New Bolder Advocacy Guide Helps 501(c)(3)s Grant Lobbying Funds To 501(c)(4)s

WASHINGTON, D.C., December 15, 2021 – Today, Bolder Advocacy announced the release of a new guide on how 501(c)(3) public charities can grant their unused lobbying capacity to a 501(c)(4). Sometimes, 501(c)(3) organizations reach the end of the year and realize they haven’t spent as much on lobbying as the legal limits allow. 501(c)(4) organizations don’t have the same year-to-year limitations, however, which means there’s an easy way to allow a public charity to spend its entire lobbying limit for the year. 

“Too often, 501(c)(3) organizations reach December and realize they could have done far more lobbying for the causes they care so deeply about,” said Abby Levine, Director of Bolder Advocacy. “Those resources do not have to go to waste. 501(c)(4) organizations can be more difficult to fundraise for, and they can make use of these resources over the course of multiple years.” 

As its title suggests, Maximizing Your Advocacy: Eight Steps For Granting Unused Lobbying Capacity From a 501(c)(3) to an Affiliated 501(c)(4) provides step-by-step instructions for nonprofit leaders interested in pursuing this option. 

The guide also includes an accompanying set of reference materials, including worksheets to help organizations calculate a safe amount to transfer to make sure no lobbying limits are surpassed in the process. There are also sample board resolutions and grant agreements that organizations can use to streamline the process. 

Click here to read: Maximizing Your Advocacy: Eight Steps For Granting Unused Lobbying Capacity From a 501(c)(3) to an Affiliated 501(c)(4).