Dear Governance Matters,
I am on the board of the Acupuncture Society of New York. We are a nonprofit organization that represents acupuncture in New York.

Are we allowed to lobby regarding acupuncture fee schedules (as in insurance reimbursement)? We are unclear as to whether a nonprofit organization such as ours can lobby for such issues.

Stephen Kaplan, L.Ac.

Dear Stephen,
Thank you for checking in with Governance Matters. Nonprofit organizations are not barred from all lobbying, but there are strict guidelines. The Independent Sector has clear, detailed information as does BoardSource.

All the best,

Anne, editor
Governance Matters "Ask the Experts"