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Misreporting Nonprofit Lobbying Engagement and Expenses: Charitable Regulation and Managerial Discretion

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  • Prentice Christopher R.

    (Public & International Affairs,University of North Carolina Wilmington, 601 S. College Rd, Wilmington, North Carolina 28403-5607, USA)

Abstract

On the one hand, nonprofits are expected to protect values, promote ideals, and effect change, and on the other hand, they are normatively and legally discouraged from engaging in advocacy and lobbying. These countervailing forces produce a tension that nonprofit managers must navigate. Although previous research suggests that normative boundaries and legal implications constrain lobbying efforts, it is possible that these factors merely influence how some charities report their lobbying activities to authorities. Indeed, incentives to misreport lobbying engagement exist at the federal level where regulatory oversight is lax. This article compares state data obtained for a sample of charities to contemporaneous federal data regarding the lobbying engagement, payments, and expenses of these organizations and their registered lobbyists. Findings demonstrate that roughly half of the charities sampled engage in more lobbying than they report to federal authorities, lending support to the premise that managerial discretion influences nonprofit reporting.

Suggested Citation

  • Prentice Christopher R., 2018. "Misreporting Nonprofit Lobbying Engagement and Expenses: Charitable Regulation and Managerial Discretion," Nonprofit Policy Forum, De Gruyter, vol. 9(2), pages 1-13, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bpj:nonpfo:v:9:y:2018:i:2:p:13:n:5
    DOI: 10.1515/npf-2018-0018
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Curtis D. Child & Kirsten A. Grønbjerg, 2007. "Nonprofit Advocacy Organizations: Their Characteristics and Activities," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 88(1), pages 259-281, March.
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