The President's Initiative and HHS

Mission Statement

The Mission of the Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives is to create an environment within the Department that welcomes the participation of faith-based and community-based organizations as valued and essential partners with the Department in assisting Americans in need.

CFBCI's mission is part of HHS's focus on improving human services for our country's neediest. CFBCI is the leader of the Department's efforts to better utilize faith-based and community-based organizations in providing effective human services.

The Initiative

Faith-based and community organizations have a long history of providing essential services to people in need in the United States. In recognition of the unique ability that these organizations have to meet the special needs of their communities, the Bush Administration has made improving funding opportunities for faith-based and community organizations a priority. Through the President's faith-based and community initiative, the administration is working to remove unnecessary barriers that may prevent these organizations from receiving federal funding, creating a "level playing field" between faith-based and community organizations and other groups that use federal funds in delivering services.

On January 29, 2001, President Bush issued an Executive Order directing the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), as well as the heads of the departments of Justice, Education, Labor, and Housing and Urban Development, to establish within each department a Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives (Cabinet Centers).

As specified in the President's Executive Order, responsibilities of this center include:

identifying existing barriers to the participation of faith-based and community organizations in the delivery of social services by the department;
coordinating a comprehensive departmental effort to incorporate faith-based and other community organizations in department programs and initiatives to the greatest extent possible;
proposing initiatives to remove barriers for participation by these organizations;
proposing the development of programs to increase the participation of faith-based and other community organizations in federal, state and local initiatives;
developing and coordinating departmental outreach efforts to disseminate information more effectively to faith-based and other community organizations on initiatives and opportunities; and
reviewing the extent to which relevant programs comply with "charitable choice" provisions and promoting and ensuring compliance with "charitable choice."

HHS will provide annual reports to the President that will: report the year's progress related to continuing efforts to analyze the Department's programs to determine barriers to full participation of faith-based and other community organizations; to summarize the technical assistance and other information that will be made available to faith-based and other organizations; and to include annual performance indicators and measurable objectives for department-wide action.

Report to the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives

Pursuant to the Executive Order, the five Cabinet Centers were directed to look at laws, regulations, internal guidance, policies and procedures that may be barriers to the participation of nontraditional, smaller faith-based and community groups wishing to access federal funding to provide social services. HHS and the Department of Labor were given the additional responsibility of assessing the Departments' compliance with "Charitable Choice" and to promote and ensure compliance with existing Charitable Choice legislation by our respective Departments, as well as our partners in state and local government, and their contractors.

On August 16, 2001 the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives released the first report, "Unlevel Playing Field: Barriers to Participation by Faith-Based and Community Organizations in Federal Social Service Programs." The report is based on the departmental program reviews submitted by the five Cabinet Centers.

The HHS report is available on written request by e-mail, mail or fax. It is not available online at this time.

Last revised: November 13, 2002

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