Nonprofits and Elections: What You Can Do and Why It Matters

Did you know nonprofits can be involved in voter outreach and engagement efforts for elections? Not only can 501c3s do this work, but we also believe all nonprofits should! However, the rules can feel confusing, knowing what to do can feel overwhelming, and many nonprofits aren’t sure how to take action in a way that aligns with their organization’s mission.

Minnesota Council of Nonprofits, in partnership with the Minnesota Office of Secretary of State, is hosting a virtual event for nonprofits around the state to support nonprofits feel confident about engaging in voting and elections.

This webinar is ideal for nonprofit staff, board members, and volunteers involved in community outreach, civic engagement, or program work.

This event will include:

• Panel: discussion of nonprofit neighbors from around the state sharing advice, best practices and more around their experience doing voter education and engagement with their specific constituencies
• Training: what nonprofits can and can’t do around elections
• Speech: Minnesota’s head election official, Secretary of State Steve Simon
• Q+A

After this event, you will:

• Understand what is happening in the world of elections and how nonprofits are impacted
• Feel confident knowing what nonprofits can and cannot do when engaging in voter outreach and education.
• Learn voter engagement and education strategies that have been successful for other nonprofits in Minnesota in previous election cycles.
• Walk away with at least one way your nonprofit can engage with elections for the 2026 midterm election that takes place on November 3^rd.

Speaker Information

Steve Simon is Minnesota’s 22nd Secretary of State. He was sworn into office on January 5, 2015, and as Minnesota’s chief elections administrator pledged in his inaugural address to “work with anyone, of any political affiliation, from any part of our state” to protect, defend, and strengthen the right to vote in Minnesota. As Secretary of State, he partners with township, city, and county officials to organize elections on behalf of Minnesota’s nearly four million eligible voters, and to ensure that the election system is fair. His goals as Minnesota’s Secretary of State are straightforward: expand access to voting, remove barriers to voting, make business services as streamlined as possible, strengthen protections for victims of domestic violence and, most importantly, be a Secretary of State for all Minnesotans.

Halla serves as the Director of Public Policy and Research, where she advances the mission and vision of MCN through the development of state, local, and federal level policies. She brings a background in civic engagement, youth advocacy, and governance, with experience spanning public policy advocacy to youth engagement and development, and elected office on the local level. Halla is deeply invested in equity and systems change work and is excited to apply what she’s learned to strengthen nonprofits, expand their infrastructure and ensure they have the tools to thrive in service to their communities.

AsaleSol Young is the Executive Director of Housing in Action, a Minneapolis-based nonprofit that advances housing justice through affordable housing, homeownership pathways, and resident-led policy advocacy. A recipient of the Black Legacy Fellowship, they bring a rich background in organizing, theater, education, and housing to their work. Originally from Evanston, IL, AsaleSol is a fourth-generation member of a Black legacy family that helped integrate the Chicago suburb. They graduated from Carleton College and are enrolled in the Master of Arts in Social Justice program at Union Theological Seminary.

Sara Wolff (she/her) is a lawyer and climate policy strategist. She joined CURE in 2022 to lead on several fronts, including state policy development and CURE’s Democracy and Climate Pledge Project. Between 2017 and 2022, Sara served as the Advocacy Director at the Minnesota Environmental Partnership. She worked with other coalitions on climate, energy, water, soil health, pollination, mining, and transit issues there. Sara previously worked as a policy assistant to Susan Gaertner at the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office.

Rodolfo Gutierrez is the Executive Director of HACER, where he has led research and advocacy efforts since 2007. With a strong background in both quantitative and qualitative methodologies, Rodolfo brings more than two decades of experience in evaluation, community engagement, and policy-oriented research. Their work is grounded in a strong commitment to equity, particularly in building a Minnesota where disparities based on ethnicity or culture are no longer tolerated.

Originally from Mexico, Rodolfo’s binational research experience has been key to building trust and fostering collaboration among diverse communities—not only Latinos, but also immigrant and underserved populations across the state. He holds a PhD and a bachelor’s degree in history, as well as a master’s degree in demography, and has conducted extensive research on demographic change, immigration, education, access to health services, and cultural integration.

Melanie Hazelip is the Voter Outreach Director for the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State. She has done voter and civic engagement work since 2016 in a variety of capacities. She believes democracy is not a spectator sport, we all must participate. In her work she tries to make voting accessible to all eligible Minnesotans. She spends her days talking to advocates around the state who share the same goal. She lives in Saint Paul with her husband, three kids, and two black cats.

Bailey serves as MCN’s Public Policy Manager, focusing on policy, federal advocacy, and communications to support MCN’s partners across Minnesota. She is passionate about creating relationships and systems that focus on civil rights, systems-level change, inclusion, and belonging. In her past professional life, Bailey worked at the intersection of youth advocacy, education equity, program development, anti-racist policy, and accessible communications while at various nonprofits and levels of government. Bailey has a bachelors in Community Development (she highly recommends creating your own major) from University of Wisconsin Eau Claire, a Masters in Human Rights Policy from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs and is an AmeriCorps alum.

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 Event Details  

This session will be recorded.

Captioning is provided automatically through Zoom. For information on requesting CART, ASL, or another accommodation, please visit our Registration Policies page.

To learn more about events, registration, and payment, visit our Event & Registration FAQ page.

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