December 11, 2003 | Read Time: 2 minutes
A Voice for Nonprofits
by Jeffrey M. Berry with David F. Arons
Federal tax regulations—and charity directors’ common misunderstanding of them—keep many nonprofit groups from lobbying policy makers, write Jeffrey M. Berry, a professor of political science at Tufts University, in Medford, Mass., and David F. Arons, co-director of Charity Lobbying in the Public Interest, in Washington. Nonprofit groups that receive tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code are forced to “lobby with one hand tied behind their back,” according to Mr. Berry and Mr. Arons. Although the tax code allows such organizations to engage in limited lobbying, the IRS has not clearly defined what those limits are, the authors say. They add that many nonprofit groups are unwilling to risk surpassing the limits for fear of being audited.
Ignorance about lobbying guidelines causes many nonprofit groups to avoid even attempting to communicate with legislators, say the authors. Indeed, the majority of charity executives surveyed for this book believe that groups receiving government grants cannot lobby at all.
The authors argue that federal restrictions on lobbying by nonprofit groups harm disabled, elderly, poor, and other vulnerable people who often rely on nonprofit organizations to represent their interests to legislators. However, Mr. Berry and Mr. Arons say, nonprofit groups often succeed in influencing policy in other ways and at other levels. For example, they explain that some organizations that are hesitant to lobby federal officials do help local government agencies design social-service programs.
The book also highlights actions that can help charities build relationships with policy makers, including assigning at least one staff member to handle government-relations work, and producing high-quality research that helps educate elected officials. (An opinion article based on this book appeared in the November 27 issue of The Chronicle.)
Publisher: Brookings Institution Press, 1775 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036; (202) 797-6258; fax (202) 797-2960; bibooks@brookings.edu; http://www.brookings.edu; 224 pages; $26.95; I.S.B.N. 0-8517-0912.
