Grant Making that Gets Things Done
THE BECKET FUND
When the federal government told Little Sisters of the Poor, a Catholic order of nuns, they had to choose between violating their religious beliefs by offering a health plan that included free access to the “week after pill” or pay millions of dollars in fines, the nuns did neither. Instead, they called the lawyers at the Becket Fund.
As it turns out, that was a smart decision that not only benefited the Little Sisters but people of all religious faiths who share a common belief in our constitutionally-protected right to follow our religious practices free of government influence.
It took five years of legal wrangling with Becket leading the charge, but the U.S. Supreme Court ultimately decided the nuns were right and the government was wrong. Becket says the court’s precedent-setting decision not only protected the nuns from the fines, it ordered the government to accommodate the their religious (pro-life) beliefs.
Remarkably, at a time when the country is divided along stark political lines, the talented litigators at the Becket Fund found a way to rally every justice on the court – those appointed by Democratic and Republican presidents – to support the Little Sisters and religious freedom.
Even more remarkable is that Becket’s legal team has won four unanimous decisions before the high court, all which protect religious freedom, including a 2014 decision that protected the religious rights of the owners of Hobby Lobby who, like the Little Sisters, objected to the government mandate that the company provide certain contraceptives.
According to data published by the National Center for Charitable Statistics, there are more than 1.5 million nonprofits in the United States.
Sifting through those to find out which ones produce transformative Becket-like results can be time-consuming and overwhelming. But that is our specialty.
Contact Hoplin Jackson Charitable Advisors for help in building a portfolio of grantees who are fighting for the values you hold dear.