Reli- gious groups would be allowed to compete with secular organizations for those grants. The reasoning is obvious. Charities generally rely heavily on very dedicated volunteers rather than a large bureaucracy of paid staffers. As a result, they often can distribute assistance more efficiently than government. The less the overhead, the more that is left to help people.
Religious groups have a long history of helping the downtrodden.
In fact, according to the research group Independent Sector, nine of 10 congregations in the United States provide human services. Americans already support them generously. Bush's plan might funnel even more money into such vital projects. But Bush seems to have that under control. He promises the money will go to various churches, synagogues and mosques without regard to religious doctrine.