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(Washington, DC, April 9, 2004)—INDEPENDENT SECTOR and 80 major nonprofit organizations and foundations urged the Federal Election Commission to protect the right of charities to speak out on important public policy issues and to encourage citizen participation in elections.

The coalition opposes the FEC’s proposal to expand the definition of “political committees” to include 501(c)(3) organizations because it would severely limit their constitutional right to petition government on issues and curtail their efforts to inform voters.

“Two of the most important roles that charities play are to speak out on the major issues of the day and to encourage citizens to engage with government. This voice must not be muted,” said Diana Aviv, president and CEO, INDEPENDENT SECTOR. “Our democracy must not and cannot afford to shut them out.”

In its comments, INDEPENDENT SECTOR reminded the FEC that the law already prohibits charities from getting involved in partisan politics or influencing the outcomes of elections. Congress, the IRS and the courts have long recognized the rights of citizens to organize through charities to engage in advocacy and nonpartisan activities such as get-out-the-vote drives, voter education and candidates forums.

If the FEC changes its rules, charities that simply recognize elected officials for their work on specific issues or those that criticize policymakers’ positions on specific legislation in which they have long been involved would be construed as engaging in activities of a political nature, and thus the organization could not accept any foundation or corporate funds or gifts in excess of $5,000 from individuals. “This undermines the democratic process and does not provide important information to lawmakers as they engage in their deliberative process,” added Ms. Aviv.

The nonprofits and foundations that joined together to file comments to the FEC represent a broad range of causes and constituencies from all segments of the political spectrum. A full list of the signatories and the text of the comments (PDF) are available online at www.IndependentSector.org.

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Independent Sector is a nonprofit, nonpartisan coalition of approximately 600 charities, foundations, and corporate philanthropy programs, collectively representing tens of thousands of charitable groups in every state across the nation. Its mission is to advance the common good by leading, strengthening, and mobilizing the nonprofit community.