With election day quickly closing in, leaders of 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations should protect their organizations’ tax-exempt statuses by revisiting the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) restrictions on political activity and ensuring their organizations remain in compliance.

The presidential election will impact faith-based nonprofits in many ways. One of the most important involves the President’s authority to, with Senate consent, appoint the individuals who lead key federal agencies.

From Why Faith-Based Organizations are Important During a Crisis to How the CARES Act Financially Impacts your Religious Nonprofit

Faith-based nonprofits need to understand how to establish their eligibility for religious exemption and religious liberty protections.Failing to do so can cause the organization to inadvertently forfeit exemptions and protections for which the organization was qualified.

Recent decisions by the United State Supreme Court have strengthened the legal protections afforded to religious employers. However, these legal protections are not automatic – they can be waived if a religious employer adopts policies or engages in practices that are inconsistent with the new (and evolving) standards.