USCNL offers up-to-date, freely accessible information on issues shaping the legal environment for the freedoms of association, assembly, and expression in the United States. Explore our full collection of resources below. For our trackers and databases, please see this page.
Introducing the U.S. Center for Nonprofit Law
Published September 2026 We are excited to announce that ICNL’s U.S. Program is now the U.S. Center for Nonprofit Law (USCNL). This represents an important milestone in our work to create a legal environment that protects nonprofits and civic participation ...
Investigations Targeting Nonprofits
USCNL tracks federal and state investigations into nonprofits and analyzes constitutional concerns these investigations can raise. We also provide resources to help organizations comply with and navigate the law. Our Congressional Investigations Tracker follows select investigations impacting nonprofit organizations since ...
USCNL tracks counterterrorism legislation, analyzes its implications for civil society, and provides resources to help civil society navigate the law and advocate for their First Amendment rights. This briefer summarizes select federal terrorism offenses and designations that may be relevant ...
IRS Investigations of Nonprofits: An Explainer
Published August 2026 Members of Congress have recently urged the IRS to investigate nonprofits for alleged violations of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) and other federal laws. The FBI and the IRS have also reportedly launched a joint initiative to ...
State-Level Terrorism Designation Laws and U.S. Nonprofits
This briefer examines recent state laws authorizing the designation of domestic organizations as “terrorist” entities. It explains how these laws may affect U.S. nonprofits and their supporters and discusses constitutional concerns these laws raise. In 2026, lawmakers in several states ...
Reforming the Foreign Agents Registration Act to Protect U.S. Nonprofits
This briefer describes the dangers the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) poses to U.S. nonprofits and the need for comprehensive FARA reform. FARA is a World War II era anti-propaganda statute that requires an “agent of a foreign principal” engaged in ...
Navigating the Foreign Agents Registration Act
This briefer provides an overview of the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) and shares steps nonprofits can take to navigate the Act. It is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. FARA was enacted in 1938 in ...
Federal Terrorism Law and U.S. Civil Society: An Explainer
Federal law does not have a standalone offense of “domestic terrorism.” Federal law does, however, contain terrorism-related provisions that can cover domestic actors. Examples include the offense of providing material support for terrorism and increased penalties for certain crimes if ...
USCNL defends the right to peaceful assembly. We track proposed restrictions, analyze trends, and advocate for reforms to protect this fundamental right. Since 2017, USCNL has tracked hundreds of state and federal bills that restrict the right to protest. USCNL ...
United States: Protecting Nonprofits from Overbroad Terrorism Legislation
Our Impact In the wake of Hamas’s attack on Israel in October 2023, members of Congress introduced legislation HR 6408 that would allow the Treasury Secretary to designate nonprofits as “terrorist supporting organizations” and suspend their tax-exempt status based on ...
