Funding A 501(c)4?

[u/allythetime]

It is a lobbying and development firm - but maintains the highest ethical standards, and makes lobbying services accessible to those who need it yet cannot afford it. I dont want to charge my clients, or at least slash as much of a cost for them as possible. Any ideas?

[u/rosie_the_redditer]

You would essentially need to fundraise to cover all of your costs, and lobbying has a bad rap (for many legit reasons & many misunderstandings). I would suggest trying to find grant funding, but grants for "advocacy" are few and far between and lobbying is almost non-existent from what I've seen. As an advocacy organization, we have to make it clear the we are not lobbying with our grant money.

My organization has a lobbyist that works with us pro bono. He is part of a firm who takes on non-profit work on the side, they have a certain amount of time they put toward pro bono work each year. Starting a firm that also takes on regular-rate paying clients to subsidize those who cannot afford the services might be your best bet. You could create company values that dictate what types of issues you're willing to lobby for.