Calendar of Events

Webinars for Wise Nonprofits: Making the Most of Election Season: Ballot Measure Advocacy and Civic Engagement Work as a 501(c)(3) Organization

With the entire City Council up for re-election this year, nonprofit organizations need to consider how they can help educate and mobilize their communities without jeopardizing their tax exempt status. This webinar will explain that while 501(c)(3) organizations cannot support or oppose candidates for public office, they can educate voters about the mail-in ballot process, run get out the vote campaigns, and educate voters about the issues, so long as they do so in a nonpartisan manner. This webinar will also discuss how to respond when a candidate asks to use an organization's space or mailing lists or asks to appear at an organization's event, and how nonprofit staff can pursue their own partisan political activities on their own time without jeopardizing their employer’s tax exempt status.

Learning Objective: Participants will be able to identify nonpartisan activities that a public charity is allowed to conduct during election season.

For nonprofit managers and advocates.

Presenter: Laura Abel, Senior Policy Counsel