501(c)(3) nonprofits can use texting for a lot, voter registration, turnout, civic education, but they operate under a hard restriction the campaigns and PACs don't: they can't engage in partisan electoral advocacy. That line shapes what a (c)(3) can text about and how it registers. Here's what nonprofits can and can't do with texting, and why staying on the right side of the line matters for the organization's tax status.
What can a 501(c)(3) do with texting?
Nonpartisan civic engagement, which is a lot:
- Voter registration. Driving people to register, nonpartisan and permitted.
- Get-out-the-vote. Nonpartisan turnout encouragement, reminding people to vote without telling them who to vote for.
- Civic education. Information about the process, deadlines, polling places.
- Issue education, within limits, on the organization's mission, so long as it isn't electioneering.
Done nonpartisanly, texting is a powerful tool for a (c)(3)'s civic mission.
What can't a 501(c)(3) do?
Engage in partisan electoral advocacy. A (c)(3) can't text to support or oppose a candidate, can't tell people who to vote for, and can't run what amounts to a campaign's turnout program targeted to favor one side. The restriction is about partisanship: encouraging everyone to vote is fine; encouraging your voters to vote for your candidate is not. Crossing that line risks the organization's tax-exempt status, which is a far bigger consequence than a texting-compliance slip. This is the key difference from 527s and campaigns, which can do exactly the electoral advocacy a (c)(3) can't.
How does registration and compliance work?
The texting fundamentals are the same, plus attention to the use case. A (c)(3) still needs 10DLC registration, consent, opt-outs, and identification, like any texter. But it typically registers under a non-political or nonprofit use case rather than the political one, matching its actual, nonpartisan activity. Because the electoral line is a tax-law issue with serious stakes, a (c)(3) running a texting program should confirm its activities and messaging with counsel, the compliance question here is as much about tax status as about the TCPA.
Frequently asked questions
Can a 501(c)(3) text voters?
Yes, for nonpartisan civic engagement, voter registration, GOTV, civic and issue education, but not for partisan electoral advocacy. A (c)(3) can encourage everyone to vote but can't tell people who to vote for.
What can't a 501(c)(3) do with texting?
Support or oppose candidates, tell people who to vote for, or run a turnout program targeted to favor one side. Crossing into partisan electoral advocacy risks the organization's tax-exempt status.
How does a 501(c)(3) register to text?
With the same 10DLC registration, consent, and opt-out requirements as any texter, but typically under a non-political or nonprofit use case matching its nonpartisan activity. Confirm messaging with counsel given the tax-law stakes.
Keep reading: nonprofit vs 527 and running a voter registration drive by text. For registration, see The Campaign Registry.
This is general information, not legal advice. Tax-exemption rules are complex, current as of the date above; consult counsel.