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Lights On Afterschool provides an excellent opportunity for candidates to come to your program and speak to constituents about their commitment to afterschool. The presence of candidates can raise the profile of your event and increase media attention.
Don't miss this opportunity because you are worried about remaining non-partisan, or appearing to endorse a particular candidate. You can host a candidate for office and still remain non-partisan. We have provided some tips and sample language to use if you are a 501(3) concerened about candidate outreach. You should also consult our Lobbying Guidelines for more detailed guidance.
When you reach out to candidates, send them our Candidate Afterschool Resource Kit. Developed specially for candidates, it contains a variety of information on why afterschool is a winning election issue.
Also see our Election and Candidate Outreach resources.
Tips
Tip 1:
In order to not show favoritism towards a particular candidate, it is a good idea to invite all major candidates running for a particular office. A candidate for office may be invited to participate in a Lights On Afterschool event in either their capacity as a candidate or in their individual capacity outside being a candidate. If they are speaking as a candidate make it clear from the beginning that this is not a campaign event (see Tip 2). If they are speaking in their individual capacity, then it is not necessary to invite an opponent, however we recommend that you do so. Have everyone share how important afterschool programs are to the community! The other candidates do not have to say "yes" - what is most important is that you extended the invitation.
Tip 2:
If you are inviting incumbent legislators who are also running for election to speak at the event, make it clear from the beginning that they may speak about the issue and not give a campaign speech. They may not distribute campaign literature, solicit votes, recruit campaign volunteers or collect campaign contributions, or have their staff or volunteers engage in those activities. Again, we encourage you to invite all candidates to your event.
Tip 3:
Avoid giving an award to anyone who is a candidate for election, because it may be perceived as an endorsement of that candidate. In certain cases, where multiple people are receiving an award, it would be acceptable to include a candidate for office as an awardee.
Tip 4:
Be careful when drafting press and other materials for your event: if you are including any information about a candidate make sure that language is impartial and cannot be read as supportive or negative towards a particular candidate.
Tip 5:
If you are writing a letter to the editor or an op-ed piece on the significance of the Lights On Afterschool event, be sure that the piece is a pure discussion of issues pertaining to afterschool programs and not a piece that supports or opposes a particular candidate.
For more specfics on lobbying and electioneering guidelines for nonprofits, see our Lobby Guidelines. If you have additional questions about specific situations, you should speak with an attorney.
Sample Invitation Letter for 501(c)3 Programs
Dear [NAME]:
On October XX, 20XX, our afterschool program will be participating in the XXnth annual national Lights On Afterschool celebration. We will be one of more than 7,500 sites across the nation that will help send the message that afterschool is key to children's success, and that we must keep the lights on and the doors open after school. Local parents, media, employers, artists, neighbors, school officials and others have been invited to help us rally support for safe, stimulating afterschool programs.
We would like you to be part of our local celebration scheduled
Date and time:
Place:
Address:
Our program is going to include a half hour ceremony, during which we would be honored to have you speak.
Because [ORGANIZATION NAME] is a tax-exempt organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, we cannot support or oppose any candidate for public office and our Lights On Afterschool event must be a strictly non-partisan manner. All public officials and candidates for office who are invited to participate at the event are asked not to use it as a campaign opportunity in any manner, including distributing campaign literature, soliciting votes, recruiting campaign volunteers or collecting campaign contributions. These rules apply to staff and supporters as well.
The benefits of quality afterschool programs are clear. They support working families by ensuring that children are safe and productive when the school day ends. Quality afterschool programs make our communities stronger by involving students, parents, business leaders and volunteers. They give children the opportunity to discover hidden talents as they grow academically and socially.
I hope you will join us for Lights On Afterschool on October XX. I will call you next week to confirm your availability. We hope that you will help us keep the lights on after school so that we can inspire all our children toward a brighter future.
Sincerely,
[YOUR NAME, TITLE]
