Voter Registration Revisited
Rules of the Game: The Bolder Advocacy Podcast
Release Date: 09/06/2023
College Athletics, NIL and Nonprofits
Rules of the Game: The Bolder Advocacy Podcast
One of the hottest topics in college athletics turns out to be about nonprofits. This episode unpacks how nonprofit colleges and third-party NIL collectives support individual student athletes, the governance and tax questions that follow, and what the recent NCAA settlement means for oversight and compliance. We also look ahead to emerging federal regulation and how nonprofits might engage in shaping what comes next. Attorneys for this Episode · Tim Mooney · Victor Rivera Why NIL Is a Nonprofit Issue ...
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Ask Us Anything: Voter Registration
Rules of the Game: The Bolder Advocacy Podcast
In this episode, we’re answering questions from organizations about voter registration, which is, of course, timely given the upcoming midterm election season. Since these activities occur within an electoral framework, it's crucial to keep various legal aspects in mind while crafting and executing your voter registration campaigns. We’ll discuss the key considerations related to nonprofit tax law, federal election law, and state law. Attorneys for this episode Sarah Efthymiou Susan Finkle Sourlis Monika Graham Voter Registration ...
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Public Charities Can Lobby!
Rules of the Game: The Bolder Advocacy Podcast
On this episode, we’re going back-to-basics to discuss the rules that apply when nonprofits engage in lobbying activities. With legislative sessions ramping-up in several states, it’s important to take time to understand the lobbying limits and definitions that apply to your organization’s advocacy. But, it’s even more important to recognize that public charities can lobby and advocate for or against legislation at the local, state, and federal levels. So, rally your staff and volunteers, and speak up, because...
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2026 Resolutions
Rules of the Game: The Bolder Advocacy Podcast
Happy 2026! As policy shifts and new advocacy opportunities emerge, the Bolder Advocacy team is here to guide nonprofits so they can continue to advocate boldly while remaining compliant and effective. We’re kicking off the year with our Top 10 nonprofit New Year’s resolutions to help your organization thrive. Attorneys for This Episode Monika Graham Victor Rivera Labiosa Natalie Roetzel Ossenfort Top 10 2026 Resolutions: 1. Deepen Mission Alignment Clarity fuels momentum. Revisit your...
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Rules of the Game: The Bolder Advocacy Podcast
It’s been a long year, and while progressive movements have faced real setbacks, that’s not the whole story. Across the country, nonprofits and the communities they serve pushed for justice and secured meaningful victories worth lifting up. On this episode, we celebrate several advocacy wins from 2025. Attorneys for this episode: Maggie Ellinger-Locke, she/her Susan Finkle Sourlis, she/her Melissa Marichal Zayas, she/her Link: Show Notes: · Economic Justice o In May, Washington became...
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Rules of the Game: The Bolder Advocacy Podcast
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Rules of the Game: The Bolder Advocacy Podcast
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Election Season Prep
Rules of the Game: The Bolder Advocacy Podcast
Whether it be local elections or picking a new president, election season seems to always be lurking around the corner, so on today’s episode we’re unpacking what it means for 501(c)(3)s to remain nonpartisan and how these nonprofits can safely engage in several different types of advocacy during election season. Attorneys for this episode Monika Graham Melissa Marichal Zayas Sarah Efthymiou Remaining Nonpartisan: The rule is clear: 501(c)(3) organizations cannot engage in any activity or make statements that suggest...
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Ask Us Anything
Rules of the Game: The Bolder Advocacy Podcast
As we head into the final stretch of 2025, we’re back on the mic to tackle some of the most common questions we hear about accountability advocacy. Whether your organization is calling out broken promises, uplifting community voices, or demanding action from those in power, this episode is all about giving nonprofit organizations the clarity, confidence, and tools to hold public officials accountable boldly and legally. Attorneys for this episode Natalie Ossenfort Monika Graham Victor Rivera Shownotes Can 501(c)(3)...
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Rules of the Game: The Bolder Advocacy Podcast
It's fall, it’s October and the US Supreme Court is back in session. On today’s episode, we have a special guest from the AFJ Justice team. We are joined by our colleague Jamal Lockings. With Jamall we will cover the big cases to be heard by the court. Then we will talk about how nonprofits can get involved with supreme court advocacy, nominees, and more while staying nonpartisan and being mindful of lobbying limits. Attorneys for this Episode Brittany Hacker Susan Finkle Sourlis Jamaal Lockings Intro to Justice...
info_outlineDid you know that 60% of eligible voters are never asked to register to vote? Couple this startling fact with many new voter registration rules that have been introduced since the 2020 election—in many instances, to make it harder to register or stay on the voter rolls—we thought it was time to revisit this topic. This year, National Voter Registration Day is September 19 so there’s no time like the present for nonprofits to develop a plan to engage in voter registration!
Attorneys for this episode:
- Monika Graham
- Natalie Ossenfort
- Quyen Tu
Voter Registration Rules for 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Organizations (according to the Tax Code)
Yes, your nonprofit can engage in voter registration activities! When doing so, public charities must ensure they are conducted in a nonpartisan manner and in compliance with all applicable federal and state laws.
DO:
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Keep voter registration work nonpartisan
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Focus voter registration activities on community members with whom the organization serves or hopes to serve
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Focus on historically underrepresented populations (youth, low-income, etc.)
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Make their voter registration services available to everyone
DO NOT:
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Attempt to influence which parties or candidates get elected to public office
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Coordinate activities with candidates or parties
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Prioritize outreach to populations because they are more likely to vote for certain types of candidates
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Reference candidates or parties
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Provide incentives and/or knowingly and willfully pay, offer to pay, or accept payment either for registering to vote or voting (payment includes anything having monetary value including pizza or prizes given out for voting).
Relevant Voter Registration Federal Election Laws for 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Organizations
When federal candidates are on the ballot certain FEC rules may apply, including:
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Organizations should not provide incentives and/or knowingly and willfully pay, offer to pay, or accept payment either for registering to vote or voting (payment includes anything having monetary value including pizza or prizes given out for voting).
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Organizations should not coordinate voter registration activities with candidates or political parties.
Know Your State Laws on Voter Registration
State laws can be very specific. For example:
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Texas requires any person who collects and returns completed voter registration forms to be appointed a Volunteer Deputy Registrar (VDR) by each county in which they will be acting.
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Minnesota allows individuals to register to vote online. Third parties (like nonprofit staff) may not electronically submit a voter registration application on a voter’s behalf, but may help the voter submit the application, with the voter’s consent and in the voter’s presence.
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Many states also have restrictions on providing incentives for voter registration (like FEC regulations), so check your state’s laws for more.
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In California, if you request more than 50 voter registration cards, you must submit a distribution form that (among other things) requires you to summarize your distribution plan.
Check out our Practical Guidance-Nonprofit Voter Assistance series. We currently have 19 states available, but more coming soon!
Foundations CAN Support Voter Registration
Foundations can provide grants for nonpartisan voter registration activities only! Public Foundations can fund voter registration directly or indirectly by making general support grants. While the rules for Private Foundations are more restrictive, 501(c)(3) organizations can potentially use their general support grants to support voter registration drives (if not prohibited in grant agreement). In addition, Private Foundations can make specific project grants for voter registration drives in limited circumstances.
Make a Plan for 2024 Now!
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Check out Nonprofit Vote’s National Voter Registration Day website for tips and shareable posts.
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Train your staff and volunteers are on the rules!
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Make your own plan to vote!
Resources