Welfare reform has prompted policymakers to turn to nonprofit organizationsreligious congregations, in particularto increase their assistance to the needy. Congress has encouraged faith-based groups to enhance their role in serving the poor at a time when little is known about the services they now provide or about their capacity to meet increased demand. To begin filling this information gap, the Urban Institute's Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy surveyed the religious community in the greater Washington, D.C., area in summer and fall 1997 to examine the services it provides and its capacity to expand them.