THURSTON COUNTY’S HIDDEN SECTOR

What do elections have to do with nonprofits?

Posted

It’s Election Day! Not only is there news in the Washington nonprofit world but it is also a good day to review how nonprofits can and cannot support candidates.

You may have seen in the news that Kim Wyman, Washington’s 15th Secretary of State, recently resigned to join the Biden Administration.

The Office of Secretary of State (OSOS) is one of the most diverse offices in Washington state government, responsible for overseeing state and local elections, the Washington State Library, the Washington Talking Book & Braille Library, the Washington State Archives and, most importantly for our purposes, corporation and charity filings!

Why is this important to you?

This “donation season” before contributing to a nonprofit you may want to check any of these resources:

Keep in mind though, nonprofit ratings are like your high school grades, they often do not tell the whole story. For example, let’s save “overhead” for another column.

Nonprofits and politics

In recent elections, there has been some growing confusion about what nonprofits can and cannot do to support a particular candidate or cause.

In my first column, I mentioned that the IRS recognized 23 nonprofit types.  (If you're curious, here's a pretty good list of them.)

One of these, 501(c)(6), include Political Action Committees (PAC’s) and are allowed to promote a political candidate or cause.

However, accordingly to the Internal Revenue Code, all section 501(c)(3) organizations (this includes churches and religious organizations) are absolutely prohibited from directly or indirectly participating in, or intervening in, any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for elective public office. These organizations are however, allowed to advocate which is something we will explain in another column.

November 5 – International Volunteer Managers Day

Universally, people recognize the contribution of volunteers who are involved in just about every aspect of service delivery in all walks of life. However, volunteering does not occur in a vacuum. That is why we celebrate International Volunteer Managers Day (IVMD) every year on November 5.

Founded and observed for the first time in 1999, IVMD was developed to bring recognition to individual Managers of Volunteers and their roles in the mobilization and support of the world’s volunteers.

This begs the question volunteer managers often hear – are you a volunteer? While there are individuals who volunteer to manage other volunteers, the vast majority of volunteer managers receive a salary. In fact, volunteer management is considered a professional and you can even take a test and be certified in volunteer administration (see the CVA behind my name). So the next time someone says they supervise volunteers, give them a hug and please do not ask if they get paid.

Seeking your questions and ideas

 That seems like enough education for one column -- but keep reading here each week for a better understanding of the nonprofits operating in Thurston County and their impact on your life.

If you know of a nonprofit that is doing something great, celebrating a success, needs some outstanding volunteers or hosting an event, let me know! This column (aside from a little education) is intended to celebrate nonprofits!

Mary Beth Harrington, CVA (Certified Volunteer Administrator) lives in Tumwater. She travels the country speaking at conferences and to individual organizations articulating issues facing nonprofits. Send your ideas to her at MaryBeth@theJOLTnews.com

Comments

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here