By Lewis Faulk, Heather MacIndoe and Mirae Kim
Fewer than a third of charities in the U.S. (31%) engaged in advocacy in the last five years. This represents a dramatic decline in the past two decades, we found, even though the law allows these groups to speak up regarding the issues that affect the people they serve.
The results of the Public Engagement Nonprofit Survey, a new nationally representative study we conducted on behalf of Independent Sector – a coalition of nonprofits, foundations and corporate giving programs – indicate that many charities don’t engage in policy discussions because they don’t fully understand the rules governing those activities.
We are scholars of nonprofits who conduct research regarding nonprofits. The executive directors of about 2,300 nationally representative nonprofits completed this survey during the second half of 2022.
Along with finding that only 3 in 10 nonprofits engage in policy advocacy, we found that only 25% report ever formally lobbying government, compared with 74% that ever lobbied in 2000 – and this is heavily related to not knowing that they can. In 2000, the last time a similar survey was conducted, 73% of charities knew they had the right to support or oppose legislation, compared with only 32% who know that today.
Why it matters
We were surprised to see such a sharp decline in nonprofit advocacy, despite ongoing educational efforts around advocacy by national and state associations of nonprofits and others since 2000.
All charities, officially known as 501(c)3 nonprofits due to the portion of the U.S. tax code that defines their obligations, may legally speak out regarding public issues in an effort to influence local, state and national government decisions. There are roughly 1.5 million nonprofits of this kind in the U.S., including food banks, homeless shelters, day care centers and arts organizations.
It can be vital for the advancement of their missions that charities exercise this right. For example, after-school programs can encourage staff members and volunteers to address school board members and other local officials, state representatives – and even members of Congress. They can suggest ideas for new rules, laws or funding that would help the children they serve.
The rules for how nonprofits can advocate are more flexible than many people believe. Nonprofits can raise awareness about issues affecting the people they serve, and they can also lobby by directly reaching out to public officials about legislation. As long as nonprofit employees don’t spend too much time out of their day – meaning that doing so does not become a major part of their daily activities – and don’t use government money for lobbying, they’re complying with the law.
While how much is “too much time” is unclear, charities can file a simple one-page form with the IRS, called the 501(h) election, providing their organization’s name and address and taking the election. Filing this form lets charities follow much clearer rules based on how much money they spend on lobbying rather than how much of it they do.What’s more, when nonprofits use this form, their volunteers don’t face any limits on the time they spend lobbying on behalf of organizations.
There’s evidence that the public wants nonprofits to be engaged in this way. According to a recent poll the Independent Sector conducted, 87% of registered voters support nonprofits educating policymakers about the needs of their communities.
We believe these findings indicate a need for more training of nonprofit leaders regarding the importance of advocacy and lobbying tied to their missions.
What’s next
We have several additional related studies underway, including qualitative interviews, that will cast more light on why so few nonprofits engage in advocacy and identify potential solutions. Following the completion of the project, we plan to make the data publicly available for additional research by other scholars of nonprofits. We’re also planning to conduct follow-up surveys to see how these trends evolve.
Lewis Faulk is Associate Professor of Public Administration and Policy at American University; Heather MacIndoe is Associate Professor of Public Policy at the University of Massachusetts, Boston; Mirae Kim is Associate Professor of Nonprofit Studies at George Mason University.
The Conversation arose out of deep-seated concerns for the fading quality of our public discourse and recognition of the vital role that academic experts could play in the public arena. Information has always been essential to democracy. It’s a societal good, like clean water. But many now find it difficult to put their trust in the media and experts who have spent years researching a topic. Instead, they listen to those who have the loudest voices. Those uninformed views are amplified by social media networks that reward those who spark outrage instead of insight or thoughtful discussion. The Conversation seeks to be part of the solution to this problem, to raise up the voices of true experts and to make their knowledge available to everyone. The Conversation publishes nightly at 9 p.m. on FlaglerLive.
JimboXYZ says
Solving the problem has rarely been (non)profitable, so why solve the problem. The opposite seems to hold, worsen the problem, create financial hardships, create more Government recipients in the masses. Then one has to work for as little as the $ 15/hour new age of wage slavery. How could this be happening under the Biden-Harris era. He promised “affordable housing”, higher rents, higher prices, higher interest rates has been anything but affordable. America has become a more dependent, recipient Government program society.
Say no to GOP terrorism says
You see Jim these problems arent solvable in just a couple years. Over the past few decades production has skyrocketed as workers are more productive now more than ever. However the average worker didnt benefit, gop slashed corp tax rates so the top earners make more in a year than the worker does in five lifetimes. Pensions removed, job protections removed, unions dismantled. You see even in Florida the last democrat govenor made an afforable housing plan that raised over a billion dollars to build houses but then the gop came in the next term and moved all those funds to whever they pleased. look it up. Maybe why the current housing guy placed there by your fuhrer is under investigation. Anyhow housing is for profit so companies together buy the trailer park and then jack up the rents. They dont care about people only profits. They buy the “affordable houses” and rent them out to maximize profit. Sorry you can no longer afford to buy but we can rent you this one bedroom for 1600 per month. This wont change without regulation but rest assured gop will sabatoge any program or rule that would benefit people I mean their donor could make less profit and thats unacceptable.
Yes global inflation is a problem but far from Bidens fault. You see there was this virus they called a pandemic that killed millions of people and distrupted supply chains all across the globe.
There arent enough well paying jobs to go around as we shifted away from manufacturing as those companies can exploit cheap labor in other places with less regulations and pad their profits. So yes more people rely on the government just for basic human needs such as food and shelter as in many cases wages do not pay enough for these things. So factor in some AI and automation and this trend will continue and possibly increase by a lot. Interest rates are set by the FED not Biden and they have to fight inflation by tightening money supply which pushes more people into poverty. this house of cards past generations built seems to be a bit shaky.