TheWhite House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships,[1]formerly known as theOffice of Faith-Based and Community Partnerships, was an office within theWhite House Office that was part of theExecutive Office of the President of the United States.
The office was established by theGeorge W. Bush administration in 2001. During thefirst Trump administration, it was inactive and replaced by an initiative centered aroundCenters for Faith and Opportunity Initiatives. It was reinstated by theBiden administration, but abolished by thesecond Trump administration and replaced with theWhite House Faith Office.
OFBCI was established byPresidentGeorge W. Bush through anexecutive order[2] on January 29, 2001, representing one of the key domestic policies of Bush's campaign promise of "compassionate conservatism." The initiative sought to strengthen faith-based and community organizations and expand their capacity to provide federally fundedsocial services, positing that these groups were well-situated to meet the needs of local individuals. As Texas governor, Bush had used the "Charitable Choice" provisions of the1996 welfare reform (which allowed "faith-based" entities to compete forgovernment contracts to deliver social services) to support the work of faith-based groups inTexas. Established religions offer a critical financial contribution to the overall effort and effect of social services (e.g., community services with health care financing) in the US.
The office was briefly led byDon Willett, an aide from Bush's tenure asgovernor of Texas who was later appointed a justice of theSupreme Court of Texas. The first person named as director of the OFBCI wasJohn DiIulio, aUniversity of Pennsylvaniapolitical science professor. DiIulio later left the office and became a critic of theBush administration.
Critics of the OFBCI, includingAmericans United for Separation of Church and State and theAmerican Civil Liberties Union, assert that it violated theEstablishment Clause by using tax money to fund religion. They also argued that faith-based initiatives were used as part of electoral strategies to yield more votes for Bush and the GOP.
Forfiscal year 2005, more than $2.2 billion in competitive social service grants were awarded to faith-based organizations. Between fiscal years 2003 and 2005, the total dollar amount of all grants awarded to FBOs increased by 21 percent (GAO 2006:43[3]). The majority of these grants were distributed through state agencies to local organizations in the form of formula grants (GAO 2006:17[3]).
Faith-based organizations are eligible to participate in federally administered social service programs to the same degree as any other group, although certain restrictions on FBOs that accept government funding have been created by the White House to avoid violations of theEstablishment Clause.
PresidentBarack Obama renamed the office to "White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships"[4] and appointedJoshua DuBois as its head. He also established an advisory council, composed of religious and secular leaders and scholars from different backgrounds. Each member of the council was appointed to a one-year term.
According toABC News, the office would seek "to expand the role of this office as it relates to policy issues where religious and local leaders can be effective. DuBois would coordinate with faith-based and community organizations on social service outreach and work to utilize these organizations' efforts to advance the administration's policies, with a primary focus on poverty."[5] Joshua DuBois resigned as director in February 2013 and was succeeded byMelissa Rogers in March.[6]
Following the election of PresidentDonald Trump, the office remained without a director; the website was no longer available.[7][8]
In May 2018, Trump started the Faith and Opportunity Initiative, a new White House office to help faith-based organizations get equal access to government funding.[9] The initiative centered around Centers for Faith and Opportunity Initiatives, bodies withinU.S. federal government agencies giving religious groups more voice in government programs. The executive order on the "Establishment of a White House Faith and Opportunity Initiative" issued in May 2018 during thepresidency of Donald Trump requires all executive departments to designate a Liaison for Faith and Opportunity Initiatives to coordinate with a new Advisor to the White House.[10][11]
In November 2018,Scott Lloyd was appointed to the Center for Faith and Opportunity Initiatives of theUnited States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Lloyd, who had previously headed theOffice of Refugee Resettlement at the HHS, is a noted opponent ofabortion.[12]
On October 31, 2019, the White House confirmed thatPaula White, a televangelist, pastor, and author, would join theWhite House Office to advise Trump's Faith and Opportunity Initiative. She supported Trump duringhis 2016 campaign.[13]
On February 14, 2021, PresidentJoe Biden reestablished the Office with Melissa Rogers again serving as executive director.[14]
In March 2021, the Biden administration announced a reconfiguration of the Faith and Opportunity Initiative, emphasizing an inclusive approach to religious and community-based partnerships. This followed President Biden’s executive order that broadened the scope of the initiative to involve a wider range of faith-based and secular organizations, promoting equity across government programs. The order also underscored the importance of addressing issues such as racial justice, climate change, and COVID-19 recovery through these collaborations.[15]
Under this restructuring, Melissa Rogers was appointed as Executive Director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. Rogers previously held this position during the Obama administration and is known for her work on religious freedom and the separation of church and state.[16][17]
Additionally, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Center for Faith and Opportunity Initiatives continued to engage in outreach to religious and community organizations, focusing on vaccine distribution during the COVID-19 pandemic. This initiative aimed to increase vaccination rates by leveraging the trust and influence of faith-based groups.[18][19]
On January 20, 2025, following thesecond inauguration of Donald Trump, the office was disbanded through an executive order entitled "Initial Rescissions of Harmful Executive Orders and Actions."[20] In February 2025, Trump ordered the creation of the White House Faith Office, a new White House office to assist faith-based entities, community organizations, and houses of worship in their efforts to strengthen American families, promote work and self-sufficiency, and protect religious liberty.[21]
I haven't run into a pagan faith-based group yet, much less a pagan group that cares for the poor! Once you make it clear to any applicant that public money must go to public purposes and can't be used to promote ideology, the fringe groups lose interest. Helping the poor is tough work and only those with loving hearts seem drawn to it.[28]
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