I am writing as your constituent to urge you to protect charitable nonprofits from partisan politics.
Charitable nonprofits, including houses of worship, are among the few remaining trusted spaces where people come together across political, religious, and cultural divides to solve local problems. The public’s trust in charitable nonprofits is rooted in one simple principle: nonprofits exist to serve the public good, not partisan politics.
Today, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is attempting to insert partisan politics into the charitable nonprofit sector. The IRS has moved to weaken federal law that has protected nonprofits for more than 70 years.
Inserting partisan politics into charitable nonprofits risks:
- Dividing and weakening our communities, rather than bringing people together to solve local problems.
- Threatening the independence of charitable nonprofits, undermining public trust in local institutions.
- Giving tax breaks to wealthy donors for campaign contributions, funneling even more money into elections.
- Distracting nonprofits and houses of worship from their core missions.
Protection against partisanship is not about silencing voices. Faith leaders and charitable nonprofits can and should speak out on moral, social, and public policy issues that impact their missions. Federal law draws the line at endorsing or opposing candidates for office – a line that protects the independence of the pulpit, nonprofits, and the ballot box.
I ask for your support in ensuring that nonprofits remain nonpartisan in law, purpose, and impact.
Thank you for your leadership and service.
