California Nonprofits Advocacy and Voting

www.calnonprofits.org

Nonprofits, Advocacy & PoliticsWhat you CAN and CAN’T do

about voter educationand lobbying


Statewide alliance of 1,500 nonprofitsBring a strong voice to government, philanthropy, public

* Full time lobbyist/policy director in Sacramento* Offices in San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles* CalNonprofits Insurance Services provides insurance to 8,000 nonprofits and more than 13,000 nonprofit staff

About the California Association of Nonprofits(CalNonprofits)


LobbyingWhat is lobbying? What isn’t?Can nonprofits lobby?

Voter involvementWhat nonprofits can’t do related to electionsWhat nonprofits can doVoter registrationVoter educationGet Out the Vote (GOTV)

More resources

Agenda



Direct lobbying: Communicating to an elected official or their staff in favor or against a particular bill, or urging people to vote for or against a proposition.

Grassroots lobbying: encouraging people to call their representatives and urge them to vote a certain way.

Can nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations do lobbying?

What is lobbying?


Choose which test to have used on you:

1. “Insubstantial” test Informal rule of thumb: 5% 2. Expenditure testA % of your expenses (so it excludes volunteer activity), depending on budget size, but usually 10 – 20%, of which up to 25% can be spent on grassroots lobbying.

If you want the expenditure test used, file Form 5768 (called the 501(h) election) – only 1 line to fill out!

Online calculator for amount: www.bolderadvocacy.org/501h-lobbying-calculator

(Note: Communicating to voters on how they should specifically vote on ballot measures falls under direct or “regular” lobbying.)

Lobbying limits


Nonpartisan research or analysis. You can take a position as long as the content is not limited to one side.

Educating legislators about an issue without bring up specific legislation.

Defending your organization to government (example: a legislative body investigating whether you are laundering money)

Testifying in response to a written request by a legislative body

Advocating with administrators as long as it’s not about a specific piece of legislation

Some things that don’t count as lobbying


If everyone who worked or volunteered in healthcare nonprofits voted . . .

If everyone who worked or volunteered in the environment voted . . .

If everyone who worked or volunteered in the arts voted . . .

Voting


Nonprofits are already known and trusted by under-voting groups

Nonprofits believe in participatory democracy

Nonprofits know what is at stake

Nonprofits are effective vote mobilizers


Endorse a candidate

Oppose a candidate

What nonprofits CAN’T do about voting


Everything else

What nonprofits CAN do about voting


Voter registration

Voter education

Get Out the Vote (GOTV)

3 components of voter engagement


Have voter registration materials at your site: be willing to register for any party; do address changes, too

Integrate voter registration into your activitiesSet up table at the theatre lobbySend info home with kids

Give out flyer on how to register online atworkshops, board meetings

Remind ineligible people they should get theirfriends to register and vote!

Voter registration: what you CAN (and should) do


Take stands on ballot propositions and explain why

Publish or publicize nonpartisan analysis (California League of Women Voters has good stuff)

Hold a candidates forum or encourage

people to go to them

Voter education: what you CAN (and should!) do


BolderAdvocacy.org: detailed legal info

NonprofitVote.org: toolkits

CalNonprofits.org: analysis, tools

VotewithYourMission.org

California League of Women Voters

Sample policy re elections to give to staff:http://bolderadvocacy.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Sample_501c3_Policy_for_Election_Season.pdf

More resources


Thank you!

Education

California Nonprofits Advocacy and Voting