Lobbying restriction
The rule that federal award funds may not be used to influence federal awarding decisions or legislation, and that any lobbying paid for with other money in connection with an award must be disclosed. It restricts the funds, not the organisation.
Part of the GrantTrove grant funding glossary — one entry for every field the catalogue stores.
Also called Byrd Amendment · Anti-lobbying provision
In detail
The distinction that matters is between the money and the entity. A nonprofit may lobby within its own legal limits using other funds; what it may not do is charge that activity to a federal award, directly or through an indirect rate.
Some funders go further in their own terms, and a private foundation grant agreement may prohibit lobbying outright regardless of the source of funds.
Against use of funds
`use_of_funds` lists categories a notice says the money is for. It does not list prohibitions, because most notices state prohibitions in prose and a prohibition field blank on the majority of records would read as "nothing is prohibited". That is the wrong default on precisely the facts where being wrong is most costly.
How GrantTrove stores it
- `use_of_funds` prints Not stated where a notice names no categories, rather than an empty list.
- Prohibitions stay in the notice, which every record links through `source_url` with `last_verified_at` beside it.
Common questions
Can our nonprofit lobby at all?
Within your own legal limits, with other money. Not with federal award funds.
Does advocacy count as lobbying?
Not always. The definitions are specific and your counsel is the authority.
Do you flag programmes that prohibit it?
No. It is prose in the notice, and a partial flag would mislead about the rest.