---
title: "Prepare an advocacy policy against the section 501(c)(3) political-campaign and legislation limits"
url: "https://ailawframework.com/practice/not-for-profit-charities-and-associations/draft-an-advocacy-policy-against-the-charity-political-activity-line/united-states"
type: "task_jurisdiction_version"
site: "AI Law Framework"
id: "A35-T1-R12-US"
practice_area: "Not-for-Profit, Charities & Associations"
tier: "red"
lawyer_review: "required"
jurisdictions: ["US"]
last_reviewed: "2026-10-22"
---

# Prepare an advocacy policy against the section 501(c)(3) political-campaign and legislation limits

> List each proposed advocacy activity and whether the file describes it as contact with a legislature, advocacy of legislation, or a statement for or against a candidate. Write no policy sentence.

Canonical page: https://ailawframework.com/practice/not-for-profit-charities-and-associations/draft-an-advocacy-policy-against-the-charity-political-activity-line/united-states  
Last reviewed: 2026-10-22

Site index for agents: https://ailawframework.com/llms.txt

## Key facts

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Practice area | [Not-for-Profit, Charities & Associations](https://ailawframework.com/practice/not-for-profit-charities-and-associations.md) |
| Human involvement | Red: Lawyer writes; AI may check, clarify or collect data |
| How AI is used | List each proposed advocacy activity and whether the file describes it as contact with a legislature, advocacy of legislation, or a statement for or against a candidate. Write no policy sentence. |
| What the lawyer must review | You write the policy. Section 501(c)(3) requires that no substantial part of the activities be carrying on propaganda or otherwise attempting to influence legislation, except as subsection (h) provides, and that the organisation not participate or intervene in any political campaign on behalf of or in opposition to a candidate for public office, including by publishing or distributing statements. Treasury Regulation § 1.501(c)(3)-1(b)(3) says articles that expressly empower more than an insubstantial part of activities to be influencing legislation, or campaign participation or intervention, fail the organisational test, subject to the section 501(h) election the regulation describes. An organisation is an action organisation if a substantial part of its activities is attempting to influence legislation, which includes contacting or urging the public to contact members of a legislative body to propose, support or oppose legislation, or advocating adoption or rejection of legislation. Legislation includes action by Congress, a state legislature, a local council or similar body, or the public in a referendum, initiative, constitutional amendment or similar procedure. Advocacy of legislation that is an insubstantial part of the activities does not by itself fail the operational test. An organisation is also an action organisation if it participates or intervenes, directly or indirectly, in a campaign for or against a candidate. A candidate is an individual who offers himself, or is proposed by others, as a contestant for an elective public office, national, state or local. Campaign participation includes written or oral statements for or against a candidate. The section 501(h) ceiling amounts were not opened. You decide what is substantial and what is campaign intervention. |
| Written for | United States |
| Applies to | [Draft an advocacy policy against the charity-political-activity line](https://ailawframework.com/practice/not-for-profit-charities-and-associations/draft-an-advocacy-policy-against-the-charity-political-activity-line.md) |

## Checking plan

- What the AI does: List each proposed advocacy activity and whether the file describes it as contact with a legislature, advocacy of legislation, or a statement for or against a candidate. Write no policy sentence.
- Basis: Checked against the linked sources on 22 October 2026. Confirm the current instrument before reliance.

## Notes

- Do not state a dollar lobbying ceiling. Section 501(h) is named in the statute and the regulation. The ceiling amounts in § 501(h)(2) were not opened.
- Issue advocacy that names a candidate was not given a separate rule in the text that was opened. You decide whether a particular statement is campaign intervention.

## Sources

- [26 U.S.C. § 501(c)(3), lobbying limit and political-campaign prohibition](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/26/501) (checked 2026-10-22)
- [26 CFR § 1.501(c)(3)-1, action organisation and organisational limits on legislation and campaigns](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/26/1.501(c)(3)-1) (checked 2026-10-22)
- [IRS, Exemption requirements for section 501(c)(3) organizations](https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/charitable-organizations/exemption-requirements-501c3-organizations) (checked 2026-10-22)

## Forms and precedents for this task

| Form or precedent | Kind | AI level | Summary |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Screen against the Charities Act definition: not-for-profit, purpose, public benefit, disqualifying purpose](https://ailawframework.com/precedents/not-for-profit-charities-and-associations/charity-definition-screen.md) | Checklist | Yellow | Screen that records the four requirements the ACNC states from the Charities Act 2013 (Cth) before registration is advised.… |

Signed-in accounts can read the full text of each one.

*Practice guidance for planning and review. Confirm current primary sources and the requirements of the actual matter. This is general information, not legal advice.*