Two letters sent from 18 members of Congress on April 22 ask three of the nation's largest banks and four federal regulators to answer a series of questions about nonprofit organizations’ financial access difficulties, also known as bank derisking. Read the full story at C&SN News. (May 11th)
In order to effectively respond to COVID-19, humanitarian organizations need to rapidly move funds from the U.S. to hard-hit countries around the world. However, many nonprofits that work in fragile contexts often experience issues transferring funds due to bank “derisking,” which hampers their ability to rapidly respond to the global health crisis. Read the C&SN Blog. (May 6)
The Global Fragility Act (GFA) is intended to change the way the U.S. builds peace in fragile contexts. The Alliance for Peacebuilding and One Future Foundation’s new working paper, titled From Here to There: Successful Implementation of the Global Fragility Act provides recommendations for implementing the bill. Read the report summary at C&SN Abstracts. (May 13)
Hazem Rihawi was a first responder during the outbreak of the Syrian Civil War in his hometown of Aleppo. After years of coordinating humanitarian programs in Syria, he is now based in Washington D.C. where he advocates for Syrian nonprofits. Read about the challenges local NPOs face at the C&SN Blog. (May 14)
The complex maze of U.S. sanctions creates significant concerns for nonprofit organizations operating internationally. In this webinar attorney and sanctions expert Erich Ferrari will explain the U.S. legal framework for sanctions programs and describe how the compliance and enforcement structure works. Sign up for the May 28th webinar hosted by C&SN here.
U.S. nonprofit organizations that want to financially support projects abroad may need special legal arrangements in order to send tax-deductible donations to a specific foreign organization. In this webinar legal expert Carrie Garber Siegrist will explain the legal considerations and strategies for managing these situations for both small and large nonprofit organizations.Sign up for the June 10th webinar hosted by C&SN here.
The Global Fragility Act will be successful in preventing violent conflict in fragile contexts if implementation is carefully planned. Alliance for Peacebuilding’s report sets out recommendations for the implementation, including a legislative fix to the material support prohibition. (May 13)
Russian parliament recently passed a law that designates non-government organizations working to “influence society or decision makers” as foreign agents, sparking uproar from the civil society sector. Read the full story at Explica. (May 6)
A series of interviews with security experts working in fragile states illuminate how COVID-19 related restrictions have been manipulated to oppress civil society and activists around the world. Find the full interview at Cordaid. (May 6)
“International NGOs, national and local NGOs and community-based organisations need to find new ways of working together and with others and write the future of humanitarian NGOs.” Ignacio Packer at the ICVA argues for greater flexibility and support for civil society in the age of COVID. (April 2020)
Around the world, governments are using coronavirus to consolidate power, raising alarm from civil society groups concerned about a closing democratic space. Kristin M. Bakke, Neil J. Mitchell and Hannah M. Smidtreport at The Washington Post. (May 5)
The pandemic poses a variety of risks to democratic institutions as a result of government security measures. As a result, civil society organizations’ importance in advocating for human rights is heightened. The Anti-Corruption Resource Center’s report assesses how nonprofits can collaborate digitally and effectively during the pandemic lockdown. (May 5)
COVID-19 has revealed that natural disasters, including pandemics, may pose a greater risk to U.S. national security than foreign terrorists, forcing policy makers to rethink priorities. Robert Malley and Stephen Pomper argue at Just Security. (May 4)
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to unprecedented global challenges, human suffering, and economic disruption. This paper identifies challenges, good practices, and policy responses, to new money laundering and terrorist financing threats and vulnerabilities arising from the COVID-19 crisis. Read the report from FATF. (May 4)
If your funds have been blocked or “frozen” by a financial institution or other party due to a suspected link to OFAC-administered sanctioned entities, you may qualify to apply for a specific OFAC license to release blocked funds. Find out more atJD Supra. (May 1)
Experts explain ‘correspondent banks’, why they matter to nonprofits, and provide general advice for navigating banking requirements and guidelines for grant makers and grantees. Read the full story at NGO Source. (April 29)
As the AML community grapples with increased fraud and financial crime during this global pandemic, previous regulatory challenges can become even more pronounced. As a result, bank “derisking” and financial access for humanitarian groups has been exacerbated. John Byrne reports at AML RightSource. (May 6)
UNICEF’s snapshot of humanitarian needs in Yemen indicates that COVID-19-related security measures have heavily hampered crisis relief programs throughout the country. Read the full report at Relief Web. (May 12)
A lack of basic medical care along the Syria-Jordan Rukban crossing is putting thousands of lives at risk during the COVID-19 pandemic. A UNICEF-run medical center in the camp was closed in mid-March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Read the report at Amnesty International. (May 7)
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that the aid is meant to support food programs and aid groups that have been forced to scale back their operations due to Houthi interference and the coronavirus. Humeyra Pamuk reports at Reuters. (May 6)
