With the upcoming presidential election in the news almost every day, politics is top of mind for many in the Emory community. Emory experts are often called upon by politicians to contribute their time and expertise; and many at Emory may wonder how changing political dynamics impact the university’s day-to-day work. During such a busy political period, it is important to understand how Emory, as a tax-exempt nonprofit, interacts with elected officials.
The Office of Government and Community Affairs (OGCA) oversees federal, state and local government relations work for Emory, as well as community engagement. OGCA develops and maintains relationships with government and community leaders and works to advance and protect Emory’s mission.
“Relationship-building and education are central to our department’s work and success,” says Cameron Taylor, vice president of OGCA. “We educate decision-makers about the full range of complex issues facing Emory — from our undergraduate programs to the most advanced medical research — and how actions they take might impact us. Over the years, we have found that our most influential work is often done behind the scenes, leveraging the relationships we have built with our public servants.”
OGCA works to ensure that Emory abides by the legal requirements associated with lobbying and also brings strategic vision to the work.
“We look for areas of common ground — for that sweet spot where partnership may flourish,” Taylor notes. “While Emory is uniquely situated to serve as a place where we can discuss and study the issues that divide us, our decision-makers appreciate Emory’s ability to bring research and data to policy debates and help find the common ground on which we can move forward.”
Political campaign activity: not allowed by Emory
OGCA seeks to work with any elected official with whom Emory shares common interests and goals. With a variety of experts, that could be anything from constitutional law to maternal health.
“A typical saying on our team is ‘You elect them, and we work with them,’” Taylor says. She explains that Emory does not engage in any political campaign activity, which is not permissible by current law.
Education, advocacy and lobbying: what’s the difference?
Taylor has been with Emory for more than 20 years and, prior to that, worked on Capitol Hill for 10 years. The 10-member OGCA team has many decades of work experience inside government. Team members often meet with Emory departments and groups interested in learning more about interacting with government or community leaders, and will soon be hiring a director of engagement to further that work
When lobbying on legislative issues, Taylor notes the line between education and advocacy is a thin one. She encourages members of the Emory community to read and follow the lobbying policy. Unless acting officially on behalf of Emory, employees must make it clear that they are expressing their personal views and not an official position of the institution. In addition, employees should not use any Emory resources, such as emails and phones, when lobbying in a personal capacity.
“Anyone can advocate on their own, for anything they care about,” Taylor explains. “But it is different for Emory. As a major research university and health care provider that employs registered lobbyists, we are obligated to follow federal and state laws, which require the disclosure of our lobbying activities.” Front-line team members are registered and file reports on all of Emory’s lobbying activities.
Some recent, and varied, examples of OGCA’s work to build relationships, grow Emory’s reputation and showcase Emory’s successes include:
- Hosting First Lady Jill Biden, who recognized Emory’s work in supporting President Biden’s Cancer Moonshot and the university’s $24.8 million federal grant to further cancer research;
- Celebrating Emory’s supporters at a November 2023 Capitol Hill reception;
- Meeting with Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough to tout the importance of nursing at Emory;
- Growing Georgia Memory Net, a partnership between the state and Emory that trains physicians on screening for dementia, and collects data the state can use to support those living with the disease; and
- Collaborating with the Emory Votes Initiative to facilitate a DeKalb County polling site at 1599 Clifton Road.
Taylor encourages members of the Emory community to contact the OGCA team for more information.
“We may not be able to lobby on behalf of the issue you care about, but we can be a resource for you,” she says.
Further resources outlining what is allowable, and not allowable, for an institution like Emory which has nonprofit 501(c)(3) status include:
- Emory University: Lobbying and political activities
- National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities: Brief on political activity on campus
Photo credit: Toshe_O, Getty Images