Did you know that 501c3 designated nonprofits are not allowed to become traditional lobbyists?

A 501c3 organization can advocate for policy decision makers to make changes to laws and practices to better serve the constituents they represent, but cannot urge the public through calls and protests to propose legislative changes to the law. 

An example of advocacy would be a nonprofit that creates an advocacy committee made up of members of the community to develop materials that educate the community, including lawmakers, on how certain policies or laws are negatively effecting progress and success for those individuals the nonprofit serves. 

If a nonprofit that provides food, housing and jobs to homeless individuals and its committee member speaks at open public forums conducted by its city council to encourage the council to vote against a new ordinance that limits the type of jobs homeless people can apply for, then that is advocacy and meets nonprofit compliance codes. 

But, if that same nonprofit starts calling voters telling them that they must vote against that same ordinance or calls local elected officials and threatens to withhold campaign dollars if they vote for that same ordinance, then that is indeed lobbying and is outside of the 501c3 compliance guidelines.

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Learn more about easily filing your nonprofit's 501C3, N990 and Georgia Charitable Designation Filing as well as other federal and state compliance filings at https://tristatecharities.com/