Deciding whether—or when—to establish a 501(c)(4) organization is never an easy decision. Questions about purpose, scope, funding, perception, timing, and legal compliance all come into play. There are few definitive “right” and “wrong” answers. Each group needs to determine what is right for it.
Since private foundations are much more limited in their ability to fund (c)(4)s, activists looking to start a (c)(4) should consider alternative funding sources, such as individuals, labor unions, or corporations.
In the Strategy and Discussion Guide, Alliance for Justice explored the questions to ask. Here, AfJ describes how three different groups, with different structures, needs, and pressures, answered the questions for themselves.