BY Natalie Roetzel Ossenfort, Program Director, AFJ Bolder Advocacy
It’s 2024, and you know what that means. It’s election season! Later this year, voters will take to the polls to determine who will lead our country, represent us in Congress and govern our cities and states.
In many places, they’ll also have the opportunity to vote on judges, local school board members, other important public officials and critical ballot measures that are poised to lead to the adoption of new laws related to abortion access, increases to minimum wage, rent control and more.
So what role can foundations play in the lead-up to November?
Importantly, foundations can engage in nonpartisan get-out-the-vote (GOTV) and voter education campaigns. They can also provide critical funding to public charity grantees to support their efforts to ensure that every voice is heard at the polls and every vote is counted. While 501(c)(3)s of all types (including public and private foundations) are prohibited from supporting or opposing candidates for public office, that does not mean that funders should shy away during election season.
For over three decades, the Alliance for Justice’s Bolder Advocacy program has assisted thousands of nonprofits and foundations working to build grassroots power by growing both their understanding and pursuit of advocacy, including nonpartisan election season advocacy.
Given the high stakes of this year’s elections, we are pleased to join forces with The Funders Network and Health and Environmental Funders Network to host a June 17 webinar covering the conventions foundations need to know when funding and engaging in election-related activities.
Click here to register!
During the session, we will discuss how foundations can provide critical support for nonpartisan election season activities, including special rules for private foundation voter registration grants. And, we’ll examine the many ways that foundations themselves can engage in voter education, candidate education and GOTV initiatives.
Can’t make it to the main event? Luckily, we have several resources to assist you and your foundation on your election season advocacy journey. If you still have questions after reviewing them, please feel free to reach out for technical assistance.
- Investing in Change: A Funder’s Guide to Supporting Advocacy (includes discussions of election season advocacy and funding rules)
- Voter Registration Rules for Private Foundations | Factsheet
- Election Activities of Individuals Associated with Foundations | Factsheet
- Voter Engagement Messaging and Activities for Private Foundations
- Rules of the Game: A Guide to Election-Related Activities for 501(c)(3) Public Charities (including community foundations)
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About the Author
Natalie Ossenfort serves as Program Director for Bolder Advocacy, a program of Alliance for Justice.