I believe the WMF can spend $1M a year on lobbying (per Doug's comments, our budget, and our current choice to use the 'expenditure test'). We currently spend almost none of this -- which I think is too little. http://www.irs.gov/Charities-&-Non-Profits/Measuring-Lobbying-Activity:--Expenditure-Test
Also worth noting: some related activity is not considered lobbying. If you are unsure about whether a project that you think is important would include lobbying, it is worth asking for specific advice. http://www.clpi.org/images/pdf/Exclusions%20from%20Lobbying%20Color.qxp.pdf I would like to see a discussion (on the Grants talk page) on how a group might apply specifically for a lobbying grant. That would at least let the WMF calculate how much was being spent in lobbying across all of its [lobbying grants] for the year. Is this possible? I don't know if there are further restrictions on funds spent on international lobbying. SJ On Fri, Apr 19, 2013 at 9:17 PM, J Alexandr Ledbury-Romanov <[email protected]> wrote: > Forwarding a reply from a non member of the list. > > Alex > > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: rexx <[email protected]> > To: Wikimedia Chapters general discussions - closed list < > [email protected]> > Cc: Wikimedia Mailing List <[email protected]> > Date: Fri, 19 Apr 2013 18:04:45 +0100 > Subject: Re: [Chapters] Question: How do we define lobbying? > I was aware that in the USA non-profits can lobby, but there are limits on > how much they can spend on it. The most restricted type of non-profit is a > 503(c) and such an organisation may choose to spend up to 20% of their > first $500,000 of annual expenditure on lobbying - the maximum any 503(c) > may spend on lobbying in a year is $1,000,000. > > I assume that the WMF would need some mechanism to ensure that the grants > it makes do not become used for lobbying in such a way that the total > exceeds the $1M total - which would jeopardise their tax-free status. It is > therefore perfectly understandable that WMF may decide that the easiest way > to be certain is to bar the use of granted funds for lobbying completely. > If we wanted to move away from that, each grantee would probably need a > more complex accounting system to be able to reassure the WMF that spending > on lobying was strictly limited. I'm not suggesting such a system would be > impossible, only that it would require some negotiation between Chapters > and WMF. > > Some quick Google results for background reading: > > http://www.clpi.org/the-law/faq > http://apps.americanbar.org/buslaw/blt/2009-03-04/mehta.shtml > http://www.asaecenter.org/Resources/whitepaperdetail.cfm?ItemNumber=12202 > > Cheers > -- > Doug Taylor > > > On 19 April 2013 16:37, Fae <[email protected]> wrote: > >> In a workshop in the Milan conference, there was a break-out >> discussion led by Iolanda (WMIT) on lobbying. There is a lot of >> interest in finding ways of supporting change in copyright legislation >> and open knowledge access in as many countries as possible. >> >> One of the interesting features of the WMF agreement when providing >> funds under the FDC process is that this money should not be used for >> lobbying. During the coffee break I had a quick chat with Garfield >> (the WMF CFO) about a possible clarification. My understanding from >> that chat was that if there were valid reasons for lobbying in support >> of our cause, this should be a separate grant for traceability >> reasons, it is not intended to imply a blanket ban, but traceability >> is needed to satisfy the IRS. If a chapter has separate income from >> the WMF, then there is no concern as this is a matter for the >> individual chapter board and membership to worry about. >> >> I think this is a useful clarification, and this ought to be followed >> up as an action from our workshop. >> >> I would welcome any comments from the wider community on what sorts of >> lobbying as a movement that we definitely want to support, encourage >> and possibly provide funds for, and if we could come to a clearer >> definition of what lobbying is (such as political protest) and things >> we do as a community that is not quite lobbying, even though it may >> relate to government legislation (such as publishing a white paper >> with our summary of the benefits of changes in copyright law). >> >> Cheers, >> Fae >> -- >> [email protected] http://j.mp/faewm >> Guide to email tags: http://j.mp/mfae >> _______________________________________________ >> Chapters mailing list >> [email protected] >> https://intern.wikimedia.ch/lists/listinfo/chapters >> > _______________________________________________ > Wikimedia-l mailing list > [email protected] > Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l -- Samuel Klein @metasj w:user:sj +1 617 529 4266 _______________________________________________ Wikimedia-l mailing list [email protected] Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l
