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The Daily Insight

What can a 501c3 do politically?

Author

Sarah Duran

Published Mar 02, 2026

Under the Internal Revenue Code, all section 501(c)(3) organizations are absolutely prohibited from directly or indirectly participating in, or intervening in, any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for elective public office.

Do 501c3 have to report donors?

Although the federal government does not generally require nonprofits to disclose their donors, some states do. For instance, at least five states (California, Hawaii, Kentucky, Mississippi, and New York) require a nonprofit to submit an unredacted Schedule B in order to remain registered as a charitable organization.

What happens to a 501c3 tax exempt organization?

“For a 501c3 church to openly speak out, or organize in opposition to, anything that the government declares ‘legal,’ even if it is immoral (e.g. abortion, homosexuality, same sex marriages, etc.), that church will jeopardize its tax exempt status. The 501c3 has had a ‘chilling effect’ upon the free speech rights of the church.

What kind of organization is a 501 ( c ) 3?

Organizations described in section 501(c)(3) are commonly referred to as charitable organizations. Organizations described in section 501(c)(3), other than testing for public safety organizations, are eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions in accordance with Code section 170. The…

What can you do as a 501c3 church?

501c3 churches are prohibited from addressing, in any tangible way, the vital issues of the day. “For a 501c3 church to openly speak out, or organize in opposition to, anything that the government declares ‘legal,’ even if it is immoral (e.g. abortion, homosexuality, same sex marriages, etc.), that church will jeopardize its tax exempt status.

What does the Bible say about a 501c3 corporation?

-Matthew 13:22 A 501(c)(3) corporation is a non-profit organization that gains a tax-exempt status under section 501(c) in the U.S. Internal Revenue (IRS) Code [26 U.S.C. §501(c)].