Public Charities Can Advocate! How Your Nonprofit Can Lobby and Engage in Election-Season Advocacy

Description

When we engage in democratic processes and ensure voices are heard, our communities win. Nonprofits have a close-up view of community needs and can and should take advantage of their right to influence law and engage in election season advocacy. After this workshop, you will have a clear understanding of what advocacy activities your 501(c)(3) can engage in, what communications count as lobbying, and how to safely engage in nonpartisan advocacy. 

Participants will learn: 

• How federal tax law permits lobbying for charities and how lobbying is defined.
• One easy step most charities can take to maximize the amount they’re allowed to spend on lobbying.
• How you can continue to advocate for your issues during election years.
• How you can respond to candidate statements objectively.
• How you can conduct nonpartisan voter registration and ensure get-out-the-vote efforts are conducted legally.
• How staff and volunteers’ partisan activities in their personal time can be kept separate from their activities on behalf of the organization.

This is an in-person event happening at INDUSTRY SLC (650 S 500 W, Salt Lake City, UT 84101).

About the Speaker: 

Natalie Roetzel Ossenfort serves as Program Director for Bolder Advocacy, where she works with nonprofit organizations to boost their advocacy capacity and understanding of state and federal nonprofit advocacy rules. Prior to joining the AFJ team, she helped to create and run the Innocence Project of Texas, a nonprofit dedicated to freeing those wrongfully convicted of crimes. At IPTX, Natalie held both Executive Director and Chief Staff Attorney positions, and she specialized in the litigation of cases involving the use of DNA evidence. She also worked with the organization to successfully advocate on behalf of reforms designed to reduce the number of wrongful convictions and assist those reentering society after lengthy terms of unjust confinement. Natalie obtainer her law degree from the Texas Wesleyan University School of Law in Forth Worth. She earned her undergraduate B.A. from Trinity University in San Antonio, where she majored in Political Science and graduated cum laude.

Cost: 

FREE for Members

$75 for Not-Yet-Members