We’re rushing this to you over the weekend so you’re prepared and ready to act first thing Monday morning.

For the sake of your organization, your clients, and your  colleagues on Twitter, LinkedIn Facebook  or reading your blog, we urge you to move quickly and forward this Alert to them immediately so they can also take action.

ACTION ITEM: A dangerous and overreaching Bill (Assembly Bill 2855) is working its way through the California legislature. Our best chance to kill it is right now while its still in  committee so it never gets to the full Assembly for a vote. To succeed everyone must act by noon, Wednesday, May 25.

Even if your organization is NOT LOCATED in California you should act!

THE THREAT: This proposed legislation requires that every nonprofit whether or not exempt from registration and reporting in California to place a “prominent link” on the Home Page of any organization’s web site or page that solicits contributions and then connect it to the web site of the California Attorney General’s Office. In addition, that same link must be placed on “any document produced…for solicitation”. (Direct mail, ads, brochures, etc.)

The Attorney General’s Link would direct would-be donors and mission-related information-seekers away from the organization’s site to the site of this California law enforcement agency that would warn them about bad giving choices.

The very act of directing visitors from your website to a law enforcement site carries the implicit and ominous message that people need to be protected from your organization.

Which Organizations Are Affected? Every nonprofit! There are exceptions. NO EXEMPTIONS for Religious or Higher Ed organizations. And NO EXEMPTIONS for all other nonprofits — even if an organization is now exempt from current fundraising registration and reporting requirements in California.

Some Examples:

• A college or university located outside of California that has a webpage or two urging alumni to contribute to the Annual Fund must place the Attorney General’s Link on those pages if there is any chance a visitor or donor who lives in California will visit your website.

• An international relief organization seeking funds (MSF, CARE, UNICEF, UNHCR, CATHOLIC RELIEF, etc.) no matter whether it’s based in New York, Baltimore, Atlanta, London or Geneva or anywhere else outside of California must place the Attorney General’s Link on its Donate Pages because someone living in California might find their way to their site when wishing to contribute to victims of disaster or war.

• A food bank in Minnesota (or anywhere else) must place the Attorney General’s Link on its donate pages just in case a potential donor living in Los Angeles wants to help folks in Minneapolis.

REPEAT: Under the proposed legislation NO organization is exempt. In reality as long as there’s a possibility that a visitor, donor or curious information-seeker living in California, then  every organization, anywhere in the U.S. or the world is required by this legislation to put the law enforcement warning link on their donate pages and any other page that mentions donations. In addition the same link must appear on any mail or other printed materials that mention donations.

STOPPING IT REQUIRES IMMEDIATE ACTION: Right now the Bill is awaiting action in the Appropriations Committee of the California Assembly. Action is expected late this week. If approved, the Bill will then move quickly to the floor of the full California Assembly for a full vote.

Our best chance to stop it is right now BEFORE it can get to the Assembly floor for a vote.

HOW YOU CAN HELP STOP IT. 

• Step #1 — Get this information into the hands of key people in your organization. Anyone responsible for policy, communications, the website or fundraising. The downloadable Action Bulletin lists specific contact info for key legislators, outlines arguments against the Bill, contains sample messages and also  the text of the proposed Bill.

• Step #2 — Impress upon them that action — emails or phone calls — must be taken immediately. Not later than noon Wednesday, May 25. Again, key legislative contacts and sample scripts can be found in the downloadable ACTION BULLETIN found here.

• Step #3 —  Then, send your own email, make your own phone call (You’ll find email addresses, phone numbers, key arguments and a sample script in the downloadable ACTION BULLETIN found here.

Finally if you have time, shoot us an email (Editors@theAgitator.net)  or share what actions you’ve taken in the  Comments section of this post.

Time is short.

Please act at once to kill this bizarre and dangerous Bill.

Roger and Tom

P.S. Our thanks to Robert Tigner, General Counsel of ADRFCO for alerting us to this threat and for providing details on the proposed legislation. Folks who have questions or want more information can contact Bob at 202-293-9640 or via email at adrfco@msn.com or Roger at 703-477-7581 or Roger@theagitator.net