By National Council for Nonprofits

Understanding the electoral process, ensuring we are all informed voters, and promoting civic engagement are fundamental to a strong, participatory democracy. Charitable nonprofits are uniquely positioned, through our credibility and deep knowledge of our communities, to promote civic participation in a neutral, nonpartisan manner — reaching voters and potential voters in ways that others cannot.

Every year, nonprofits like yours support civic engagement by making sure clients, community members, volunteers, and staff know when and where to vote, helping people register, and hosting candidate forums. Through this work, you strengthen your mission and help ensure that every eligible voter can have their voice heard. 

To support you in that work, I’m proud to share that NCN has released the 2026 Voter Engagement Guide, developed in partnership with Nonprofit VOTE. It’s a roadmap for pursuing nonpartisan civic engagement with confidence, and this year we’ve included even more: expanded guidance on drafting candidate questionnaires, a new “Why Vote?” tool, and a resource to inform your post-election advocacy. 

Explore the guide today and see how your nonprofit can get involved this election season.  Also join your state/regional associations of nonprofits to “learn more and stay involved.

Diane Yentel
President & CEO, National Council of Nonprofits

Want to put the guide into practice? Join NCN and Nonprofit VOTE on Thursday, October 1 at 2:00 PM ET for a free webinar on nonpartisan civic engagement this election season.