Alliance for Justice Releases Authoritative Guide to Laws and Regulations for Online Advocacy

Washington, D.C., September 13, 2011– Alliance for Justice today released an important new resource designed to help the nonprofit community better understand the legal landscape of advocacy in the modern online world. Influencing Public Policy in the Digital Age: The Law of Online Lobbying and Election-related Activity is available as a free download, and is designed to translate laws and regulations into approachable and applicable guidance for nonprofits hoping to engage in effective online communication and advocacy.

Rules and regulations governing permissible activities for 501(c)(3)s, 501(c)(4)s, and 527s often do not explicitly categorize online actions as either permitted or prohibited, leaving many nonprofits to rely on sheer guesswork when communicating online. Influencing Public Policy in the Digital Age contains guidance for nonprofits as they deal with websites, email, blogs, Facebook, Twitter, and other online avenues that didn’t exist when many of the relevant rules and regulations were written.

This guide was designed to answer the questions nonprofit managers and staff most frequently face, including:

• May a c3 and a c4 share a website?
• Do the IRS and FEC rules apply to social networking sites?
• May a 501(c)(3) let a 501(c)4 or a candidate use its email list?
• May we talk about candidates in tweets, texts, and status updates?

Alliance for Justice is the national leader in guiding nonprofits and foundations through the uncertainties and opportunities inherent in advocacy and electoral activity. This publication continues AFJ’s long-standing commitment to provide definitive advocacy tools to the nonprofit community, and complements the other resources and technical services provided by AFJ staff.

Influencing Public Policy in the Digital Age: The Law of Online Lobbying and Election-related Activities is available as a PDF from the Alliance for Justice website.

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Alliance for Justice is a national association of more than 100 organizations dedicated to advancing justice and democracy. For more than 30 years we have been leaders in the fight for a more equitable society on behalf of a broad constituency of environmental, consumer, civil and women's rights, children's, senior citizens' and other groups. Alliance for Justice is premised on the belief that all Americans have the right to secure justice in the courts and to have our voice heard when government makes decisions that affect our lives AFJ is based in Washington, D.C.