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Question: I have a coalition that would like to use ACS services to call voters in their area to remind them to vote. They will not say anything about which way to vote, just to remind them to vote. If they pay for this service will it be considered advocacy or would it be a lobbying issue to use their grant funds for this. Thanks for your help.
Answer: Thanks for your question. I assume that you are asking this because the group is considered a nonprofit organization and you want to ensure that you are within the rules that govern being given this designation. The best way to ensure that you are not engaged in lobbying activities (which is prohibited for 501(c)3 orgs) is to check with the IRS web page to determine the current rules and regulations. As of 4/6/10, any organization can engage in get out the vote campaigns (as well as other things that you have not asked about). The key is to make sure that positions regarding those running or ballot initiatives are not mentioned. See here for more details http://www.irs.gov/charities/charitable/article/0,,id=120703,00.html. These rules do change from time to time, so it's always good to double check before you start doing the work that you are interested in doing. Good luck with your voting drive.
Question Date: Mon, 03/22/2010