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P4D has always encouraged support for grassroots groups doing valuable civic engagement work in their communities. Some groups are strictly non-partisan (a so-called 501(c)(3) group) and engage in voter education work and voter recruitment. They let people know where and how to vote, and may identify the issues that are at stake, but they are prohibited from supporting or opposing candidates. Contributions to these groups are tax deductible to the donor.
In contrast, other groups have a 501(c)(4) tax status and may, under the law, engage in some political campaign activity as long as it does not become the organization’s primary activity. Contributions to those groups are not tax deductible. Neither type of groups pay taxes themselves, but to maintain their tax exempt status, they must scrupulously divide their activities and spending accordingly.
Finally, some groups maintain a Political Action Committee (PAC) which receive contributions that are then distributed to candidates or campaigns. A PAC’s donations may be given to one or more candidates or campaigns. Unless a PAC contributes exclusively to candidates or campaigns we have endorsed, we will not recommend a contribution because we want the confidence of knowing who will ultimately receive the money.
501(c)(4) organizations play an important role in the mix because they are able to choose to use their funds for both the education function and to some extent, more partisan activities.
Somos Votantes
Somos Votantes, which runs the largest independent Latino civic and voter engagement programs in the country, is a 501(c)(4) organization. It promotes social welfare of Latino communities, primarily through nonpartisan programs, by increasing participation in elections and through issue advocacy. Somos is already active in Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, and Wisconsin and is working to expand to Georgia, New Mexico, and North Carolina.
How Does Somos Do Its Work?
It is instructive to understand how a 501(c)(4) group uses its contributions to make a difference. Somos has found that the keys to running a successful grassroots group are building community presence and trust, understanding what is important to the community, and providing information and services that advance those priorities.
Community Presence
Being on the ground, grassroots groups are in direct communications with their communities. They have a fine-grained capacity to identify effective messages and strategies. Somos Votantes continuously runs cultural, informational, and service events that are primarily not political, and which build community presence, trust, and credibility. These include back-to-school programs that provide backpacks full of supplies; gas cards and grocery deliveries; watch parties for a major boxing match involving two Latino contestants; local small business collaborations and canvassing at scale; and information-sharing on economic resources that help lower the cost of living.
Through in-person and online events, Somos engages Latinos, Latinas, and young Latinos, separately as distinct groups. It focuses on economic issues and the concerns of working people, with its belief that Latinos want the “tools and opportunities” to improve their economic circumstances.
Qualitative and Quantitative Information
Somos’s trained representatives have numerous conversations at community events as well as through extensive door-to-door canvassing. In 2024, Somos held over 97,000 conversations with community members about issues and officials. These conversations provide unparalleled insight into the issues that are front-of-mind for Latinos, and on a highly current basis.
Media Presence
Somos works with social media influencers who typically focus on non-political topics such as lifestyle, entertainment, and cooking, and who can introduce issue-relevant content into their programs. Members of the Latino community discuss on social media how their own lives are impacted by public policies in ways that are familiar to others in the Latino community. In 2024, Somos launched a first-of-its-kind YouTube Latino creator program, resulting in 2.5 million views and 251,000 engagements (interactions such as likes, comments, shares, and saves) across 16 creator content channels. This outreach is critical because YouTube is the number one online source for news and information for Latinos.
Somos also invests heavily in Spanish, English, and bilingual TV and radio advertising. Its cultural competence and on-the-ground knowledge of Latino communities enable it to develop content that is keyed to the priorities of those communities, and in the most effective possible way through framing that is understandable and resonant.
A well-run group such as Somos Votantes has the capacity to raise voter awareness about the importance of elections and the importance of voting. DONATE TODAY to support Somos Votantes, a group with experience and evolving strategies to meet today’s voters.
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