Monday, January 24, 2005

Yes, you too can schmooze!

I know, I know - "No lobbying for 501(c)(3)s except to an insubstantial degree". WRONG! Ken? "What is . . . the 501(h) election Alex." That is correct. Just file that IRS Form 5768 and off you go.

Now don't confuse lobbying with "political activity" - that's still a no no for c3s. But you CAN lobby (depending on your budget, maybe up to a million bucks a year!), with just the filing of a form.

Hate forms? Go ahead - live it up anyway. Even without making the election, charitable orgs can involve themselves in issues of public policy to a certain extent without the activity being considered lobbying. So put on those educational meetings, prepare and distribute educational materials, and "blog on" about those public policy issues in an educational manner - all without jeopardizing your 501c3 tax exempt status.