Guidelines on acceptable and unacceptable advocacy as a KWK employee, given our 501(c)(3) status. Review this before camp to understand boundaries around political endorsements, lobbying, and how to navigate sensitive topics with scholars appropriately.
Overview
Kode With Klossy Inc. (KWK) is a 501(c)(3) organization. By law, none of its staff time or resources can be used for partisan political purposes including to support or oppose any candidate running for public office. Any perceived violation could result in a costly investigation by the IRS, and possibly the loss of our tax-exempt status.
Purpose of Advocacy: At Kode With Klossy, we encourage our employees to use their voices to promote positive change. We value your passion for various social issues, but it’s important to differentiate between personal advocacy and organizational representation. This guide will clarify what’s acceptable when engaging in advocacy as part of our team.
What is Advocacy: Advocacy refers to the act of supporting or promoting a cause, policy, or initiative. It involves actively working to influence public opinion, legislation (lobbying), or address societal issues. In the nonprofit context, advocacy is often aimed at furthering the organization’s mission, values, and the well-being of communities.
What is Lobbying: Lobbying refers to influencing legislation – contacting or urging the public to contact members or employees of a legislative body to propose, support, oppose, adopt, or reject legislation. While advocacy includes lobbying, and 501(c)(3) organizations may engage in limited lobbying, unless you are expressly asked by a member of KWK’s leadership team to do so, you may not engage in any lobbying activities on behalf of KWK.
What is Acceptable
- Supporting Causes Aligned with Our Mission:
- You can advocate for causes that align with the mission and values of Kode With Klossy. This includes participating in public events, sharing information about our programs, and amplifying our messages on your personal social media accounts.
- Example: An IA attends a Women in STEM panel discussion at their university and posts on Instagram, “Had an amazing time at today’s panel on getting more young women and gender expansive youth into tech! Programs like @kodewithklossy are helping make this a reality. If you know a high school student interested in coding, applications open soon!”
- Personal Advocacy:
- You may personally advocate for causes or political issues that resonate with you, as long as it’s clearly stated that you are expressing your personal views and not representing Kode With Klossy. Use language such as, “As an individual…” or “In my personal opinion…” when sharing personal opinions.
- Example: An instructor posts on their personal LinkedIn account, “As an individual, I believe increasing funding for STEM education is crucial for gender equity in tech. More policies should support programs that empower young women in coding.”
- Using Organizational Platforms for Nonpartisan Information:
- Sharing educational materials or promoting nonpartisan discussions on relevant social issues that align with our nonprofit's mission is acceptable.
- Example: During a lesson, an instructor shares a blog post on the importance of diversity in tech without any partisan political messages.
What is Not Acceptable
- Representing the Organization without Authorization:
- Employees cannot speak on behalf of Kode With Klossy without prior approval, including at rallies, protests, or media interviews. Employees should always clarify they are speaking in a personal capacity or seek approval before making public statements tied to KWK.
- Example: An instructor is interviewed about increasing diversity in STEM and says, “At Kode With Klossy, we fully support this movement and believe policymakers should pass XXXXX to advance this cause.”
- Endorsing a candidate or political stance:
- Employees cannot publicly rate or rank candidates on who is most favorable to Kode With Klossy’s values. Directly tying a candidate’s platform to Kode With Klossy’s mission can be seen as an endorsement on behalf of the organization.
- Example: During a Culture of Tech session an IA says, “If you care about getting more women and gender expansive people into tech, you should vote for XXXX because their policies align with Kode With Klossy’s mission!”
- Case Study: A group of scholars is building their final project around helping people find the nearest reproductive health centers (ie. Planned Parenthood) to access women’s related healthcare and Kode With Klossy instructors are giving feedback as they complete the project. Given that abortion is not federally protected and remains a highly debated political issue, it’s important to approach this topic with neutrality. We cannot assume that all stakeholders in the program share the same stance on reproductive rights.
- Acknowledging the complexity of the topic without taking a stance and maintaining a respectful environment.
- Encouraging scholars to include general healthcare accessibility and inclusiveness in their final project.
- Taking political stances on reproductive rights or advocating for particular policies.
- Holding judgement against others who do not hold similar beliefs.
- Including partisan language in teaching materials.
- Focusing discussion on the political/moral debate rather than technical skills.
What’s acceptable:
What’s not acceptable: