the inclusion of religious scripture in public school instruction -- and it does so in an unprecedented way," says FFRF Legal Director Patrick Elliott. "We are not aware of another state requiring bible instruction through statute this broadly and in this level of detail."
The standards will not be implemented until 2028, but FFRF will be closely monitoring its rollout.
FFRF is urging Utah parents with concerns about this curriculum to contact the organization.
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The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a national nonprofit organization with more than 41,000 members and several chapters nationwide, including hundreds of members in Utah and a chapter in Salt Lake City. FFRF's purposes are to defend the constitutional principle of separation between church and state, and to educate the public on matters relating to nontheism.
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Original text here: https://ffrf.org/news/releases/ffrf-utahs-bible-mandate-targets-young-students-with-religious-agenda/
[Category: Religion]
FFRF Applauds Federal Court Dismissal of Johnson Amendment Challenge
MADISON, Wisconsin, April 2 -- The Freedom From Religion Foundation issued the following news release on April 1, 2026:
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FFRF applauds federal court dismissal of Johnson Amendment challenge
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is cheering a federal court decision yesterday that dismissed a lawsuit seeking to undermine a longstanding provision of federal law preventing charitable nonprofits from engaging in partisan political activity.
In the March 31 ruling, a federal district court in Texas rejected an attempt by the National Religious Broadcasters -- backed by the federal government
... Show Full Article
MADISON, Wisconsin, April 2 -- The Freedom From Religion Foundation issued the following news release on April 1, 2026:
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FFRF applauds federal court dismissal of Johnson Amendment challenge
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is cheering a federal court decision yesterday that dismissed a lawsuit seeking to undermine a longstanding provision of federal law preventing charitable nonprofits from engaging in partisan political activity.
In the March 31 ruling, a federal district court in Texas rejected an attempt by the National Religious Broadcasters -- backed by the federal government-- to effectively nullify the Johnson Amendment through a proposed legal settlement. U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker held that the plaintiffs lacked jurisdiction under the Tax Anti-Injunction Act, which bars courts from intervening in disputes over potential tax liability before enforcement occurs.
The decision, for now, prevents a sweeping effort to allow churches to endorse political candidates while retaining their tax-exempt status. This is welcome news for advocates of state/church separation who realize that the proposed settlement would have opened the door to widespread partisan politicking by churches or other tax-exempt organizations. FFRF strongly criticized the IRS' attempt to openly abandon enforcement of the Johnson Amendment against churches when the agreement was announced last summer.
"We're pleased the Trump administration's campaign to undermine the Johnson Amendment has been halted," says FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. "Preventing 501(c)(3) organizations -- including churches -- from using tax-deductible donations for partisan electioneering is simple common sense. Contributions to political candidates aren't tax-deductible, so nonprofits should not be allowed to funnel tax-exempt donations into politics."
Adds FFRF Co-President Dan Barker, "Churches, unlike other 501(c)(3) nonprofits such as FFRF, are uniquely exempt from reporting to the IRS on income and expenditures, meaning churches are already financial black holes. Without the Johnson Amendment, the danger is that some churches could essentially become tax-free PACs."
Earlier this year, the National Council of Nonprofits, along with FFRF, the American Humanist Association, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, Interfaith Alliance, Public Citizen and others, launched a national sign-on letter urging the federal government to preserve the Johnson Amendment. More than 1,800 nonprofits signed the letter, warning that weakening this law invites partisan interests into nonprofit spaces, distorts priorities, and jeopardizes long-standing community trust.
"Nonprofits exist to serve the common good, not partisan politics," says Diane Yentel, president and CEO of the National Council of Nonprofits. "For now, the court has kept in place a foundational protection for the nonprofit sector and the communities we serve. The court's decision maintains federal protections that keep partisan political manipulation out of charitable organizations, strengthening public confidence in nonprofits at a time when their vital work in communities across the country is more needed than ever."
The lawsuit, brought by the National Religious Broadcasters with several Texas churches and national Christian groups, argued that the Johnson Amendment violates their First Amendment rights by restricting political speech from the pulpit. In a highly unusual move, the federal government had agreed with the plaintiffs and sought court approval of a settlement that would have barred the IRS from enforcing the law against the specific churches involved. If approved, the agreement would have created a major loophole, allowing houses of worship to engage in partisan campaigning while continuing to receive the benefits of tax-exempt status, effectively transforming them into unregulated political actors subsidized by taxpayers.
Thankfully, the court declined to approve the arrangement. The court also rejected arguments that the case qualified for a narrow exception to the law, noting that it was not "certain" the government would fail on the merits.
Although the ruling leaves open the possibility of future challenges in other forums, it stops, at least for now, a coordinated effort to dismantle a key protection that has been part of the federal tax code since 1954.
"Tax-exempt status is a privilege, not a right," says Gaylor. "Organizations that choose to engage in partisan politics are free to do so -- but they cannot receive special tax benefits while doing it."
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The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to defending the constitutional principle of separation between state and church and educating the public on matters relating to nontheism. With more than 41,000 members, FFRF is the largest association of freethinkers (atheists, agnostics and humanists) in North America. For more information, visit ffrf.org.
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Original text here: https://ffrf.org/news/releases/ffrf-applauds-federal-court-dismissal-of-johnson-amendment-challenge/
[Category: Religion]
Demand for Trusted Tax Preparation Continues to Grow
WASHINGTON, April 2 [Category: Economics] -- Prosperity Now (formerly the Corporation for Enterprise Development) posted the following news release:
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Demand for Trusted Tax Preparation Continues to Grow
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For many families, tax season is one of the most important financial moments of the year.
A refund can mean catching up on rent, paying down debt, covering childcare, or finally having a small buffer that helps households stay financially stable during uncertain times.
Filing taxes takes time, costs money, and can be confusing. For the 2024 tax year, Americans spent billions of hours
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, April 2 [Category: Economics] -- Prosperity Now (formerly the Corporation for Enterprise Development) posted the following news release:
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Demand for Trusted Tax Preparation Continues to Grow
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For many families, tax season is one of the most important financial moments of the year.
A refund can mean catching up on rent, paying down debt, covering childcare, or finally having a small buffer that helps households stay financially stable during uncertain times.
Filing taxes takes time, costs money, and can be confusing. For the 2024 tax year, Americans spent billions of hoursand hundreds of billions of dollars navigating the tax system. On average, people spent about 13 hours and $300 just to file.
For households already managing tight budgets, that is a real barrier. It can also mean missing out on credits they have already earned.
That is where VITA comes in.
Why VITA Matters Right Now
Across the country, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) programs help people file accurate tax returns at no cost. These services are delivered by IRS-certified volunteers in places people already trust, like libraries, local nonprofits, and community centers.
Just as important, VITA programs help families claim credits like the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the Child Tax Credit (CTC). These credits can add up to thousands of dollars and often make the difference between getting by and getting ahead.
Even so, millions of eligible households still miss out every year. In many cases, it is simply because they do not have access to a trusted place to file or do not know they qualify.
What We Are Seeing in the Field
This year, we saw a clear signal from the field.
Applications for support from the Prosperity Now VITA Support Fund nearly tripled compared to last year. Organizations across the country are trying to meet growing demand with limited staff, volunteers, and resources.
At the same time, expectations are increasing. Providers are not just filing returns. They are helping people navigate new tools, understand changing rules, and connect their tax refunds to longer-term financial goals.
That is why we partnered with the Wells Fargo Foundation to expand the VITA Support Fund by providing a $1 million philanthropic grant. This includes a first round of subawards being deployed now, with an additional round of funding planned for fall 2026. Details on how to apply will be shared in the coming months.
This support allows us to provide more organizations with direct funding to strengthen the services they provide, while also offering training, technical assistance, and peer learning through the Tax Opportunity Network (TON).
What This Means for Your Work
We also know that support alone is not enough. Timing matters.
This year, we are releasing new VITA Train materials in October 2026, when programs are recruiting volunteers, setting up sites, and preparing for the upcoming filing season. This means VITA programs and tax preparers will have access to updated training and resources when they need them most.
Together, these efforts are designed to give VITA programs and tax preparers what they need earlier, when planning and preparation are happening, not after the season has already started.
Our goal is simple. Make it easier to serve more people, with better tools, at the right time.
Where We Go From Here
Demand for no-cost tax preparation is not slowing down.
More families are turning to VITA programs for help, and more organizations are stepping up to meet that need. But in many communities, capacity is still stretched.
Meeting this moment will take continued partnership across philanthropy, financial institutions, government, and community organizations.
At Prosperity Now, we are focused on supporting the providers doing this work every day and making sure they have the resources, training, and connections they need to succeed.
If you are part of a VITA program or support tax preparation services, we invite you to join our Tax Opportunity Network. It is a place to access training, share ideas, and stay connected to others doing this work across the country.
Because when the system works better for providers, it works better for the families they serve.
2026 VITA Support Fund
The organizations below represent this year's VITA Support Fund recipients, reflecting the strength and reach of providers working every day to support their communities. Learn more here.
2026 VITA Support Fund recipients:
Ada Jenkins Families and Careers Development Center, Inc.
Alaska Business Development Center
ASIAN, Inc.
Blackstone Valley Community Action Program, Inc. (BVCAP)
CASA, Inc.
CASH Campaign of Maryland
CEIBA Inc
East River Development Alliance Inc. dba Urban Upbound
Increasing H.O.P.E
International Rescue Committee in San Diego (IRC in SD)
Koreatown Youth and Community Center
Lakes and Pines Community Action Council Inc.
Nevada Free Taxes Coalition
New Economics for Women
North Texas Area United Way
Northeast Kingdom Community Action
Penquis C.A.P., Inc.
Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation
Prepare + Prosper
Progreso Latino
The Village for Families & Children
United Planning Organization
United Way of Central Shenandoah Valley
United Way of Central Texas
United Way of Frederick County, MD
United Way of Greater Stark County
United Way of Northern New Jersey
United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County
United Way of San Joaquin County
United Way of South Texas
United Way of Southeast Louisiana
United Way of the Plains: Free Tax Filing Services
United Way of the Wine Country
United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona
United Way Suncoast
University of Utah - Financial Wellness Center
Urban League of Greater Chattanooga
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Original text here: https://www.prosperitynow.org/news-and-insights/demand-for-trusted-tax-preparation-continues-to-grow
