GOTV Nonprofits for Activities
GOTV stands for Get Out The Vote! GOTV is not a single activity but coordinated activities that encourage people to vote. Nonprofits that have a 501(c)3 tax status can be well positioned to help with GOTV activities, as long as they are nonpartisan ones and have no evidence of bias for a particular candidate or political party. When planning your GOTV activities, carefully follow the federal and state tax and campaign laws, or you will risk losing your organization’s tax exempt status and face other penalties.
Wether you work directly with early childhood educators, children, and/or families or serve primarily as a policy or research organization, here are some activities your 501(c)3 organization can conduct leading up to and on Election Day to encourage your members, employees, families, and community members to get registered, get involved, and vote for the candidate of their choice.
Before Election Day
- Allow staff to engage in nonpartisan GOTV activities (like those on this list!)
- Hold a GOTV party of event that outlines these activities and how people can get involved.
- Determine which organizations are holding phone banks (were volunteers call registered voters and remind them to vote) and volunteer – or host your own phone bank.
- Leverage your organization’s existing communication vehicles to remind people – via email, newsletters, and social media – to vote.
- Ask the local board of elections for a voter list for your community, and cross check it with your membership lists so you can understand who is not registered to vote.
- Create visibility about Election Day using posters in your offices.
- Share telephone or website information for nonpartisan voter information, like “Where do I vote?” or “When do the polls open or close?”
- Give our nonpartisan voter information (where, how and when do I vote?).
On Election Day
- Allow staff to engage in nonpartisan GOTV activities (like those on this list!)
- Give staff time off to vote.
- Encourage staff to sign up poll workers or translators on Election Day
- Provide rides to the polls or promote organizations that provide rides
- Determine which organizations are holding phone banks (were volunteers call registered voters and remind them to vote) and volunteer – or host your own phone bank.
- Leverage your organization’s existing communication vehicles to remind people – via email, newsletters, and social media – to vote.
- Create visibility about Election Day using posters in your offices.
- Share telephone or website information for nonpartisan voter information, like “Where do I vote?” or “When do the polls open or close?”
- Give our nonpartisan voter information (where, how and when do I vote?).
