The “State” of Nonprofit Lobbying Research: Data, Definitions, and Directions for Future Study

Abstract

This article seeks to facilitate future nonprofit lobbying research by providing a clear definition of lobbying, reviewing Form 990 lobbying data, detailing new state-level lobbying information, and offering several directions for future study. First, the article uses federal statutes, Internal Revenue Service regulations, and legal interpretations to define lobbying so that clearer boundaries exist for future research. Next, the components of Form 990 where public charities report lobbying activities and expenses are reviewed. Given the intricacies of Form 990 and the complexity associated with properly allocating expenses, various scholars question the validity of expense data obtained from Form 990. Hence, in the subsequent section, the article introduces publicly available lobbying information from the State of North Carolina. These data offer an information-rich supplement to Form 990 data and demonstrate the potential usefulness of state-level nonprofit information for scholarly inquiry. The article concludes with guidance and recommendations for future research.

An Empirical Mapping of Environmental Protection and Conservation Nonprofit Discourse on Social Media

“…Nonprofit organizations play an important role in public policymaking by influencing various stages of the policymaking process through advocacy and lobbying (Balassaiano & Chandler, 2010;Fyall & McGuire, 2015;Prentice, 2018) and by providing space for civic engagement, assembly, and expression of diverse opinions (Skocpol & Fiorina, 2004;Warren, 2001). The invention of digital public space and advanced interactive technologies has created low-cost opportunities for social change (Goldkind & McNutt, 2016).…”

“…Despite its important role, many nonprofits have been hesitant to engage in policy advocacy for fear that this engagement might be considered as direct lobbying (Gen & Wright, 2020;Prentice, 2018;Vaughan & Arsneault, 2021). Other considerations and constraints for engaging in policy advocacy is lack of staff and resource allocation for main programmatic activities (BoardSource, 2021).…”

“…This study explores the emergence and evolution of climate change discourse among environmental protection and conservation nonprofits’ (EPCN) issue agendas on social media. This is an important question to answer given the role of nonprofit organizations in public policymaking (Balassaiano & Chandler, 2010)—in particular through policy advocacy and lobbying (Fyall & McGuire, 2015; Prentice, 2018) via issue framing (Bies et al, 2013; Vu et al, 2021), civic engagement (Piatak & Mikkelsen, 2021), and mobilization functions (Greenspan et al, 2022). Mapping the discourse of EPCNs on social media is of importance for two reasons.…”

The Significance of 501(c) Status Among Environmental Nonprofits Engaged in Oil and Gas Policy Debates

“…While lobbying is typically considered a subset of advocacy (Almog-Bar & Schmid, 2014), the concepts of lobbying and advocacy are sometimes used interchangeably. Describing these challenges, Prentice (2018) recently called for a focus on lobbying, which can be clearly defined and operationalized based on federal statutes and regulations. Focusing on lobbying certainly has the benefit of clearer definitions and data, but lobbying provides a narrow picture of advocacy and may miss many influential activities, such as public education, research, and media interactions.…”

The Intersection of Nonprofit Roles and Public Policy Implementation

“…Political science scholarship tends to focus on the advocacy role as carried out primarily by nonprofits without a robust service delivery component, such as 501(c)(4) and 527 organizations, but nonprofit scholarship illuminates the policy advocacy activities of 501(c)(3) service providers (Bushouse, 2017). Nonprofit advocacy activities may include days of action, public comment at city council meetings, public education events, encouraging supporters to contact their legislators about an upcoming vote, or employing a lobbyist to represent the nonprofits' interests (Bass, Arons, Guinane, Carter, & Rees, 2007;Prentice, 2018).…”