Helping Land Trusts Lobby

There are a lot of good reasons to lobby! The government makes decisions about conservation tax incentives, controls millions of dollars in conservation funding, and has the potential to greatly help - or hurt - your conservation work.

The Land Trust Alliance can tell Congress what the issues are--but only constituents like you can make elected officials care enough to do something about those issues! This section is all about providing the tools you need to build those relationships.

The federal government, including Congress and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), supports lobbying by 501(c)(3) nonprofits. (Read a letter from the IRS that makes this very clear!)

The IRS has very specific and easy-to-follow rules about how much money a 501(c)(3) organization can spend on lobbying, what counts as lobbying, and how to comply with the IRS regulations. Click here for more on these rules, including how your land trust can come under simplified rules by filing form 5768.

Keep in mind you can NEVER endorse or oppose a candidate for elected office at any level and your organization should be careful to avoid taking any action (especially during an election year) that might give the appearance of endorsing a specific candidate.  But, you CAN work on ballot-issues, referendums, and other issue campaigns.

Advocacy Fact Sheets

• Why Should My Land Trust Call Congress?
• Your Land Trust Can Lobby
• Building Advocacy Partnerships with Legislators
• Hosting a Recess Site Visit or Media Event

Land Trust Alliance Advocacy Resources

Can Land Trusts Lobby?

Web version of our article discussing the basic lobbying and electoral rules applicable to land trusts and other 501(c)(3) nonprofits.

Write to Your Members of Congress

Practical advice and current talking points for writing to your Members of Congress about policy issues in general and the conservation tax incentive in particular.

Meet with Congress Over Recess!

Members of Congress spend about one week a month and most of August and December visiting with constituents back in their home states. This can be a great time to build relationships, click here for creative ideas.

Lobbying, Advocacy and Land Trusts

Article by Land Trust Alliance director of public policy Russ Shay on the importance of lobbying by land trusts.

Building Advocacy Partnerships

Do you want to become more involved in advocacy, but just aren't sure where to start? This article by Land Trust Alliance northeast field representative Henrietta Jordan has great tips. It's targeted for state legislators, but the message is the same at all levels of government.

IRS Letter on Charity Lobbying

Hear it straight from the horse's (or IRS') mouth! This short letter from the IRS makes it very clear that 501(c)(3)s can lobby, and it outlines the rules.

Links to other Nonprofit Lobbying Resources

Policy Events at Rally 2010

Join us in Hartford, CT, October 2-5, 2010 for dozens of policy-related seminars and workshops.  Come learn how to lobby effectively, explore specific policy issues and funding opportunities and pose questions to the federal agencies that impact your work.

Advocacy Seminar Workbook

The Workbook from Rally 2009’s “Advocating for Success” seminar is now available for board, staff and volunteers of Alliance members at The Learning Center. It contains a step-by-step guide, sample action plan and a variety of resources for strengthening your capacity build support among the media, donors, elected officials and other audiences.  Click here to log into The Learning Center and download the action plan (smaller PDF) and workbook (larger PDF).

The Nonprofit Lobbying Guide

This book, available for purchase through Land Trust Alliance, is a great resource for land trusts involved in advocacy who need clarity on the rules, and it's also perfect for organizations that are looking to get started. Visit our online store or click here to download a PDF copy for free.

Congressman Jim Saxton (R-NJ) receives an award from the New Jersey Conservation Foundation/Photo courtesy of New Jersey Conservation Foundation