Yes, Your Land Trust Can Lobby if You Follow Some Basic Rules
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About This Practical Pointer
Community support for increasing the pace and permanence of conservation depends on the quality, depth and extent of your relationships with elected officials as much as with your landowners and community members. Even if you never take a government grant, your land trust relies on tax exemptions and charitable deductions that are very much at risk, so treat your public officials like any other donor -- show them how your work benefits their constituents and the economy. The IRS is very clear that it supports nonprofit lobbying, but you need to follow some simple rules, and check for state rules as well. This is a general informational outline to get you started.
November 2023 Update: Revised to incorporate specific considerations for election activities by staff.
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