There is often a fine line for 501c3 nonprofit organizations as far as how much they can be politically active before it becomes an issue of what resources and profits are going toward. It is important from the IRS's standpoint that resources are put back into the nonprofit cause and not necessarily into a campaign's bank account or to fund a political candidate. Understanding, then, how nonprofits and politics mix as far as lobbying, elections and staying safe is important to the well-being of your organization.

Lobbying
Lobbying is acceptable in terms of what nonprofits are allowed to do, so it is important to know what that entails. Lobbying is, in essence, the statement of a position on an issue or piece of legislation - a statement to the legislators who have a direct hand in it. This includes urging your organization's members to lobby for legislation as well as asking the general public to contact their local lawmakers to declare support for a piece of legislation. Because lobbying does not involve directly contributing anything but verbal/professional support, there are no laws against it for 501c3 nonprofit organizations.

Elections
W
hen it comes to campaigns and election times, it is important to note that any activity promoting the election of a political candidate is prohibited by your 501c3 exempt status, which can be provoked if it is ignored. This includes selling a mailing list, space for an event, coordinating your organization's events with a candidate's, or allowing your staff or employees to support the candidate on the nonprofit's time and dollar. Also any contributions in monetary funds are strictly prohibited. You are however allowed to participate in elections in other ways, such as providing voter guides to aid in the process or encouraging voting in general, which is important to everyone.

Staying Safe
When in doubt of whether your nonprofit organization can safely participate in a particular activity, it is always best to ask an attorney, look it up or err on the side of caution. Whatever the activity is, you can be certain that it is not worth losing your 501c3 tax exempt status and therefore losing your ability to help the cause you believed so much in when the organization first started. Playing it smart in terms of holding back if you're unsure is both wise and beneficial to your organization in general while remembering that nonprofits and politics don't always mix.