Can Private Foundations Support Projects that Include Lobbying?
YES! While general operating support grants are oftentimes the simplest way for private foundations to support grantees that lobby, they are not always an option (i.e. when funding a fiscally sponsored project or program within a larger nonprofit). Luckily, private foundations have an alternative: a secret weapon called the Project Grant Rule (PGR) that allows them to safely fund a public charity’s project, including lobbying!
Bolder Advocacy’s Project Grant Rule resource hub is designed to help private foundations and their grantees understand the legal requirements to take advantage of the Project Grant Rule through explainer videos, factsheets, and budget templates.
Private foundations have a secret weapon called the Project Grant Rule (PGR) that allows them to safely fund a public charity’s project, including lobbying! This is the first video of Bolder Advocacy’s Project Grant Rule resource series designed to help private foundations and their grantees understand the legal requirements to take advantage of the PGR.
Existe un malentendido común que las reglas del IRS hacen que sea demasiado complicado para las fundaciones privadas hacer esto, pero eso simplemente no es cierto. Bolder Advocacy está aquí para decirte que las fundaciones privadas tienen un arma secreta que les permite invertir en un proyecto de caridad pública. Se llama el “Project Grant Rule.”
While the tax code says that private foundations can’t designate (or earmark) grant funds for lobbying, Bolder Advocacy is here to tell you, you can STILL fund public charity projects that involve lobbying. How? By using a secret weapon, the project grant rule. The project grant rule is at your service in a number of different situations.
Bolder Advocacy is thrilled to tell you: private foundations can STILL fund projects that involve lobbying activities! If you have a project like this, there’s a secret weapon that you can use to get the funding to make your advocacy campaign a reality: the Project Grant Rule. This video explains how you can take advantage of it!
We thought you might ask that. We’ve prepared two factsheets that 1) answer a few frequently asked questions and 2) provide step-by-step instructions on how to use the budget templates from both the foundation and grantee’s perspectives. Click below to learn more:
Bolder Advocacy is proud to introduce budget templates to help your organization fund advocacy using the Project Grant Rule. Private Foundations can use these budget templates to provide simple guidelines for prospective grantees that are 501(c)(3) public charities seeking funding for project proposals that include lobbying expenses. These templates can be used ‘as is’ and are designed to request all the legally required information to take advantage of the Project Grant Rule. However, your Foundation may customize the templates by selecting from any of the “Optional Add-Ons” if you would like to seek additional information from prospective grantees.