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U.S. Charities Develop Alternative to Treasury’s Anti-Terrorism Guidelines (April 29, 2005)
A Council on Foundations-led working group of more than 40 U.S. charitable sector organizations recently finalized eight fundamental “Principles of International Charity” as an alternative to the U.S. Treasury Department’s “Anti-terrorist Financing Guidelines: Voluntary Best-Practices for U.S.-based Charities” issued in 2002 (http://www.treasury.gov/press/releases/docs/tocc.pdf).

For a copy of the Principles of International Charity, click on: http://www.cof.org/files/Documents/International_Programs/2005Publications/Principles_Final.pdf

While acknowledging the importance of protecting charitable assets against diversion to terrorists or other non-charitable uses, the Council and other organizations have been highly critical of the Treasury Guidelines as unrealistic, inappropriate, administratively costly and likely to discourage international charitable activities. Moreover, although nominally voluntary, the Guidelines are being referenced as standards and expectations by other government agencies.

In April 2004, U.S. Treasury Secretary John W. Snow told the Council and other nonprofit representatives that Treasury was willing to consider changes to the Guidelines. The Treasury Guidelines Working Group was formed shortly thereafter and has been developing alternative language over the past year, soliciting Treasury’s views along the way. The Treasury Department has indicated that it intends to revise the Guidelines to incorporate the Working Group’s “Principles.”