Federal developments impacting nonprofit speech rights

From OMB Watch

On Dec. 19, OMB Watch, the nonprofit research and advocacy organization, released its 2006 report on federal activities that diminish or threaten the speech rights of nonprofit organizations.

"Although 2006 brought nonprofit organizations a somewhat hostile legal climate for grassroots advocacy," OMB Watch reported, "nonprofits provided leadership on issues in public policy debates and helped get voters to the polls and protect their rights. Nonprofits exposed government surveillance of groups that dissent and resisted efforts to silence debate or use federal grants as a wedge to control speech.

"To level the political playing field, nonprofits supported efforts to increase transparency in Congress. Some in the sector also called for frozen funds of charities designated as supporters of terrorism to be released for charitable purposes."  Topics included in the report, with links to detailed information, include:

Issue advocacy

• Ethics and lobby disclosure
• Nonprofit accountability
• The IRS political activities compliance initiative (PACI)
• IRS Report and Response
• Voter guides and vague standards
• Get out the vote and voter protection
• Campaign finance rules infringing on issue advocacy by charities
• Government grants and advocacy rights

Civic Participation and the Right to Dissent

• Surveillance of organizations that dissent
• Charities and anti-terrorist financing policies
• Blocked access to Congress via email

Click here for OMB Watch’s roundup of what happened to nonprofit speech rights in 2006.