Charitable nonprofits shouldn’t become political - By Mary Peterson

Found here. My comments in bold.
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I write today as board chair for the Montana Nonprofit Association (MNA), a membership organization representing more than 600 nonprofits across Montana.

A threat to Montana’s charitable nonprofits recently emerged at the federal level. Legislation was introduced to politicize nonprofits through the repeal of the Johnson Amendment. For 60 years this amendment – put in place by Dwight Eisenhower - has successfully protected charitable nonprofits, religious congregations, and foundations from being hounded for political endorsements, financial contributions and more. (Notice the less-than-clever phraseology. The Johnson Amendment FORBIDS non-profits from engaging in certain kinds of speech. It PREVENTS non-profits from spending their money on certain things. It DICTATES the behavior of non-profits.

Most certainly, the Johnson Amendment does not protect non-profits from anything.)


Nonprofits have a responsibility to advocate on behalf of those they serve, and at times this places them in alignment with one candidate’s message or another. However, because of the Johnson Amendment we are legally required to stop short of partisanship, including electioneering. (Ah, the author sort of admits that the Johnson Amendment is nothing more than government restrictions on speech and behavior.)

The repeal of the amendment would allow (Oh, my we just can't ALLOW!)

nonprofits to become an avenue for dark money and electioneering. (The only possible outcome, eh?)

Imagine if our arts organizations, foundations, youth programs, churches, and human services providers became mouthpieces for politicians, (Already happens.)

or offered tax deductions for political contributions, essentially subsidizing political activity at taxpayers’ expense. (Already happens.)

Nonpartisanship is essential to the integrity of Montana’s charitable nonprofits. For those organizations that want to engage in political activity, there are other avenues available. Let us not compromise Montana’s vital nonprofit sector by muddying the lines between political and charitable activity. (Any such lines are artificially generated by the actions of government. The author is burdened with the task of telling us why the government should be empowered to draw those lines, and she has yet to do so.)

Many of us are tired of the political cacophony. (Irrelevant tangent.)

Repealing the Johnson Amendment would open the door for these same contentious conversations and discord to enter our nonprofit board rooms, constituent and donor relations, and even our institutional identities. (As if they're not already there? Whaa?)

As a concerned leader in Montana’s nonprofit community, I ask that we preserve the integrity of charitable nonprofits and the good name of the nonprofit sector. Stand with us against attempts to politicize nonprofits. (The Johnson Amendment politicizes by its very existence. Basically, it boils down to which flavor of politicization one prefers. 

And by the way, repealing of the amendment doesn't "politicize" anything. It simply gives these organizations power to choose for themselves what they do. Indeed, if an organization chooses to "politicize," why would that be wrong? What harm would it cause? Why is free speech in any venue a bad thing?)

Mary Peterson

Chairman, Montana Nonprofit Association