In this exercise, take on the role of an individual or organization advocating for a specific policy or action related to education. Navigate the myriad of options you have to fund your cause.
Private foundations are prohibited by law from engaging in lobbying or campaign activity. Therefore, they may give only to public charities, or 501(c)3 organizations, whose primary purpose is to conduct nonpartisan educational activities for the public and lawmakers.
501(c)3 groups are permitted to engage in a small amount of lobbying.
Private foundations, at their discretion, may choose to restrict funds to specific projects, rather than to the charities' general operating funds, to further prevent their grants from supporting any lobbying.
The money can be used for anything related to the candidate's campaign, including staffing and advertising. Contributions to candidates are capped by state and federal campaign-finance laws.
Labor unions may lobby for legislation using members' dues dollars. Lobbying activities generally must be reported regularly in concert with state and federal laws.
Unions may set up Political Action Committees, or PACs, which can give directly to candidates.
These must be funded out of voluntary donations from members, not dues money. State laws differ as to the mechanics of these donations, such as whether PAC funds can be automatically deducted from paychecks.
Until recently, unions, like corporations, were required to spend out of their political organizations, or PACs, on these communications, which can support or oppose candidates provided they are not coordinated with candidates.
A series of campaign-finance rulings in 2010, however, made it permissible for unions to spend from their general treasuries on independent expenditures. Some unions, nevertheless, have chosen to set up independent-expenditure committees, sometimes called "super PACs," for this purpose.