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Policy News and Resources
Treasury Releases Updated Anti-Terrorist
Guidelines for Charities. Comments will be accepted through February
1, 2006.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury has issued revised its Anti-Terrorist
Financing Guidelines, Voluntary Best Practices for U.S.-based Charities
(Guidelines). These Guidelines are designed to help the charitable
sector protect itself from abuse by terrorist organizations. Although
these revised Guidelines immediately supersede the November 2002
Guidelines, the Treasury will consider all comments received on
or before February 1, 2006.
While the Guidelines are voluntary and do not supersede or modify
legal requirements, they promote the development of a risk-based,
transparent approach to guard against the threat of diversion of
charitable funds for use by terrorists and their supporters.
Since the Guidelines’ initial development in 2002, the Treasury
haws worked with the US charitable and donor community to raise
awareness of terrorist abuse and steps charities can take to protect
themselves.
The revised Guidelines, in addition to anti-terrorist provisions,
contain a number of general governance recommendations for US-based
charities that warrant careful review.
Treasury Department Press release, including instructions on how
to submit comments may be found here: http://www.treasury.gov/press/releases/js3035.aspx
The Revised Guidelines: http://www.treasury.gov/offices/enforcement/key-issues/protecting/docs/guidelines_charities.pdf
Council on Foundations discussion of guidelines and work on international
grantmaking principles: http://www.cof.org/Content/General/Display.cfm?contentID=3241
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