Voting and Community Engagement

Community engagement and get out the vote efforts by nonprofits are critical to elections and shaping what will happen in the coming years, yet too many nonprofit leaders are under the mistaken impression that nonprofits cannot participate in voter engagement or talk to candidates about issues vital to bettering their communities.

Charitable nonprofits are uniquely positioned through their credibility and deep knowledge of their communities to inspire voter participation.  Research proves that when nonprofits use their legal rights to – on a nonpartisan basis – encourage people to vote by, among other ways, registering to vote and getting out to vote, people vote at significantly higher levels than if nonprofits did nothing. Thus, encouraging nonprofits to encourage people to vote is not an empty ‘feel good” activity – it truly makes a difference.

To encourage more community engagement and voting, the National Council of Nonprofits has curated and will continue to update trusted resources for reference.

Elections and Community Engagement Resources

IRS guidance

• The Restriction of Political Campaign Intervention by Section 501(c)(3) Tax-Exempt Organizations, Internal Revenue Service
• Political Campaigns and Charities: The Ban on Political Campaign Intervention, Internal Revenue Service
• 501(c)(3) Tax Guide for Churches & Religious Organizations, Internal Revenue Service, Publication 1828, pages 7-18

Permitted Nonprofit Nonpartisan Activities

• Protecting the Johnson Amendment and Nonprofit Nonpartisanship, National Council of Nonprofits
• Permissible Election Activities Checklist, Nonprofit Vote
• Keeping Nonpartisan During Election Season, Alliance for Justice
• Election Checklist for 501c3 Public Charities, Bolder Advocacy

Voter Registration

• Register and Vote in Your State, US Elections Assistance Commission
• Voting and elections, USA.gov
• National Voter Registration Day 2024, Nonprofit Vote – September 17, 2024

Poll Workers

• Poll Worker Resources for Election Officials, US Elections Assistance Commission

Ballot Information

• Sample Ballot Lookup Tool, Ballotpedia
• How to use the sample ballot tool (brief video), Ballotpedia
• www.vote411.org, League of Women Voters

State-by-State Information

• Voting and elections, USA.gov
• Voting in Your State, Nonprofit Vote
• State Law Resources, Bolder Advocacy
• Everything You Need to Vote, Vote.org
• State Profiles: Elections, National Conference of State Legislatures

Nonprofit Nonpartisan Election Tips

Make sure your nonprofit is informed on the impacts of shifting election laws and actively sharing the information with the service community.

Tsiporah Nephesh, Executive Director at New Mexico Thrives, shares resources for staying informed of registration and election day requirements in your state, and stresses the importance of nonprofits being involved in election season.

Organize a candidate forum for your community.

David Heinen, Vice President for Public Policy and Advocacy at North Carolina Center for Nonprofits outlines the logistics and details of how to plan a successful candidate forum that informs both voters and future elected officials.

Use your connection with underserved communities to ensure they are registered to vote.

Lydia Camarillo, President at the Southwest Voter Registration Education Project, shares their strategies and techniques for ensuring all eligible Latina and Latino voters are registered to vote through in-person and virtual registration events.

Encourage staff to become poll workers.

Donna Murray-Brown, NCN’s Vice President of Strategy and Development, shares her experience as a poll worker and encourages other nonprofits to support their staff in pursuing the opportunity.

Be a Community Partner of National Voter Registration Day.

Sign up by September 3rd to become a Community Partner of National Voter Registration Day and commit to promoting the civic holiday on September 17th or hosting a voter registration drive. Chyann Sapp share why and how nonprofits can get involved to ensure every community is ready for election day.