An ECFA letter to Capitol Hill is getting attention as it warns of potentially life-threatening danger for Christian workers abroad if a foreign grants reporting bill advances unaltered.

In 2023, U.S. charitable giving reached a record-breaking $557.16 billion in current dollars, according to the annual report by Giving USA Foundation. Total giving remains above pre-pandemic levels, even when adjusted for inflation, but giving to religion was struck by the pandemic.

The U.S. Supreme Court’s overturn of a legal precedent that had required extensive deference to federal agency officials is likely to be significant in many court challenges to come, including religious liberty cases.

While upholding a 2017 tax on foreign earnings, the U.S. Supreme Court side-stepped a debate about the need for income to be realized before being directly taxed by the federal government. Recognizing the potential “blast radius” of the case, the court intentionally issued a narrow decision. 

The Protecting Charitable Giving Act would increase penalties and prosecutorial tools available to combat unlawful disclosure of Schedule B donor data. 

A federal appeals court recently upheld the rights of a religious school to employ teachers aligned with it on matters of faith. While ECFA celebrates this victory on constitutional grounds, we hope future challenges will be resolved by a straightforward reading of civil rights law.

A House committee approved legislation aiming to thwart money from being funneled from U.S. nonprofits to terrorists and other bad actors abroad. However, concerns are growing that the bill’s proposed changes to Form 990 could expose Christian workers in restricted countries to increased danger.

A bipartisan group of 33 key legislators recently warned Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen a “chilling effect” for charitable giving could result from a donor-advised fund (DAF) rulemaking pending at the IRS.

Beginning in July, the U.S. Department of Labor is significantly increasing the salary threshold necessary for an exemption from overtime obligations.

A bipartisan pair of senators introduced ECFA-supported legislation that would allow pastors who previously opted out of the Social Security system a time-limited opportunity to opt back in.