Candidate Appearances

Primaries are taking place or may have already occurred where you are. More elections will take place from now until November so we thought it’s a good time to talk about candidate appearances. We’ll explain how (c)(3)s can stay nonpartisan while helping to educate voters and candidates by hosting candidates. (c)(4)s, you can of course do everything (c)(3)s can do and much more! 

Attorneys for this episode 

Quyen Tu 

Victor Rivera  

Brittany Hacker Leonard 

 

Shownotes 

• Why is this important? 

• C3s are a trusted source of information and have a crucial role to play in election seasons, often in touch with the local community more, have an important role to play in bringing the candidates and their platforms to the voters, and also bringing information about the community and the organization’s work to the candidates.  

• Because of this, we often get questions about c3s holding debates, forums, site visits from candidates as ways to educate both the voters and the candidates themselves—and all of this great work can be c3 safe.  

 

• Remember the general rule: c3s cannot support or oppose candidates for office  

• Doesn't mean that you can’t talk to candidates, or host candidates 

• Different reasons you may have a candidate appear:  

• In their capacity as a candidate: individually or debate/forum 

• In another capacity: expert in their field, current elected official, celebrity 

• They just show up at a public event  

• Rules will be different depending on why they are there! 

• Remember: document interactions with candidates, use disclaimers, and keep good records 

• 7(c)(3)s holding candidate debates and fora 

• Examples: CA gov, D.C. mayoral primary 

• Do:  

• Cover a broad range of issues 

• Nonpartisan, independent questions and moderator 

• Invite all viable candidates  

• Make it open to the public for a diverse audience  

• Don’t: 

• Ask for pledges 

• Give anyone special treatment  

• Only ask about your organization’s narrow area of focus  

• Continue to hold the “debate” if only one candidate can attend  

• (c)(3)s hosting a candidate because of their candidacy (not debate format) 

• Follow the same rules as debate—all invited and given equal opportunities in similar settings  

• (c)(3)s hosting candidate for non-election reason 

• Do not need to invite every candidate  

• Make sure the candidate knows what capacity they are there in (which hat they are wearing) 

• No fundraising or campaigning  

• Use disclaimers!  

•  (c)(4)s and PACs hosting candidates 

• Can host just one candidate in their capacity as candidate—will be c4’s secondary purpose activity  

• Can give site visits to just preferred candidates, can ask for pledges  

• PACs may also host or sponsor candidate fundraising events 

• Foundations: can fund (c)(3)s hosting nonpartisan candidate debates or appearances 

 

Resources  

• Rules of the Game 

• Candidate Appearances: Foundations Can Host or Fund Nonpartisan Candidate Appearances 

• Hosting Candidates at Charitable Events: Ensuring Candidate Appearances Remain Nonpartisan  

• Nonpartisan Candidate Education: How 501(c)(3)s Can Talk to Candidates During an Election Year 

• Sample 501(c)(3) Organizational Policy for Election Season 

• 501(c)(4) Partisan Activities