(Please forgive if this is a dupe)
The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is proposing restrictions on nonprofits that, if adopted, could greatly hamper the advocacy work of nonprofit organizations such as the Center and our community's other nonprofit institutions.
According to People for the American Way, the proposed FEC rules essentially mean that nonprofits that perform advocacy activities - from registering voters in the months before a federal election to praising a senator who is up for re-election for his or her sponsorship of a bill - could be re-classified overnight as "political committees." This would mean that these groups would either have to cease their activities or agree to raise all their funds in the form of smaller donations from individuals and to file detailed reports with the FEC disclosing information about their donors and activities.
This in turn could paralyze nonprofits, prohibiting or severely restricting our voices. For a more comprehensive analysis of the proposed FEC rules and their potentially devastating impact on nonprofit advocacy, visit
http://www.pfaw.org/pfaw/general/default.aspx?oid=14751 The FEC's deadline for public comments is April 9. Send a free fax at
http://www.pfaw.org/go/FAX_the_FEC/.