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Non-profit

Charity and Security Network (C&SN)

Website:

www.charityandsecurity.org
Location:

Washington, DC
Type:

Nonprofit Advocacy Group
Formation:

2009
Managing Director:

Paul Carroll

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Charity and Security Network (C&SN) is an advocate for civil society organizations working in areas where known terrorist groups are present, with a focus on the Palestinian territories. It was founded with funding from Open Society Foundations and sponsorship from the Center for Effective Government, formerly OMB Watch. 1

Major donors to C&SN include Open Society Foundations, the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, and Foundation for Middle East Peace. 2

Background

Charity and Security Network defends the ability of nonprofits to provide support to areas impacted by disasters or wars where known terrorist groups are present. It claims that the United States passes “overbroad counterterrorism policies” that restrict organizations from providing support to these regions. C&SN demands that nonprofit groups should have complete access to impacted civilians in these areas. To push for change, C&SN conducts research, information sharing, coalition building, and political advocacy, seeking to liberalize U.S. counterterrorism policies and laws. 3

C&SN was founded in 2009 with funding from Open Society Foundations and sponsorship from the Center for Effective Government, formerly OMB Watch. Public interest attorney Kay Guinane was the founding director. 4 It is made up of nonprofits, grant makers, donors, and faith-based groups. 5

Advocacy

Opposition to Sanctions Policies

Charity and Security Network  advocates against the use of sanctions and has developed guidance to nonprofits working in sanctioned areas. In May 2023 it participated in the Wilton Park Sanctions Conference organized by the Fourth Freedom Forum and Open Society Foundations. 6 In December 2023 C&SN provided its input to the Department of the Treasury’s 2024 National Terrorist Financing Risk Assessment. 7

Palestinian Civil Society

C&SN supports Palestinian civil society organizations. In April 2023 C&SN endorsed a letter signed by 104 civil society organizations and organized by Human Rights Watch to revise the definition of antisemitism to be less broad in order to avert attacks against non-profits working in Israel and Palestine “who do not fit a pro-Israel paradigm.” Other signers included the American Civil Liberties Union, American Muslims for Palestine, Defending Rights and Dissent, Democracy for the Arab World Now, and IfNotNow. 8

In October 2023 C&SN joined Palestinian activists and social media influencers in the Global General Strike for Palestine demanding a ceasefire in Gaza. 9 10

In November 2023, C&SN declared its opposition to H.R. 6408 11 which would terminate the tax-exempt status of organizations that support terrorists, claiming it “creates a tool that may be manipulated against NPOs by bad actors with political motives.” The legislation was proposed to ensure tax-exempt nonprofits were not providing funding and support to Hamas and other terrorist groups. C&SN stated that the bill clearly targets pro-Palestinian groups and student groups. The bill passed the House of Representatives 382-11 in April 2024.  12 13 14

In November 2023 C&SN urged the Biden administration not to designate the Houthis, a Yemeni militant faction allied with the Islamic Republic of Iran, as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. 15

In January 2024, the United States Supreme Court declined to review a lawsuit against the United States Campaign for Palestinian Rights that accused it of providing support to Hamas. C&SN called this a victory for Palestinian civil society, claiming that these attacks are “based on political and ideological goals.” 16

In February 2024, C&SN and other organizations submitted a letter to the Biden administration demanding a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. Other signers included the Quincy Institute For Responsible Statecraft, Friends Committee on National Legislation, National Iranian American Council, Defending Rights and Dissent, Unitarian Universalist Association, and the Working Families Party. 17

On March 12, 2024, C&SN signed a letter to President Joe Biden demanding that arms transfers to Israel be stopped. Other signers included Amnesty International USA, Center for International Policy, Foreign Policy for America, Human Rights Watch, Oxfam America, and United States Campaign for Palestinian Rights. 18

Funding

Charity and Security Network  is fiscally sponsored by NEO Philanthropy. Donations to C&SN funnel through left-of-center donor-advised fund Network for Good. 19 NEO Philanthropy provides fiscal sponsorship, donor services, and consulting services to support left-of-center causes and social justice organizations and has developed collaborative funds such as the Four Freedoms Fund and the State Infrastructure Fund. 20

Major donors to C&SN are its founding funder Open Society Foundations, the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, and Foundation for Middle East Peace. 21

Leadership

Kay Guinane was the founding director of Charity and Security Network from 2009 to 2020, then worked as a senior advisor until she retired in 2022. She received her law degree from the State University of New York. She was director of nonprofit speech rights at Center for Effective Government for 9 years before joining C&SN. Previously she worked at several left-of-center advocacy groups including the Alliance for Justice, the National Consumer Law Center, and Environmental Action. 22

Paul Carroll is managing director of C&SN. Carroll worked at the Office of Technology Assessment, the United States Department of Energy, and the Environmental Protection Agency during the Clinton administration. He was a director at anti-nuclear organizations N Square and Ploughshares Fund. 23

The advisory board for C&SN consists of executives from several left-of-center organizations including the American Civil Liberties Union, the American Friends Service Committee, the Council on Foundations, the Friends Committee on National Legislation, Islamic Relief USA, and Mercy Corps. 24

References

  1.  “History.” Charity & Security Network – About. Accessed May 15, 2024. https://charityandsecurity.org/about/history/
  2. “Funders.” Charity & Security Network – About. Accessed May 15, 2024. https://charityandsecurity.org/about/funders/
  3. “About.” Charity & Security Network. Accessed May 15, 2024. https://charityandsecurity.org/about/
  4. “History.” Charity & Security Network – About. Accessed May 15, 2024. https://charityandsecurity.org/about/history/
  5. “Charity & Security Network.” Council on Foundations. Accessed May 15, 2024. https://cof.org/organization/charity-security-network
  6. Sophie Huve. “Wilton Park 2023 Conference Report: A New Code of Conduct: Taking Sanctions Reform Further to Advance Humanitarianism.” Advancing Humanitarianism through Sanctions Refinement. September 13, 2023. Accessed May 16, 2024. https://ahsrproject.org/2023/09/13/wilton-park-2023-conference-report-a-new-code-of-conduct-taking-sanctions-reform-further-to-advance-humanitarianism/
  7. “C&SN’s Year in Review: 2023.” Charity & Security Network. March 28, 2024. Accessed May 16, 2024. https://charityandsecurity.org/news/csns-year-in-review-2023/   
  8. “Human Rights and other Civil Society Groups Urge United Nations to Respect Human Rights in the Fight Against Antisemitism.” Human Rights Watch. April 4, 2023. Accessed May 16, 2024. https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/04/04/human-rights-and-other-civil-society-groups-urge-united-nations-respect-human
  9. Anna Gordon. “People Around the World Go on Global Strike for a Ceasefire in Gaza.” Time. December 11, 2023. Accessed May 16, 2024. https://time.com/6344698/global-strike-gaza-ceasefire/
  10. “C&SN’s Year in Review: 2023.” Charity & Security Network. March 28, 2024. Accessed May 16, 2024. https://charityandsecurity.org/news/csns-year-in-review-2023/
  11. “Charity & Security Network Opposes Legislation that Targets Charities.” Charity & Security Network – News. April 25, 2024. Accessed May 15, 2024. https://charityandsecurity.org/news/charity-security-network-opposes-legislation-that-targets-charities/
  12. “H.R. 6408 – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to terminate the tax-exempt status of terrorist supporting organizations.” Congress.gov. Accessed May 15, 2024. https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/6408/text
  13. “Kustoff, Schneider Introduce Legislation to Revoke Tax-Exempt Status to Nonprofits Supporting Hamas.” David Kustoff. November 14, 2023. Accessed May 15, 2024. https://kustoff.house.gov/media/press-releases/kustoff-schneider-introduce-legislation-revoke-tax-exempt-status-nonprofits
  14. Andy Lee Roth. “Pro-Israel Legislators Have Concocted a Dangerous Ruse to Shut Down Nonprofits.” Truthout. May 3, 2024. Accessed May 16, 2024. https://truthout.org/articles/pro-israel-legislators-have-concocted-a-dangerous-ruse-to-shut-down-nonprofits/
  15. “C&SN Urges President Biden to Resist Calls to Designate the Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.” Charity & Security Network – News. November 30, 2023. Accessed May 16, 2024. https://charityandsecurity.org/news/csn-urges-president-biden-to-resist-calls-to-designate-the-houthis-as-a-foreign-terrorist-organization/
  16. LinkedIn – Charity & Security Network. Posted February 2024. Accessed May 16, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/company/charity-and-security-network/posts/?feedView=all
  17. Letter to President Biden. Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. February 1, 2024. Accessed May 16, 2024. https://quincyinst.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Letter-to-President-Biden.pdf
  18. “U.S. Support to Israel Reinforces Gaza Aid Restrictions, Violates U.S. Law.” Charity & Security Network – News. March 13, 2024. Accessed May 15, 2024. https://charityandsecurity.org/news/u-s-support-to-israel-reinforces-gaza-aid-restrictions-violates-u-s-law/
  19. “Charity and Security Network.” NEO Philanthropy. Accessed May 15, 2024. https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/charitysecuritynetwork
  20. NEO homepage. NEO Philanthropy. Accessed May 16, 2024. https://neophilanthropy.org/
  21. “Funders.” Charity & Security Network – About. Accessed May 15, 2024. https://charityandsecurity.org/about/funders/
  22. LinkedIn – Kay Guinane. Accessed May 15, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/kay-guinane-47792613/
  23. LinkedIn – Paul Carroll. Accessed May 15, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-carroll-1977b84/
  24. “Advisory Board.” Charity & Security Network – About. Accessed May 15, 2024. https://charityandsecurity.org/about/board/
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Charity and Security Network (C&SN)


Washington, DC