Before You Start: Legal Issues
Don’t let uncertainty about the legalities of election work prevent you
and your church from educating candidates and others about hunger and
poverty. Working to change policies on hunger is a Christian duty. Once
you know the rules, you will feel free to engage in a wide spectrum of activities that can raise the awareness of candidates and ultimately result in
legislation and policies that address the roots of hunger.
Churches, Synagogues, Mosques, and Other Organizations
The Internal Revenue Service labels most nonprofit organizations as
501(c)3 groups, a reference to the section of the tax code that governs
their work. The tax code grants nonprofit status to churches, synagogues,
mosques, and other religious organizations. These organizations are allowed to engage in political activities, provided that they do so in a nonpartisan manner.
However, they cannot “intervene in any political campaign on behalf
of or in opposition to any candidate for public office.” After
some well-publicized dialogue
during elections several years
ago about the role of churches
and community organizations
doing electoral work, the Internal Revenue Service clarified
and reiterated its rules.
Specifically, in a 2007 document, the IRS said that nonprofit organizations “are permitted
to conduct certain voter education activities (including the presentation of public forums and
the publication of voter education guides) if they are carried
out in a nonpartisan manner. In
7
Photo by Bread for the World