Diverse faith leaders standing before the United States Capitol at dusk

501(c)(3) Public Charity · EIN 42-3822094

Defending Religious
Freedom for All

The Center for Religious Freedom and Policy advances interfaith advocacy, faith-based public policy research, and ethical leadership at the intersection of faith and governance.

Our Programs Support Our Work
501(c)(3) IRS-Recognized Public Charity
July 2026 Effective Date of Exemption
3 Core Programs
Texas Based in Richmond, TX

Our Mission

Faith and Freedom
Are Inseparable

Advancing religious freedom through advocacy, research, and interfaith dialogue.

The Center for Religious Freedom and Policy (CRFP) was founded on the conviction that religious freedom is a legal right and the foundation upon which all other civil liberties rest. When faith communities are free to worship, organize, advocate, and serve, society flourishes. When that freedom is threatened, every American bears the cost.

CRFP is a nonpartisan, interfaith organization based in Richmond, Texas, recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) public charity (EIN: 42-3822094, effective July 14, 2026). We bring together Christians, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, and people of every faith tradition who share a commitment to the principle that no person should face discrimination, persecution, or legal disadvantage because of what they believe.

"Religious freedom in America is under pressure from multiple directions: in courtrooms, in congressional committee rooms, and in the daily experiences of faith communities navigating an increasingly complex legal and regulatory environment. CRFP exists to be a vigilant, credible, and constructive voice in every arena where those pressures are felt."

Nonpartisan

We cross party lines to defend liberty for all traditions, in every arena.

Interfaith

Christians, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists and people of every tradition are at the table.

Evidence-Based

Policy grounded in research, constitutional law, and lived experience.

See Our Programs Support the Work
Illustration of interfaith unity and policy advocacy, open book surrounded by religious symbols
501(c)(3) IRS-Recognized Public Charity EIN 42-3822094

What We Do

Three Interconnected Programs,
One Enduring Mission

CRFP advances its mission through three core programs that work together by monitoring the law, building community, and strengthening the organizations that serve faith communities on the ground.

Religious Freedom Policy Research & Advocacy

We monitor federal and state legislation affecting houses of worship, faith-based nonprofits, and religiously motivated individuals. We submit public comments, publish policy briefs, and engage directly with lawmakers and federal agencies to protect the constitutional and statutory rights of faith communities.

In our first months of operation, we have already submitted advocacy letters to the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee in support of USCIRF reauthorization and engaged with the Department of Justice Religious Liberty Commission on draft federal policy recommendations.

  • Congressional testimony and advocacy letters
  • Federal agency public comment submissions
  • Legislative tracking and rapid-response alerts
  • Policy research briefs and publications
  • Direct engagement with DOJ Religious Liberty Commission

Interfaith Dialogue & Community Education

We convene forums, workshops, and educational programs that bring faith leaders and communities together across traditions. In a nation increasingly divided, CRFP creates spaces where difference is honored, common ground is discovered, and communities are strengthened.

Our programs serve the Houston-Richmond metropolitan area and engage faith leaders across Texas and beyond, building the relational infrastructure that makes sustained interfaith cooperation possible.

  • Interfaith roundtables and public forums
  • Community education workshops for faith leaders
  • Faith leader networking and coalition-building
  • Cross-tradition dialogue facilitation
  • Regional and statewide engagement in Texas

Capacity Building for Faith-Based Organizations

We equip faith-based nonprofits with the governance, compliance, and advocacy tools they need to sustain their missions. From board development and IRS compliance to grant readiness and policy engagement, CRFP walks alongside smaller faith organizations so that their voices are heard and their work endures.

  • Nonprofit governance and board development training
  • 501(c)(3) compliance and IRS guidance
  • Grant readiness and fundraising support
  • Policy advocacy skills for faith communities
  • Organizational sustainability planning

Additional Program Areas

Chaplaincy & Spiritual Care Advocacy

Drawing on deep expertise in clinical pastoral education and healthcare chaplaincy, CRFP advocates for the recognition and funding of professional chaplaincy in hospitals, correctional facilities, and community settings, ensuring spiritual care is accessible to all.

  • Advocacy for chaplaincy in healthcare settings
  • Correctional and community chaplaincy support
  • Bereavement and trauma-informed pastoral care
  • Professional chaplaincy credentialing support

International Religious Freedom

Religious persecution is a global crisis. CRFP monitors international religious freedom conditions, supports the USCIRF reauthorization process, and advocates for U.S. foreign policy that prioritizes the protection of persecuted religious minorities worldwide.

  • USCIRF engagement and reauthorization advocacy
  • Country-of-concern monitoring and reporting
  • Diaspora faith community outreach
  • Interfaith solidarity campaigns

Faith, Health & Community Wellness

Faith communities are among the most trusted institutions in their neighborhoods. CRFP partners with faith-based organizations to address mental health, substance use recovery, and health equity by integrating spiritual care with public health approaches.

  • Faith-based mental health programming
  • Substance use recovery support networks
  • Health equity partnerships with faith institutions
  • Community wellness and wholeness workshops

Why Your Support Matters

Religious freedom in America is under pressure from multiple directions: in courtrooms, in congressional committee rooms, and in the daily experiences of faith communities navigating an increasingly complex legal and regulatory environment. CRFP exists to be a vigilant, credible, and constructive voice in every arena where those pressures are felt.

Your gift to CRFP is fully tax-deductible and goes directly to this work. We keep our overhead lean and our focus sharp. Every dollar you give funds research, advocacy, and community programs and not administrative excess.

Give Today

100% tax-deductible · EIN 42-3822094

"Religious freedom belongs to everyone, not as a privilege granted by government, but as a right endowed by the Creator and protected by the Constitution."
— Edmund Akintunde, MPPA, MSP · President & Founder, CRFP

Our Leadership

Grounded in Faith,
Trained in Policy

Edmund Akintunde, President and Founder of CRFP
Edmund Akintunde, MPPA, MSP
President & Founder

Edmund Akintunde, MPPA, MSP

President & Founder

Edmund Akintunde is a public policy professional, Hospital Chaplain, Multistakeholders’ Processes Facilitator, and Certified Local Economic Development Expert with over 30 years of experience in pastoral ministry, interfaith leadership, healthcare chaplaincy, and government service.

He holds a Master of Public Policy and Administration (MPPA) and brings a rare convergence of disciplines: the spiritual depth of a trained chaplain, the analytical rigor of a policy professional, and the organizational expertise of a governance practitioner. His professional background spans the Houston Health Department, the Delaware Department of Labor, and clinical pastoral education at Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center , institutions that represent the full range of public service, from labor policy and workforce development to acute care and spiritual support in clinical settings.

Edmund’s career includes a significant chapter in global sustainable development. He served as Program Coordinator with the Millennium Cities Initiative (MCI) and the Millennium Villages Project (MVP), twin flagship programs of the Earth Institute at Columbia University in New York. Through this work, he contributed to evidence-based strategies for reducing poverty and advancing sustainable human development across African communities, translating global development frameworks into tangible local impact.

He was also a frontline advocate in the global fight against HIV/AIDS, working under the United States Government’s PEPFAR program initiated by President George W. Bush. In this capacity, Edmund championed the rights of people living with HIV/AIDS across the African continent, leading campaigns against stigmatization and discrimination, and working to ensure that affected communities received both the care and the dignity they deserved.

As a certified Multistakeholders’ Processes Facilitator (MSP) and Certified Local Economic Development Expert (LEDE), Edmund brings together the worlds of faith, policy, and community in a way that is distinctly CRFP’s own. He founded CRFP to ensure that faith communities across every tradition have a credible, well-resourced advocate at the intersection of law, governance, and public life.

MPPA MSP Certified Certified LEDE CPE Chaplain Public Policy Analyst 30+ Years Ministry Columbia Earth Institute PEPFAR Advocate
Millennium Cities Initiative / Millennium Villages Project Program Coordinator, Earth Institute, Columbia University
PEPFAR (President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) HIV/AIDS Rights Advocate, African Continent
Houston Health Department Staff Analyst
Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center Clinical Pastoral Education
Delaware Department of Labor Workforce & Policy
Temitope Paulson, MBA, MSc, MA
Chief Financial Officer

Temitope Paulson, MBA, MSc, MA

Chief Financial Officer

Temitope Paulson is a finance, strategy, education, and organizational leadership professional with more than 20 years of experience spanning business management, consulting, entrepreneurship, higher education, and public service across Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics, a Master of Science in International Oil and Gas Management from the University of Dundee, an MBA in Management with a focus on Training and Development, and a Master of Arts in Elementary Education from Roosevelt University. His experience includes executive operations, business development, financial and strategic analysis, program management, SME development, entrepreneurship coaching, and organizational capacity building.

As Chief Financial Officer of CRFP, Temitope provides strategic financial oversight and supports budgeting, governance, compliance, internal controls, resource stewardship, and long-term institutional sustainability. He brings a multidisciplinary perspective to CRFP’s work, helping align sound financial management with the organization’s policy, advocacy, research, interfaith, and community-impact mission.

MBA MSc Oil & Gas Management MA Elementary Education Economics Graduate 20+ Years Experience University of Dundee Roosevelt University
University of Dundee MSc International Oil & Gas Management
Roosevelt University MA Elementary Education
Business Management & Consulting Executive Operations, SME Development, Entrepreneurship Coaching

Board of Directors

Edmund Akintunde, MPPA, MSP President & Founder
Temitope Paulson, MBA, MSc, MA Chief Financial Officer
Rachael Babalola Secretary & Health Mission Officer

Policy Updates

Recent Advocacy & News

CRFP is active in the policy arena from day one, monitoring legislation, engaging federal agencies, and advocating for faith communities across the country.

Advocacy

CRFP Urges Senate to Pass USCIRF Reauthorization Before September 30 Deadline

CRFP submitted a formal advocacy letter to the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee in support of S. 3984, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom Reauthorization Act of 2026, urging passage before the Commission’s authorization expires on September 30. The letter emphasized USCIRF’s irreplaceable role in monitoring global religious persecution and informing U.S. foreign policy on behalf of persecuted religious minorities worldwide.

Policy

CRFP Engages DOJ Religious Liberty Commission on Draft Federal Recommendations

The Department of Justice Religious Liberty Commission released draft policy recommendations affecting federal grants, church-state policy, and the Johnson Amendment. CRFP engaged directly with the Commission, providing input on faith-based nonprofit funding protections and urging recommendations that preserve the independence of religious organizations in the public square.

Grant Alert

DOJ Opens Houses of Worship Security Grant: Applications Due September 2

The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) has opened applications for the Fiscal Year 2026 Nonprofit Security Grant Program (O-BJA-2026-172658), with a minimum award of $200,000 for qualifying religious institutions. CRFP is tracking this opportunity and is available to assist faith-based organizations with grant readiness and SAM.gov registration.

Federal

State Department Announces $2 Billion Faith-Based Partnership Initiative

The U.S. Department of State announced a major $2 billion initiative to expand partnerships with faith-based organizations in international development and humanitarian response. CRFP is monitoring implementation details and evaluating advocacy and partnership opportunities for faith communities in the Houston-Richmond area and across Texas.

Federal

FEMA Releases $266 Million Nonprofit Security Grant for Houses of Worship

FEMA announced $266 million in Nonprofit Security Grant Program funding for faith-based organizations and nonprofits facing security threats. CRFP is prepared to assist qualifying faith communities with navigating the application process and meeting eligibility requirements before the deadline.

Organization

CRFP Receives IRS 501(c)(3) Tax-Exempt Status, Effective July 14, 2026

The Internal Revenue Service formally recognized the Center for Religious Freedom and Policy as a 501(c)(3) public charity, effective July 14, 2026 (EIN: 42-3822094). This recognition enables CRFP to receive fully tax-deductible contributions and positions the organization to pursue federal grants and major philanthropic support in pursuit of its mission.

Get in Touch

Contact CRFP

We welcome inquiries from faith communities, policy professionals, researchers, ministry leaders, and anyone committed to religious freedom in America.

info@crfpolicy.org
(832) 657-7760
8710 Grand Mission Blvd, Suite H PMB 1001
Richmond, TX 77407
EIN: 42-3822094 · 501(c)(3) Public Charity