[Foundation-l] Blackout at Italian Wikipedia

[Mark]

On 10/5/11 1:50 AM, Ryan Kaldari wrote:
> The WMF isn't allowed to lobby for or against legislation, per our 501c3
> non-profit status in the US. This is not necessarily true for chapters
> though, and definitely not true for the communities.
>
Somewhat true, but not a red line. The IRS gives this wonderfully vague 
formulation: "A 501(c)(3) organization may engage in some lobbying, but 
too much lobbying activity risks loss of tax-exempt status".

In addition, "organizations may conduct educational meetings, prepare 
and distribute educational materials, or otherwise consider public 
policy issues in an educational manner without jeopardizing their 
tax-exempt status". For example, perhaps, in suitable cases, Wikimedia 
could issue factual statements about proposed legislation likely to 
affect its operations, with a neutral legal analysis of if and how the 
legislation would do so.

-Mark