The Ross Collective

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Four Ways Nonprofits Can Safely and Legally Leverage the Election

Renee Rubin Ross

From Renee: Like so many of you, I feel significant concern (should I say “terror”?) about the upcoming elections. The focus of The Ross Collective’s work is always to empower each of us to speak up, honor our voices and perspectives, and take the actions that are within our control. We may feel overwhelmed but this is not the time to be an ostrich! Toward that end, I asked Bethany Snyder, who consults with nonprofits on advocacy, to share some tips for this moment and the next six months.

Recently, I worked with a nonprofit leader, Erika (not her real name), the Executive Director of a local nonprofit, on an advocacy strategy her organization could use to ensure the policy changes they sought had the level of support needed to pass and be successful.

As I was talking with Erika, she shared a common misconception. Even though she and her team understood the importance of engaging in legislative advocacy to change and strengthen local and state policies, they were not properly leveraging the election cycle to elevate and educate about their issues.

When candidates from her community knocked on Erika’s door to talk with her about what her community needed to prosper, she usually would not answer. She said she was too busy!

In plain words, the most important thing you and your team members can do in the next six months is to answer the door and the phone to engage with the political process.

Yes, we are all busy and overwhelmed these days. But, as a nonprofit leader with subject matter expertise, your most strategic move is to participate - by answering the door and phone as issues are being discussed.

The best time to educate a lawmaker is when they are a candidate.

We are in another vital election year, and it is about to ramp up even more. Presidential election years raise the visibility of all races - from county commissioner to city council to state legislature to Congressional races.

But this also causes nonprofits much angst and the inclination to retreat into their foxholes and not look up for six months.

And I get it. Nonprofit organizations are explicitly prohibited from engaging in partisan politics—anything related to political parties, candidates, and electioneering.

And while it may seem vast, partisan politics is very narrow. As long as nonprofits stay away from discussing specific candidates, political parties, or endorsing candidates, you are good. Seriously.

This leaves a lot of room for nonprofits to engage in elections, especially to educate how policy changes can impact your mission.

There are many activities that nonprofits can—and should—engage in during election season.

Nonprofits that engage—and leverage this big opportunity—will emerge in November stronger and better able to meet their missions.

Elections provide nonprofit organizations the opportunity to demonstrate to future lawmakers — and to voters, donors, and others — that their issue is an election issue, one that people care about and will vote on.

Elections also give nonprofit leaders the chance to educate candidates and voters about policies and long-term solutions that will positively impact the people they serve and the challenges they are trying to solve—from hunger to homelessness to health care to climate justice, and other pressing issues.

However many nonprofits are unsure how to safely and legally leverage the election and engage in activities that will strengthen their organization.

To help you out, here are four ways nonprofits can (safely and legally) leverage the election:

Train:

  • Host a training to teach your people how to talk to candidates

  • Create a voter guide or toolkit - here are some examples:

  • Share opportunities to talk to candidates - at townhalls, candidate forums, and other events

Share information about:

  • How to register to vote

  • When and where to vote

  • Absentee ballots, mail-in ballots, and in-person voting

  • New voting processes in your area

  • Key dates and reminders to vote

Educate:

  • Hold candidate forums

    • Partner with allied organizations to host a candidate forum; just be sure to invite all candidates

  • Submit questions to candidate debates

    • For example, you can see when your local League of Women Voters is hosting debates and submit a question about your issue

  • Provide questions and information your people can share with candidates

    • This could be as simple as a fact sheet or brochure about your organization

Empower:

  • Allow staff time off to vote (this may be required by law in your state)

  • Allow staff to spend part or all of Election Day doing nonpartisan get-out-the-vote activities

  • Encourage your people to sign up as poll workers or translators

  • Create a rapid response plan for your organization

    • You might receive requests from the media to comment on your issue. Be ready with a plan so you can quickly and effectively respond.

    • There are many examples online that you can use as a jumping off point (here is one example).


Helpful Resources: