Public Policy Advocacy
Why Should I Advocate?
Nonprofit organizations play a vital
role in the development and implementation
of public policy to
promote an informed, healthy, and
strong democratic society. We witness
and respond to the impact of
public policies on the people we
serve, whether they are patrons of
the arts or residents of a homeless
shelter. Few institutions are closer
to the real problems of people than
we are. Nonprofits can be an important
bridge between policy
makers and their constituents. Effective
advocacy builds your capacity
to achieve the greatest good
for the greatest number of people
and communities you serve. Engaging
in public policy advocacy
can also raise awareness of your
organization’s mission, mobilize
your constituents, and attract positive
media attention.
Nonprofits & Lobbying
Lobbying and advocacy are NOT
interchangeable. Generally speaking,
advocacy encompasses many
different kinds of activities designed
to promote a cause or idea.
Lobbying refers to specific activities
intended to influence legislation,
and there are rules governing
these activities. Nonprofits—
whether they are a 501(c)(3) or 501
(c)(4)—are allowed to engage in
lobbying activities; although the
rules are stricter for (c)(3) organizations.
There is no limit on the
amount a (c)(4) can spend on lobbying
activities. However, federal
law prohibits (c)(3) charitable organizations
from spending a
“substantial part” of their time and
budget on lobbying. Unless your
organization is involved in a substantial
amount of lobbying, you
are unlikely to come close to the
financial limits.
What Constitutes
Lobbying?
As defined by federal tax law, lobbying
is any attempt to influence
specific legislation. Lobbying includes
1) contacting or urging the
public to contact policy makers for
the purpose of proposing, supporting,
or opposing legislation; or 2)
advocating the adoption or rejection
of legislation. Regulations divide
lobbying into two types: direct
and grassroots. Direct lobbying is
any attempt to influence legislation
through communication with any
member or employee of a legislative
body or any other government
official who may participate in the
formulation of legislation. Grassroots
lobbying is any attempt to
influence legislation by swaying
the opinion of the general public.
In this case, the organization encourages
the public to lobby. It's
important to note that being engaged
in public policy is not strictly
about lobbying. There are many
policy-related activities you can
engage in that don't constitute lobbying.
It only counts as lobbying
when you ask a decision maker to
vote for or against a specific piece
of legislation. Educating decision
makers and lawmakers about an
issue is NOT considered lobbying;
nor is hosting a public meeting or
distributing a report about an issue.
Source: The Nonprofit Association of Oregon
website https://nonprofitoregon.org
34—iPain Living Magazine
/nonprofitoregon.org