The Cycle of Accountability

We know that North Carolinians share a strong belief in protecting our air and our water resources, maintaining the health of our communities, and ensuring that our quality of life remains high.

But we also know that, when it comes to the environment, our elected officials have not always prioritized these values. Our leaders need to understand what North Carolinians want, and North Carolinians need to know how their elected officials are voting on the issues that matter to them. But most non-profit groups are very limited in doing this vital work to hold decision-makers accountable.

That’s what makes NCLCV different.

NCLCV, along with our family of organizations, can leverage a strong cycle of accountability—through public education and engagement on the issues, strong legislative advocacy, and by electing pro-conservation candidates. We can elect leaders who share our values and will prioritize passing strong laws to protect our environment.

And this ability to focus on all aspects of the cycle of accountability makes us unique from many other environmental groups in North Carolina—groups who protect rivers, conserve land, fight local polluters, educate activists, and so many others are an essential part of our long heritage of protecting North Carolina’s landscapes.

But NCLCV is a non-profit, non-partisan group organized as a 501(c)(4) under the Internal Revenue Code, which allows us to lobby more, as well as endorse and elect pro-conservation candidates to office. Most other environmental organizations in North Carolina are 501(c)(3) tax-deductible organizations, and the IRS places limitations on the amount they can lobby, as well as restricting them from engaging in any political work.

NCLCV exists at the intersection of environmental protection and political action. We can work directly in the electoral process to hold our decision-makers accountable for their environmental decisions.