Public Webinar: How Your 501(c)(3)’s Recordkeeping Can Enhance Your Advocacy Potential
2026-07-08 14:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | https://afj.org/ba-event/public-webinar-how-your-501c3s-recordkeeping-can-enhance-your-advocacy-potential-4/
Recordkeeping and reporting compliance is an important strategy for effective advocacy. Proper recordkeeping is essential to meeting your advocacy goals. It can help your organization comply with filing obligations, obtain funding, inform strategic planning, and stay focused on your mission.
Participants will learn:

How to track your lobbying time and expenses so that your 501(c)(3) organization stays within its lobbying limits;
How a 501(c)(3) reports its lobbying to the IRS, such as on the Form 990 or Form 990-EZ;
How tracking and reporting varies depending on whether a charity measures its lobbying under the insubstantial part test or the 501(h) expenditure test;
How state and local law may require additional tracking and reporting; and
Various options for keeping track of lobbying activities and expenditures.

Public Webinar: Building Nonpartisan Partnerships with 501(c)(3)s, 501(c)(4)s, Unions and Political Organizations
2026-07-14 14:00 - 15:00 | https://afj.org/ba-event/public-webinar-building-nonpartisan-partnerships-with-501c3s-501c4s-unions-and-political-organizations-8/
Different types of organizations are increasingly collaborating on lobbying, voter engagement, and other advocacy activities, but they need to be aware of the rules governing organizations with different tax-exempt statuses. If your organization wants to engage in coalition work with multiple types of tax-exempt organizations, this workshop will help explain how different types of nonprofit organizations can work together while staying in compliance with the law.
Participants will learn:

The different roles of 501(c)(3)s, 501(c)(4)s, unions, and political organizations;
The federal tax rules affecting how these organizations can work together;
The legal separations necessary between affiliated organizations, such as funding and fundraising constraints; and
Permissible joint activities of different types of nonprofits, including election-year activities.

Public Webinar: Preparing for Politically Motivated Attacks
2026-07-30 14:00 - 15:00 | https://afj.org/ba-event/public-webinar-preparing-for-politically-motivated-attacks-5/
The more successful nonprofit advocates become, the more their organizations are placed under the microscope by individuals and groups who would like to see them fail. Nonprofits (and their staff) are sometimes attacked for political reasons as they engage in successful advocacy and civic engagement efforts, such as voter registration and education. After this workshop, you will have a clear understanding of how to identify and prepare for politically motivated attacks. Participants will learn:

How to identify politically motivated attacks,
Best practices for responding to false narratives,
How to protect yourself on social media, and
How to train your staff and volunteers to respond to these situations.

Public Webinar: How Your 501(c)(3) Can Influence Policy for the Greater Good
2026-08-04 14:00 - 15:00 | https://afj.org/ba-event/public-webinar-how-your-501c3-can-influence-policy-for-the-greater-good-10/
When our laws and policies work for us, our communities win. Nonprofits have a close-up view of community needs and can and should take advantage of their right to influence law and policy. After this workshop, you will have a clear understanding of what advocacy activities your 501(c)(3) can engage in, what communications count as lobbying, and how to maximize your non-lobbying advocacy.
Participants will learn:

How federal tax law permits lobbying for charities and how lobbying is defined;
One easy step most charities can take to maximize the amount they’re allowed to spend on lobbying;
Yearly lobbying limits for charities;
Tips for taking advantage of the narrow definitions of lobbying – which will help charities make the most of their lobbying limit; and
How to apply these rules to ballot measure activities.

Public Webinar: How 501(c)(3)s Can Educate and Advocate During Election Season
2026-08-13 14:00 - 15:00 | https://afj.org/ba-event/public-webinar-how-501c3s-can-educate-and-advocate-during-election-season-7/
Though public charities must remain nonpartisan, they have a critical role to play throughout the election cycle! Not only can public charities engage in issue advocacy during election season, but they can also conduct robust voter and candidate education campaigns and mobilize the public to get out the vote. After this session, you will have a better understanding of how to safely engage in nonpartisan advocacy during an election.
Participants will learn:

How you can continue to advocate for your issues during election years;
How you can educate the public through candidate forums and questionnaires;
How you can respond to candidate statements objectively;
How you can conduct nonpartisan voter registration and ensure get-out-the-vote efforts are conducted legally;
How you can safely support or oppose ballot measures without being partisan; and
How staff and volunteers’ partisan activities in their personal time can be kept separate from their activities on behalf of the organization.

Public Webinar: Evaluating and Strengthening Your Advocacy
2026-08-18 14:00 - 15:00 | https://afj.org/ba-event/public-webinar-evaluating-and-strengthening-your-advocacy-3/
Figuring out how to evaluate your advocacy doesn’t have to be hard! This workshop is designed to help nonprofits and foundations get started with advocacy evaluation in practical ways. Throughout the session, participants will gain exposure to a broad range of user-friendly – and mostly free! – evaluation tools and resources designed to help with everything from developing a theory of change to putting together an evaluation plan. The session also includes an extended overview of Alliance for Justice’s advocacy capacity assessment tools – ACT! and ACT! Quick – which are designed to help organizations and coalitions understand their “readiness” to engage in advocacy efforts.
Participants will learn:

The “fundamentals” of advocacy evaluation theory and practice
Practical tips and resources on how to build capacity to evaluate and advocate
Where to find user-friendly advocacy evaluation tools and resources

Public Webinar: How Your Nonprofit Can Influence Policy Through Ballot Measure Campaigns
2026-09-02 14:00 - 15:00 | https://afj.org/ba-event/public-webinar-how-your-nonprofit-can-influence-policy-through-ballot-measure-campaigns-4/
On the frontlines of participatory democracy, nonprofits are increasingly using ballot measures as a creative way to move policies and community funding forward. Having a thorough understanding of the laws that govern nonprofit participation in initiatives and referenda is an important strategy to effective advocacy.
Participants will learn:

How a 501(c)(3) organization can support or oppose ballot measures;
How ballot measure expenditures apply to a 501(c)(3)’s lobbying limits;
How a 501(c)(3) organization can work in a coalition with a 501(c)(4) on an initiative;
How state ballot measure laws may affect nonprofit involvement in ballot measure campaigns; and
How ballot measure campaigns can be funded.

Public Webinar: Foundation Rules for Advocacy Grantees
2026-09-16 14:00 - 15:00 | https://afj.org/ba-event/public-webinar-foundation-rules-for-advocacy-grantees-2/
501(c)(3)s can advance their missions in several ways, including lobbying. Knowing how to approach foundations to obtain grants that cover advocacy is an art and can tremendously improve a nonprofit’s chances to earn and retain this critical funding. This workshop will help you better understand the rules that apply to various types of foundations so you can work smarter when requesting support for advocacy.
Participants will learn:

Why different types of foundations must follow different rules;
How those rules affect advocacy grantmaking;
What activities foundations may legally fund, and
How to structure grant proposals to obtain support for advocacy campaigns.

Public Webinar: Foundations and Election Related Activities
2026-09-24 14:00 - 15:00 | https://afj.org/ba-event/public-webinar-foundations-and-election-related-activities-2/
If you work for a foundation that wants to engage in and/or fund election-related activities, you need this training! It reviews the federal tax rules governing public and private foundation support for election-related activities and also explains the types of activities in which foundations may be involved, such as issue advocacy, voter guides, and candidate debates and forums. In addition, the session covers ballot measures and examines the special rules for private foundations and voter registration drives. The workshop is designed for foundation staff and trustees.
Participants will learn:

How private and public foundations can fund nonpartisan election-related activities;
Special rules for private foundations looking to fund voter registration; and
How foundations can conduct civic engagement work.

Public Webinar: How 501(c)(3)s Can Educate and Advocate During Election Season
2026-10-01 14:00 - 15:00 | https://afj.org/ba-event/public-webinar-how-501c3s-can-educate-and-advocate-during-election-season-8/

Public Webinar: The Advantages of 501(c)(4)s
2026-10-14 14:00 - 15:00 | https://afj.org/ba-event/public-webinar-the-advantages-of-501c4s-3/
This training will provide an overview of how a 501(c)(4) organization can effectively – and legally – promote issues important to the community it serves.
Participants will learn:

How federal tax law applies to 501(c)(4)s’ lobbying and election-related activities;
What kinds of election-related activities and independent expenditures are permissible for (c)(4)s, and how much of this activity is allowed; and
How state lobbying disclosure and campaign finance laws apply to 501(c)(4) organizations.

Public Webinar: Preparing for Politically Motivated Attacks
2026-10-27 14:00 - 15:00 | https://afj.org/ba-event/public-webinar-preparing-for-politically-motivated-attacks-6/

Public Webinar: Foundation Support for Lobbying and Other Advocacy
2026-11-11 14:00 - 15:00 | https://afj.org/ba-event/public-webinar-foundation-support-for-lobbying-and-other-advocacy-8/
Private and public foundations can play an important role in advocacy by engaging in advocacy themselves and funding their grantees to advocate on their issues. After this workshop, your foundation will have a clear understanding of the kinds of advocacy activities you can safely engage in and best practices for grantmaking to give your grantees the most flexibility under the law for their advocacy efforts. Not sure how to make the case for funding advocacy? Uncertain whether you can fund grantees that lobby? Wondering whether your public or private foundation can speak out on a particular issue? This training answers these questions and more! The workshop is designed for foundation staff and trustees.
Participants will learn:

Why public and private foundations should support advocacy;
An overview of activities that constitute advocacy and public policy work;
Various advocacy roles for foundations;
The tax code’s definitions of lobbying;
Activities that are exceptions to the definitions of lobbying, including those which private foundations can engage in;
Rules for private and public foundation grants to nonprofits that lobby, including general support, specific project, and multi-year grants; and
Grant agreement language that permits support for policy work.

Public Webinar: How Your 501(c)(3)’s Recordkeeping Can Enhance Your Advocacy Potential
2026-11-19 14:00 - 15:00 | https://afj.org/ba-event/public-webinar-how-your-501c3s-recordkeeping-can-enhance-your-advocacy-potential-5/

Public Webinar: Rules That Apply to Your Social Media and Other Online Activities
2026-11-24 14:00 - 15:00 | https://afj.org/ba-event/public-webinar-rules-that-apply-to-your-social-media-and-other-online-activities-4/
Over the past several years, there has been a dramatic increase in the avenues available to nonprofits to communicate their messages to an ever-wider audience. While the communication methods offered by social media may be new, the rules that govern advocacy by nonprofits have not changed. If your organization utilizes Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat or any other social media platform, this workshop is for you!
Participants will learn:

How your nonprofit can take advantage of social media while staying in compliance with laws that govern advocacy;
How to treat social media and other communications in the context of lobbying limits for 501(c)(3) organizations; and
How 501(c)(3) organizations can avoid violating campaign intervention rules during an election season.

Public Webinar: Building Nonpartisan Partnerships with 501(c)(3)s, 501(c)(4)s, Unions and Political Organizations
2026-12-02 14:00 - 15:00 | https://afj.org/ba-event/public-webinar-building-nonpartisan-partnerships-with-501c3s-501c4s-unions-and-political-organizations-9/

Public Webinar: How Your 501(c)(3) Can Influence Policy for the Greater Good
2026-12-10 14:00 - 15:00 | https://afj.org/ba-event/public-webinar-how-your-501c3-can-influence-policy-for-the-greater-good-11/
