501 (c)(4) social welfare organizations play a vital role in society by addressing needs that are often unmet by the private sector and government. But recently, they have come under attack like never before. 501(c)(4)s face a range of threats from government investigations and executive orders to targeted efforts to dismantle entire organizations.

At We The Action, an initiative of Civic Nation Action, our mission is to amplify the impact of nonprofit leaders. We’re partnering with Alliance for Justice Action (AFJ Action) to train lawyers on how to help nonprofit partners understand these attacks, assess and reduce their risks, and prepare to respond if an attack occurs. Lawyers will be essential in assisting these nonprofits with organizational compliance to mitigate and defend against any attempted targeting.

AFJ Action’s team members are experts on the laws governing the advocacy of 501(c)(4)s and have provided training to hundreds of nonprofit organizations and lawyers. They work with nonprofit boards, staff, and volunteers to improve their understanding of the legal issues involved in influencing public policy, so they can maximize their advocacy and election-related activities. This workshop will inform volunteer lawyers on how they can help 501(c)(4) social welfare organizations with operational housekeeping to improve their organizational security.

Nonprofits (and their staff) are often scrutinized as they engage in successful advocacy and civic engagement efforts. After this workshop, you will have a clear understanding of how to advise 501(c)(4) social welfare organizations preparing for allegations of non-compliance so their organizations can continue to advocate with confidence in 2026 and beyond.

To best equip you to assist these organizations, you will also receive:
- An overview on the advocacy rules that apply to 501(c)(4)s;
- Information on how to utilize AFJ Action’s 501(c)(4) Advocacy Check-up Nonprofit Compliance Self-Assessment to help organizations identify record-keeping and reporting strengths and weaknesses;
- Tips to help lawyers address compliance gaps in 501(c)(4) operations and compliance;
-And more.

Upon completing this training, volunteers will be eligible to provide guidance to organizations through our 501(c)(4) Protecting Social Welfare Organization Clinics. Our inaugural 501(c)(4) clinic will take place on July 28 at 3:00pm ET, with additional dates later this year and next.

Please note that volunteers who have completed the AFJ Bolder Advocacy 501(c)(3) Training will also need to complete the 501(c)(4) Training to advise social welfare organizations in our upcoming (c)(4) Clinics.

Get trained in this virtual session led by AFJ Action on how to provide guidance to 501(c)(4) social welfare organizations that may find themselves under increased scrutiny in the weeks and months to come. These tax-exempt organizations are critical in providing services to vulnerable communities and advancing just causes. Come learn the ways in which social welfare organizations may be threatened, where the needs are, and what you can do to help these organizations as a volunteer lawyer.