Raising Your 501(c)(3)’s Voice in an Election Year Without Risking Its Exempt Status

Dylan O’Sullivan* and Eleanor Evans’ article “Raising Your 501(c)(3)’s Voice in an Election Year Without Risking Its Exempt Status” is now available on the Massachusetts Nonprofit Network website.

Nonprofits play an indispensable role in our nation’s civic discourse, engaging policymakers and the public on issues of moral, social, and economic concern. For 501(c)(3) organizations, however, this role becomes more complicated during election season due to rules prohibiting them from supporting or opposing candidates for public office. Dylan and Eleanor discuss the federal tax law prohibition on campaign intervention by 501(c)(3)s and factors to keep in mind when commenting on policy issues in an election season.

Eleanor Evans is counsel at Hemenway & Barnes. She has over 20 years’ experience representing nonprofits in a diverse range of legal, governance and compliance matters.

*Dylan O’Sullivan is a rising third year law student at Northeastern University School of Law and is not a practicing attorney. He has joined Hemenway & Barnes as a summer intern, working primarily with the firm’s Litigation Group.

To read the full article, please click here: Raising Your 501(c)(3)’s Voice in an Election Year without Risking Its Exempt Status