BEING NONPARTISAN:
Guidelines for 501c3
Organizations
Presented by
A national hub of voter engagement resources and
trainings to help nonprofits integrate nonpartisan voter
participation into ongoing activities and services.
The official voter participation partner of the
National Association of Secretaries of State for the nonprofit sector
About
TODAY’S PRESENTER
George Pillsbury
Executive Director
Nonprofit VOTE
Who
GETTING READY FOR THE MIDTERM
• One in four voting eligible Americans are
not registered to vote (50 million)
• 34 million fewer people will vote in
midterm, disproportionately newer voters
• Changes in election laws impact voters
served by nonprofits
2014
Midterm
WHY NONPROFITS, WHY VOTING
• Access to underrepresented
populations
• Trust and respect in our communities
• Building clout for the work we do
and people we serve
• Getting our ideas in front of
candidates
Why
Nonprofits
NEW RULES FOR 501(c)(4)s?
• Aimed to limit use of 501(c)(4) nonprofits
as funnel for partisan campaign cash
• Took overbroad approach – inspired a
record 143,000 comments
• Only affects 501c4 organizations – and no
impact until at least 2015
Being
Nonpartisan
AGENDA

Being Nonpartisan: The Basic Guidelines
o Voter Registration
o Voter Education
o Engaging Candidates
o Ballot Measures
o Get Out The Vote

Issue Advocacy

Staff Activities on personal time

More Resources
Agenda
BEING NONPARTISAN:
Basic Guidelines for 501(c)3)s
WHAT’S PARTISAN - THE ONE RULE
A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization may not
support or oppose a candidate for public office.
May not –
•
Endorse candidates
•
Donate money or resources to
candidates
•
Rate candidates on single issues
Being
Nonpartisan
RANKING - SCORECARDS
Being
Nonpartisan
RANKING – CANDIDATE COMPARISONS
• Ok to compare candidates on the
issues in candidate questionnaires,
voter guides
• Keep your opinion out of it – don’t
indicate the right position in the printed
guide or on the same page of the website
Being
Nonpartisan
WHAT NONPROFITS CAN DO
Nonprofits may conduct nonpartisan voter
engagement activities to educate the public and
help them participate in elections, including May –
•
Register Voters
•
Educate Voters
•
Get Out The Vote (GOTV)
•
Hold Candidate Forums
Being
Nonpartisan
VOTER
REGISTRATION
VOTER REGISTRATION
Common Nonpartisan Activities
• Promote voter registration
– Announce deadlines
– Provide information on where and
when to register to vote
• Conduct voter registration
– Table in your lobby
– Register voters at events
– Do a voter registration drive
Voter
Registration
VOTER REGISTRATION: Guidelines
• No endorsements: May not suggest which party to
join or candidate to vote for
• Know your state’s rules: Use our “Vote in Your State”
guide. Coordinate with your local election office
Voter
Registration
VOTER
EDUCATION
VOTER EDUCATION: The Process of Voting
• How, where and when to vote
– Early Voting
– Voter ID Needed
– Civic Education
Voter
Education
VOTER EDUCATION: Candidates and Issues
• Sample Ballots and Voter Guides
• Candidate Questionnaires
Stay Neutral when mentioning
the names of candidates
Voter
Education
VOTER EDUCATION
Candidate Questionnaires
• Ask questions on a range of topics
• Not just yes or no. Let candidates
explain view, but give a word limit
• Send it to all candidates in the race
• If a candidate doesn’t respond - may list
“no response” or use official statements
from the candidate’s website
Voter
Education
ENGAGING
CANDIDATES
CANDIDATE ENGAGEMENT
3 Ways to Connect to Candidates
on a nonpartisan basis
• Invite candidates to an event
• Sponsor a candidate forum
• Send candidates your policy ideas
Engaging
Candidates
CANDIDATES APPEARANCES
• Invite all the candidates running for the
same office
• Treat candidates as guests – no campaign
materials allowed
• Remind audience it’s a nonpartisan event
and thank candidates for attending
Elected officials may be invited to
speak in a non-candidate capacity.
Engaging
Candidates
CANDIDATE FORUMS
• Cover a range of issues or topics
within your own issue area
• Provide equal time for the
candidates
• Ask all candidates to attend
• Have at least 2 candidates to be a
“forum”
Engaging
Candidates
CANDIDATE ENGAGEMENT RESOURCES
BALLOT
MEASURES
BALLOT MEASURES
Ballot measures are about laws or
constitutional amendments
• Activity on ballot measures is lobbying.
It’s influencing the passage or defeat of a
law– not the election or defeat of a
candidate
• 501c3 nonprofits may work for or against
a ballot measure as a lobbying activity
Ballot
Measures
GET OUT THE VOTE
AND ELECTION DAY
GET OUT THE VOTE
501(c)(3)s may • Make the election visible
• Provide voter assistance
• Conduct get-out-the-vote drives
• Remind staff and constituents to vote
Get Out
The Vote
ELECTION DAY
• Give staff time off: To vote or do
nonpartisan election activities
• Rides to the polls: No campaign
materials on the vehicles
• Celebrate Democracy: Make Election
Day special. Have a party.
Election
Day
ISSUE ADVOCACY
AND MORE
ISSUE ADVOCACY
“501(c)(3) organizations may take positions on
public policy issues, including issues that divide
candidates in an election for public office.”
(Internal Revenue Service 2006)
Issue
Advocacy
ISSUE ADVOCACY
Factors to consider • Increasing advocacy activities during
the election season could be partisan
• History of work on an issue in the
past is a key nonpartisan factor
• Responding to an external event is ok
and nonpartisan
Issue
Advocacy
WHAT STAFF CAN DO
• Nonprofit staff may engage in
partisan activities, such as
supporting a candidate, outside of
normal work hours
• Distinguish personal use of social
media from that of your nonprofit
Staff
Activities
www.nonprofitvote.org
info@nonprofitvote.org
617.357.VOTE (8683)
www.nonprofitvote.org
Nonprofit VOTE
89 South Street
Suite 203
Boston, MA 02111
George Pillsbury
gpillsbury@nonprofitvote.org
Julian Johannesen
julian@nonprofitvote.org