Nonprofit Advocacy and Lobbying

Sample Questions for Candidates

You can raise awareness of your mission and issues of concern through asking candidates to respond to questionnaires or attending debates and posing questions. As you inquire about candidates' views on your particular mission, don't forget to include questions on the broader climate for philanthropy and nonprofit initiative, such as:

• Our tax system encourages people to give to the charities of their choice through deductions for charitable contributions on income and estate taxes, as well as other tax incentives for gifts of food, property and other tangible goods. How important do you consider these tax incentives and what would you do to ensure that such incentives are encouraged by Congress?
   
• Nonprofit organizations often provide a voice for people and causes that would otherwise be unheard in policy debates at the state and federal level. Some believe that nonprofits should not be involved in advocacy activities, particularly if they receive any government funding, while others would only require that nonprofits use private funds for their advocacy work. Where do you stand in this debate on the advocacy role of nonprofit organizations?
   
• Many of the important health, cultural, educational, and social services offered in our community are the result of long-standing partnerships between government and nonprofit organizations. Current debates over the balance between private and public funding responsibilities for these services and the need for greater limitations on the activities of organizations that receive government funds have threatened these important partnerships. How do you think partnerships between government and nonprofit organizations could be strengthened or improved?

Please share your own organization's activities or any resources, online or otherwise, that would help other nonprofits encourage voter participation and raise the visibility of issues important to them during this election season—email: publicpolicy@IndependentSector.org.

Last updated:  September 8, 2004