Recruit Volunteers to be Lobbyists

To the Editor:

Mark Rosenman is right that charitable organizations are put at a big disadvantage by the influence of money in political campaigns (“Nonprofit Leaders Must Help to Restore the Nation’s Democratic Principles,” Opinion, November 30). But charities can do something about that imbalance immediately.

They can start now to recruit 5 percent of the 110 million people who already volunteer on various charity projects to also start lobbying in behalf of causes supported by nonprofit groups. Those 5.5 million volunteers, lobbying in the public interest, could go a long way toward providing the necessary clout to balance the scale.

Charities have incredibly important resources that give them real advantages over the special interests. Passion for their cause, the latent possibilities of millions of volunteers putting that passion to work in the public interest, and sound experience in organization for action place charities in a position of potentially enormous power in competing with those who buy access through money. But unfortunately, most charities still haven’t gotten that message.

Bob Smucker
Co-director
Charity Lobbying in the Public Interest
Washington