Politics. It’s a topic that is ever present in our society, especially here in the US, where we are preparing for the November general election. With this constant focus, it is quite possible that members of the American Chemical Society, in their role as private citizens, may wish to become involved politically in offering support to candidates at all levels of government. Further, members may want ACS to support candidates that represent positions consistent with the society’s mission and goals. This last piece is problematic, however, because of ACS’s charter. Let me explain. ACS is a nationally chartered organization that has a 501(c)(3) nonprofit designation from the Internal Revenue Service. This means that ACS is prohibited from engaging in political activities, such as actively working for or financially supporting a candidate representing a specific political party. An important note: classification as a 501(c)(3) organization doesn’t affect ACS’s ability to advocate