The year before an election can be a fantastic opportunity for charities to engage with parties, candidates, the media and general public to raise awareness of their concerns and drive their mission forward. Elections offer an unrivalled shot for charities to secure support for policies that will advance their charitable mission for years to come.
But too often, concerns about legal constraints on political activity cause charities and their trustee to question how vocal they can be at this vital time, and whether they need to step back from the cut and thrust of public policy debate to avoid breaching charity and election law rules.
We've partnered with the Sheila McKechnie Foundation to demystify some of the rules around charity campaigning, helping you to be confident in your campaigning and advocacy plans.
The guide takes an in-depth look at three key areas:
1. Understanding the law
An overview of the key legal principles which might affect your campaign.
2. Planning campaigns
Steps to take when planning campaign activity to ensure you are on the right track legally, with two helpful tools: (A) what to cover in a political activity policy; and (B) a risk matrix for planning campaigns.
3. Campaigning techniques: FAQs
A run-through of common campaigning techniques and activities that a charity can legitimately undertake in compliance with the law.
Click here to read the full guide.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.