The U.S. government should find ways to help religious groups deliver social services, a new report says.

The Working Group on Human Needs and Faith-Based and Community Initiatives stressed ways for the federal government to help churches and synagogues without providing direct funding.

In a report released Tuesday, the group suggested the federal government increase technical assistance, ease the process for groups to form separate organizations to receive government funding and make it easier for private citizens to donate money to charity. Direct funding, also known as charitable choice, is controversial. Many Jewish organizations oppose it on the grounds that it erodes the separation of church and state. Former Sen. Harris Wofford, who led the working group, said there were issues on which participants were too far apart to reach consensus, but the group came further than many expected.