Washington DC is the site for New Frontiers, the 2016 Independent Sector Annual Conference and Public Policy Action Institute, taking place November 15-18. The Conference comes at a pivotal time for the nonprofit sector and our nation, rigidly divided on so many issues and characterized in many ways by a disengaged...
ADVOCACY & LOBBYING
The Power of Nonprofit Advocacy: Best Lobbying Resource Ever!
From Independent Sector – Voter polling commissioned by Independent Sector has found that, across the political spectrum, American voters are overwhelmingly united in support of the charitable sector. The findings are summarized in a new report, “United for Charity.” As the report title suggests, voters show a high...
501(c)(3) Electioneering Rules: Voter Guides & Candidate Questionnaires
In this next post in our series on election-related activities and 501(c)(3) organizations, we are taking a closer look at nonpartisan voter guides and candidate questionnaires. Despite the fact that such guides and questionnaires are election-related, 501(c)(3) organizations can prepare and distribute them without fear of jeopardizing their exempt status...
501(c)(3) Electioneering Rules: Candidate Appearances & Debates
While 501(c)(3) organizations are prohibited from intervening in elections, they are permitted to engage in certain nonpartisan election-related activities if they structure such activities appropriately, which we’ll address in this next post in the series. This includes sponsoring candidate debates and forums and inviting candidates to speak at...
501(c)(3) Electioneering Rules: Employee Endorsements & Election Activities
As we’ve previously written in the first post of this series, 501(c)(3) organizations are prohibited from engaging in or sponsoring activities that intervene in a political campaign for public office. However, this does not mean that all individuals associated with such organizations, including employees, volunteers, officers, and directors,...
Nonprofit Radio: Election Year Advocacy
I’ll be on Nonprofit Radio this Friday at 10:30 am PT / 1:30 pm ET discussing What’s Permissible Advocacy with host Tony Martignetti. Catch us live on Talking Alternative or a few days later on iTunes. How much can your nonprofit participate in the presidential election? Can you educate? Endorse? Lobby? Gene Takagi walks us through...
The Electioneering Prohibition: A Closer Look
With the election year in full swing, many nonprofits have questions regarding the scope of permissible election-related and lobbying or advocacy activities organizations recognized as exempt under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3) can engage in. This post will be the first in a series discussing these issues. *** As...
Lobbying & Grants to Non-501(c)(3) Entities: Know The Rules
Although many people think otherwise, 501(c)(3) public charities are in fact permitted to engage to lobbying activities, provided such activities are an insubstantial amount of their overall activities. They are also generally permitted to fund any work of other entities, including non-public charities, that they could engage in themselves,...
Highlights from CalNonprofits Annual Policy Convention 2015
Our team had the pleasure of attending the CalNonprofits Annual Policy Convention in Oakland yesterday. It was a nonprofit conference full of practical substance with a strong emphasis on attendees actively engaging their stakeholders and getting them to vote. Keynote The morning keynote address by Dr. Raphael Sonenshein was outstanding....
Embark: 2015 Independent Sector Annual Conference
Miami is the site for Embark, the 2015 Independent Sector Annual Conference and Public Policy Action Institute. The Conference is a critical one for Independent Sector coming shortly after its former and long-time President and CEO Diana Aviv departed to head Feeding America and during a time when Independent Sector is...
You must be logged in to post a comment.