advocacy

Jeanne Canina Tedrow, President & CEO, North Carolina Center for Nonprofits

On May 4, President Trump and leaders in Congress took aim at nonprofit nonpartisanship with a pair of actions that were, in the words of the National Council of Nonprofits, “coordinated, ruthless, and effective.” These moves follow up on President Trump’s February announcement that he intends to “get rid of and totally destroy the Johnson Amendment.”

Earlier this year, the Center organized a series of Nonprofit Town Hall meetings around the state. These meetings – in Fayetteville, Charlotte, Winston-Salem, Greensboro, Jacksonville, Research Triangle Park, and Asheville – gave nonprofits an opportunity to connect with elected officials, learn about nonprofit sector trends and policy issues, and share their concerns about how the current political climate may affect their organizations.

At February’s National Prayer Breakfast, President Donald Trump announced his plans to “get rid of and totally destroy the Johnson Amendment,” a long-standing law that prevents charitable nonprofits from engaging in partisan, election-related activities. While the President’s remarks focused on political speech by religious institutions, the underlying law he proposes to eliminate is essential to preserving the integrity of all charitable nonprofits, including food banks, hospices, child care services, hospitals, arts organizations, schools, and affordable housing providers.