Frances Kunreuther, executive director of the Building Movement Project, commented, “When I was an executive director we had politicians come speak at our events, and we thought that was terrific. But we never thought about the things that are in this article. I kind of knew that members of my board were supporting various candidates, but it isn’t something we discussed. Now I would make sure we discussed it.”

Being active political citizens is both strategic and crucial to the issues that our nonprofits address. If we in the nonprofit sector see a sign that says, “Speed Limit 65” we’re likely to stay at 45 MPH just to be sure. We do need to stay within the law, but we can’t be naive either. Be smart and strategic about political endorsements, but don’t walk away from this crucial vehicle for supporting our organizations and our constituents.