501(c)(3) non-profit organizations may not endorse or oppose candidates; however, nonprofits may engage in nonpartisan outreach efforts that encourage constituents to participate in the election process. Nonpartisan simply means no partiality to any one candidate or political group.
Nonprofit VOTE, an organization dedicated to providing resources to nonprofits on election activity, identifies the following activities as permissible for 501(c)(3) organizations to participate in:
- Conduct or Promote Voter Registration
- Host or Co-Sponsor a Candidate Forum
- Distribute Nonpartisan Sample Ballots, Candidate Questionnaires, or Voter Guides
- Continue Issue Advocacy During an Election
- Educate Voters on the Voting Process
- Encourage Staff to Serve as Poll Workers or Translators
- Educate the Candidates on Your Issues
- Support or Oppose a Ballot Measure
- Organize Get-Out-the-Vote Activities
- Encourage and Remind People to Vote
Resources
Voter Education
Find Your Polling Place
PA Department of State’s polling place search tool.
Vote.org
Vote.org is the largest 501(c)(3) nonprofit, nonpartisan voting registration and get-out-the-vote (GOTV) technology platform in America.
Voting and Elections
PA Department of State’s voting and elections information website.
Vote411
Launched by the League of Women Voters Education Fund (LWVEF), VOTE411.org is a “one-stop-shop” for election related information, providing nonpartisan information to the public with both general and state-specific information.
Voter Engagement
FairVote Resources
FairVote’s resource library, research reports, and kits for holding safe and fair elections.
Increasing Voter Participation
Collection of advocacy resources from the National Association for Social Workers on engaging and mobilizing for a high national participation in elections.
Non-Profit Vote
Nonprofit VOTE’s resource library aimed at staff and volunteers at nonprofits interested in engaging the people you serve and the broader community.