Your Nonprofit Is a Trusted Messenger. Here's How to Use That Power at the Ballot Box.

If you have ever hesitated to talk about voting with the people you serve, you are not alone. Most of us worry about one thing: crossing a line we cannot see. We hear "nonpartisan" and "tax-exempt status" and quietly decide it is safer to say nothing at all.

But here is the tension worth sitting with. The communities many of us serve (low-income households, people of color, young people, rural residents, new citizens, and people with disabilities) are often the ones campaigns ignore entirely. When we stay silent, we leave them out of the very decisions that shape their lives. And the good news is this: there is a wide, well-marked path of things your 501(c)(3) absolutely can do. You just have to know where it runs.

Why Your Voice Actually Matters Here

Voting is not a "feel good" extra. Research shows that nonpartisan encouragement measurably raises turnout. And turnout changes how you are treated. Elected officials respond more to neighborhoods that show up on Election Day, and they respond more to the organizations that help them get there.

There is also a quieter payoff. People who vote are more likely to volunteer, advocate, and stay civically active in other ways. In other words, when you help someone become a voter, you often help them become a stronger supporter of your mission too. That connects directly to your growth journey toward 100+ engaged supporters. (You can see where you stand on our /milestones.)

The Feedback Loop You Can Break

Partisan campaigns invest only in people they think are "likely voters." People in historically marginalized communities usually do not have long voting histories, so campaigns label them "unlikely" and never make contact. Because no one reaches out, they do not vote. And because they do not vote, they stay labeled unlikely. Round and round it goes.

Here is why this matters for you specifically: nonprofits are among America's most trusted community institutions. You already have real relationships with the exact people campaigns overlook. That trust is your strategic asset. By registering and turning out new voters, you break the loop, and once those communities start showing up, candidates and parties finally take notice.

The Bright Line: What You Cannot Do

Let's name the boundary plainly so you can stop worrying about it. Your 501(c)(3) may never support or oppose a candidate or party. That means you cannot:

• Endorse a candidate or express support or opposition (even for a nonpartisan office).
• Make a contribution to, or spend money for, a candidate.
• Rate or rank candidates on who is best for your issue.
• Let candidates use your facilities or resources, unless you offer the same access to all candidates at fair market value.

This rule comes from the Johnson Amendment, the 1954 provision that keeps all 501(c)(3)s nonpartisan. It protects both your charity and the people who donate to you.

One important note: your nonpartisanship is not a limitation, it is a credential. It is one of the reasons charities are so effective at reaching youth, new voters, and rural residents. People trust you precisely because you are not trying to win their vote for a side.

The Wide Open Path: What You Can Do

Now the encouraging part. There are three categories of voter engagement, and you can mix and match them.

Put this into practice, free

Create your free Nonprofit Growth Lab account to turn ideas like these into a clear plan. Track your weekly numbers, get a personalized next step, and walk the proven path to a seven-figure future. No cost, ever.

Create my free account

1. Voter registration. Help eligible people register or update their registration, in line with your state's law. This is usually the first step to becoming a voter.

2. Voter education. Share nonpartisan information on the where, when, and how of voting. Help people find their polling location, learn their options (early, by mail, in person), understand what is on the ballot, and see how those outcomes affect the issues they already care about.

3. Candidate engagement. This is the most visible and highest-risk category, so handle it carefully. You may host a candidate forum where every candidate for an office answers questions before an audience. You may send an identical, unbiased questionnaire to all candidates in a race and publish the responses. The key word is equal: same access, same questions, every candidate.

A few more things you are free to do: remind people to vote, distribute nonpartisan sample ballots or voter guides, host events explaining ballot measures (propositions, referenda, bonds) so people understand what they are deciding, encourage staff to serve as poll workers or translators, and keep advocating on your issues throughout the election. You do not have to go quiet on your mission just because it is election season. You only avoid tying your issues to specific candidates.

A quick clarification that trips people up: supporting or opposing a ballot measure is allowed. A measure is a law or bond, not a candidate, so that work counts as lobbying (permitted, within limits), not electioneering.

Weaving It Into Work You Already Do

You do not need a whole new department for this. Think about your "points of service," the natural moments when you already interact with people. Intake, front-desk visits, program sessions, email lists, social media. Each one is a chance to offer a registration form or a reminder to vote. Leadership buy-in from your executive director and board makes it stick, and one designated staff lead or volunteer can keep the plan moving year-round.

What to Do Next

Start small and start now. Pick one point of service where your team already sees people regularly, and decide how you will add a simple, nonpartisan voter touch there. Brief your staff on the bright line so everyone feels confident, not nervous. Then build from there toward a steady, year-round program.

Your challenge this week

Choose one existing point of service (intake, a newsletter, or a program session) and add a single nonpartisan voter step to it, such as offering a registration form or sharing where, when, and how to vote. One touchpoint, this week. That is how the loop starts to break.