Election Year Cautions

One of the easiest ways for a chapter or individual AFA member to harm AFA as a whole is to violate the prohibition on intervening in a political campaign. There can be NO suggestion that AFA, as a tax-exempt organization, endorses ANY political candidate for ANY elective office (and this prohibition is exactly the same whether the organization is a (c)(3) or (c)(19).)

That does not mean that AFA members are prohibited from exercising their rights as citizens to participate in political activity, but rather that the organization cannot be portrayed as favoring one candidate over another. The IRS publishes more than sufficient guidance to make the defense: “I didn’t know” not even remotely credible. It is worth your time going to the website: http://www.irs.gov/charities/charitable/article/0,,id=184731,00.html.

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