Alabama and Kansas have emerged as the most “faith-friendly” states in the U.S., while Michigan and Washington are at the bottom in terms of supporting the freedoms of religious nonprofits, according to a recent report.
The Napa Institute of Law’s Faith and Freedom Index, now in its third edition, evaluates 15 aspects of state law that affect faith-based nonprofit organizations and their operations. This includes various regulatory burdens like charity registration laws, employment laws, and religious freedom protections present in state constitutions, leading to scores for all 50 states plus the District of Columbia.
The authors of the report caution that despite efforts from the White House to safeguard religious liberty, some states lag in providing protections for faith-based organizations. Interestingly, while many Republican-led states scored high, the results didn’t strictly align along party lines.
In the 2025 report, Alabama (72%), Kansas (69%), Indiana (68%), Texas (65%), and Mississippi (63%) topped the list for religious and regulatory freedom protections.
The findings indicate that Alabama and Kansas offer “stronger protections for the free exercise and worship of religion” within their state constitutions compared to the First Amendment. Furthermore, both states are applauded for implementing anti-discrimination laws that minimize burdens on faith-based employers and for adopting state-level Religious Freedom Restoration Acts (RFRA).
However, it’s worth noting that some more liberal states did better than conservative ones in specific protections. For example, in certain categories, New York outperformed Alaska, Tennessee, and South Carolina. Connecticut has a state-level RFRA, but Ohio and Alaska lack such provisions.
The authors emphasized that having solid state laws is particularly crucial in regions where leadership is less supportive of religious groups.
Despite California’s current administration being viewed as generally unsupportive of religion, the report points out that religious nonprofit corporations in California still enjoy important legal protections, including exemptions from state charity registration requirements and greater independence in their internal matters than secular nonprofits.
Michigan (31%), Washington (35%), Massachusetts (37%), Illinois (38%), West Virginia (38%), and Maryland (38%) scored the lowest for religious and regulatory freedom protections.
The report categorizes Michigan and Washington as among the least favorable environments for operating faith-based nonprofit organizations. These states are noted for having laws that can seriously impede operations, including expansive Blaine amendments and anti-discrimination laws that lack robust exemptions for faith-oriented employers and public ministries.
Napa Legal, a nonprofit organization that aids religious groups in safeguarding their missions, highlighted that the report underscores the necessity of state-level protections.
“The numerous attacks on religious freedom in recent years serve as a stark reminder that without strong state-level protections, everyday Americans will bear the consequences, regardless of how supportive the federal government is,” said Frank DeVito, Napa’s senior general counsel.
DeVito pointed to specific cases involving Catholic priests in Washington and concerned parents in Montgomery County, Maryland, arguing that citizens shouldn’t have to waste time and resources in court over issues that could have been avoided entirely.
The report suggests that while the Trump administration and the Supreme Court have worked to uphold religious freedom, lawmakers still have a chance to bolster protections.
“This year’s Faith and Freedom Index can be a valuable resource for lawmakers to assess where to implement additional protections, enhance existing state laws, and repeal detrimental ones. Given the current presidential administration and a Supreme Court that continues to affirm religious freedoms, we must seize this moment to pursue durable national protections that will safeguard Americans’ rights for years to come,” the report concludes.
The 2025 index also notes improvements in rankings from the previous year, highlighting Wyoming and Georgia, which adopted RFRA this year, moving to sixth and ninth place, respectively.
