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About Us

A political
home for Minnesotans across race and place

Faith in Minnesota is a political home for people of faith who are acting boldly and prophetically to create a new, people-centered politics in our state — one rooted in abundance, where everyone is in and no one is out. 

Faith in Minnesota, a 501(c)4 social welfare organization, was founded by leaders of ISAIAH who wanted to amplify the voices of people of faith calling for racial and economic justice in Minnesota. The organizations are governed independently but continue to share a common vision of a just and abundant Minnesota. 

Faith in Minnesota gives us a new platform for living more fully into our moral citizenship by allowing us to organize and advocate directly in our state’s elections and political process.  It is a vehicle for creating a Minnesota that is inclusive and just for every person.

Our state is at an important political and moral crossroads. We can choose to go backward into an all-too-familiar politics of scarcity, division, and fear. Or can choose to move forward into a new politics of abundance, generosity, and love, in which everyone is included, especially those who have been excluded, ignored, or scapegoated in politics as usual. The future of our neighbors and our communities depends on this choice and how we make it.

Our faith calls us to this new, people-centered politics. We are engaging deeply and meaningfully in the political process this year in order to elect political leaders who will co-create it with us.

our vision
for minnesota

We believe that every project existing in digital world is a result of an idea and every idea has a cause.

Our vision is of a Minnesota that is inclusive and just for every person — no exceptions. To reach that Minnesota, we need a new politics: one that is grounded in abundance, not the myth of scarcity, and one that is centered around people, not the needs of corporations and well-connected special interests – where everyone is in and no one is out. We also need meaningful, authentic relationships with our political leaders — above all, with our governor — who are willing to co-create that politics with us.

frequently asked questions

In the process of creating Faith in Minnesota, people have asked a lot of good questions. 

We are all learning and expanding our political imaginations while taking on this endeavor. If you have questions, please share them, and as we continue moving forward, join the conversation. We all have to shape this new effort together! Have additional questions? Contact us at info [at] faithinmn.org

Faith in Minnesota is a 501c4 social welfare organization founded by ISAIAH leaders to extend the capacities available to people of faith in Minnesota who are united for racial, economic, and social justice.

ISAIAH (like its members congregations) is a 501(c)(3) public charity.

501(c)(3) organizations are required to devote their resources to educational, religious and/or other charitable activities and they are strictly forbidden from engaging in any political activity on behalf of or in opposition to a candidate for political office.

A 501(c)(3) may, however, conduct various nonpartisan election-related activities.

It may:

  • engage in limited lobbying, including ballot-measure advocacy;
  • conduct public education and training sessions about participation in the political process;
  • educate candidates on public issues;
  • canvass the public on issues;
  • sponsor candidate debates (with certain restrictions);
  • conduct nonpartisan get-out-the-vote activities, voter registration, and education drives; and
  • establish a 501(c)(4).

Contributions to a 501(c)(3) are deductible from a donor’s federal income tax and are not subject to federal gift tax.

Faith in Minnesota is a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization that is allowed to pursue educational, lobbying, and some limited political activities (“social welfare” is defined as promoting social improvement and civic betterment).

Education and lobbying on social and economic issues qualify as social welfare activities, but participation in partisan political campaigns does not.

No limit exists on the amount of lobbying a 501(c)(4) may conduct, including working for the passage or defeat of ballot measures.

Unlike ISAIAH, Faith in Minnesota may carry out political activities without jeopardizing its tax-exempt status as long as it is engaged primarily in non-electoral activities that promote social welfare.

It may:

  • engage in all of the lobbying and advocacy activities permitted for a 501(c)(3), but without limit;
  • endorse candidates and publicize its endorsements;
  • publicly distribute voter guides and other communications that may support or
  • oppose candidates (with certain restrictions).
Contributions to any 501(c)(4) are not tax-deductible. Source: Alliance for Justice

By law, Faith in Minnesota and ISAIAH MUST be separate organizations.

ISAIAH is a 501(c)(3) public charity nonprofit (as are the congregations that make up ISAIAH’s membership). Under current IRS rules, that means that contributions to ISAIAH can be claimed as deductions on federal taxes. In exchange, 501c3 organizations cannot act in any way that appears to endorse one candidate or political party.

A 501(c)(4) social welfare organization like Faith in Minnesota is also a nonprofit organization. However, unlike a 501(c)(3) organization, contributions to 501(c)(4)s are not tax deductible. 501(c)(4) organizations may conduct unlimited lobbying. In addition, they may engage in electoral political campaign work, but only as a secondary activity.

ISAIAH’s governing members are 501(c)(3) Christian and Muslim congregations. Faith in Minnesota is made up of individuals. Congregations are not being asked to join Faith in Minnesota.

Faith in Minnesota will be funded by its individual members and by foundations and other entities that have the latitude to contribute to 501(c)(4) organizations.

No churches will be asked to fund Faith in Minnesota. 501(c)(3) funds cannot be used to pay for 501(c)(4) activities.

No contribution to ISAIAH (from either donors or foundations) can be used to pay for Faith in Minnesota.

Faith in Minnesota has its own Board of Directors and its own Bylaws. Faith in Minnesota is staffed pursuant to a resource sharing agreement with ISAIAH.

As with staff, there is no separate Faith in Minnesota office or infrastructure.

Instead, Faith in Minnesota must lease office space, materials, equipment and infrastructure from ISAIAH at the fair market rate.

It’s true. It is really complicated. However, the IRS makes provisions for a 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) organizations to coexist in the manner outlined above, and many other organizations have multiple entities operating under the same umbrella.

In addition, we are working with the one of Minnesota’s top legal firms and a top Certified Public Accounting firm locally to set up Faith in Minnesota, and to ensure that we are fully compliant with the law.

As a separate organization, Faith in Minnesota must cultivate its own database of members and contacts.

It cannot use ISAIAH’s list of members without paying the fair market rate for that information.

We have rented ISAIAH’s lists for the purpose of an initial outreach to ISAIAH leaders because we believe that many individuals involved with ISAIAH will want to hear more about how Faith in Minnesota will expand our capacity to build power in the state.

If you do not opt in, you will continue to hear from ISAIAH but you will not receive communications from Faith in Minnesota.

Faith in Minnesota is NOT a partisan organization. The expanded capacities will be used to hold decision makers accountable and to support decision makers from any major political party, as long as those decision makers share our values and our policy priorities.

Faith in Minnesota is not related to the work of any political party at the state or federal level. In fact, Faith in Minnesota was created because people of faith feel, increasingly, that neither the Democratic nor the Republican party serve our interests adequately.