A new report, titled the ‘Faith & Freedom Index,’ has ranked Alabama and Kansas as the most ‘faith-friendly’ states in the U.S., while Michigan and Washington have been placed among the lowest for protecting religious freedoms for nonprofit organizations. Conducted by the Napa Legal Institute, the third edition of the report examined 15 factors related to state laws that impact faith-based nonprofits and their ability to operate.<\/p>
The study looked at regulatory burdens, including charitable registration laws, along with religious freedom protections in employment law and state constitutions, to produce scores for each state and the District of Columbia. The report’s authors warned that, despite the White House’s recent efforts to protect religious liberty, several states still lag behind in ensuring that faith-based organizations are adequately safeguarded. While many Republican-led states scored highly, the report noted that the results did not align strictly with partisan lines.<\/p>
Alabama (72%), Kansas (69%), Indiana (68%), Texas (65%), and Mississippi (63%) received the highest overall scores for protecting religious and regulatory freedoms for faith-based nonprofits, according to the 2025 report. The report highlighted that Alabama and Kansas have stronger protections for religious free exercise or worship in their state constitutions than even the First Amendment. Both states also earned high marks for having nondiscrimination laws that avoid burdening faith-based employers and for enacting state-level Religious Freedom Restoration Acts (RFRAs).<\/p>
However, the report also noted that some more liberal states outperformed conservative ones in specific legal protections. For example, New York scored slightly better than Alaska, Tennessee, and South Carolina in some categories, and Connecticut was highlighted for having a state-level RFRA, while Ohio and Alaska lack such laws. The authors emphasized that strong state laws are particularly important in states with leadership that is less supportive of religious organizations.<\/p>
The authors highlighted that even in states where the current administration is not generally favorable to religion, legal protections for religious nonprofits continue to exist. For instance, California nonprofit religious corporations enjoy legal protections such as exemption from state charitable registration requirements and greater autonomy in internal affairs than secular nonprofits. The report cautioned that without state-level protections, ordinary Americans may face significant challenges, regardless of the current federal administration’s stance on religious freedom.<\/p>
The findings also pointed out that the Christian worship event in a deep blue city faced fierce backlash from LGBTQ leaders. Michigan and Washington were among the worst places to operate a faith-based nonprofit, with the report noting that these states have several laws that can