Advocate
Voter Engagement
Nonprofits are natural vehicles for encouraging voter participation.
This election cycle it is more important than ever to promote an active and engaged citizenship. Nonprofits whose communities participate and vote have more access to elected officials, increased trust on issues, and are better positioned to advance their missions.
Nonprofits represent democracy’s highest ideals of public service, active citizenship, and commitment to a better society. With their natural engagement assets and unparalleled reach, nonprofits are particularly well suited to encourage voter participation. Here’s how you can help strengthen our democracy.
Get Out the Vote – GOTV!
It’s legal, it’s important, and elections are determined by who turns out! When candidates are elected by a minority of eligible voters, they may not represent or understand the issues nonprofits care about. The nonprofit sector depends on good government and fair and open elections. Nonprofits are more likely to thrive in an environment where government is held in high esteem and people are more likely to participate in the process.
- Find resources to get started with voter engagement.
- Here’s a comprehensive (and FREE) toolkit from the United Way Worldwide and Nonprofit Vote – Voter Engagement Toolkit.
- Want to learn more? Stay legal with the Nonprofit Vote’s information on permissible election-related activities.
Get the Candidates Talking About Nonprofits
Nonprofit businesses employ 1 in 6 Maine workers representing a workforce of over 95,000 and channel the energy of almost 345,000 volunteers annually. This is a voting block that candidates will want to reach. Learn how to use the data from our Adding Up Impact report to build connections with our Frames that Work toolkit and resources.
MANP does not endorse candidates or promote or endorse any political party. All activities of the Nonprofit Voter Engagement Project are designed to comply with the IRS guidelines for acceptable political activity of a 501 (c)(3), nonprofit organization. MANP’s goal is to educate candidates by making them aware of the impact and potential of the nonprofit sector, and to educate voters by soliciting information directly from candidates on how they would strengthen and partner with the sector if elected.
