States Ranked on Religious Freedom for Nonprofits
The Napa Legal Institute released its 2025 Faith and Freedom Index on Monday, ranking all 50 states on how well they protect religious nonprofit organizations. The report evaluates each state on a 0-100 scale based on its religious and regulatory freedom scores. These combined scores determine the state’s overall friendliness to faith-based nonprofits.
Senior Counsel Frank DeVito emphasized the index’s importance as a guide for lawmakers, calling it “a powerful tool” for identifying where protections should be added or strengthened.
Alabama, Kansas Lead in Religious Freedom Protections
Alabama topped the list with a religious freedom score of 86%, followed by Kansas at 79%. Other high-ranking states included Mississippi and Georgia (both at 67%) and Florida (63%). The report commended Alabama for its constitutional safeguards, including automatic tax exemptions for qualifying religious organizations.
On the other end, Michigan scored just 22%, making it the lowest-ranked state. Vermont, Delaware, Washington, and Maryland followed closely behind, all scoring below 30%. Napa Legal criticized these states as overly burdensome or hostile to faith-based nonprofits, citing restrictive laws and a lack of meaningful exemptions.
Regulatory Freedom Rankings Reveal Stark Contrasts
Regulatory freedom scores reflected how easily religious nonprofits can operate without excessive bureaucratic interference. Indiana (82%) and Montana (80%) led the category, with Iowa and Arizona also scoring highly.
States with the lowest regulatory freedom included Illinois (40%) and Michigan (45%), with Washington and South Dakota both at 49%. The report assessed factors such as nonprofit corporate laws, tax exemptions, audit rules, and consent requirements for major decisions.
States with Strongest Overall Scores
Alabama (72%) and Kansas (69%) received the highest overall scores. Indiana (68%), Texas (65%), and Mississippi (63%) also performed well. These states offered both strong religious protections and streamlined regulations.
Michigan (31%) and Washington (35%) ranked lowest overall. Critics pointed to broad Blaine Amendments and nondiscrimination laws that lack religious exemptions. The report warns that these policies may force religious groups into costly litigation to defend their beliefs.
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Which states are the worst at protecting religious freedom of ministries and faith groups?
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