Civic Fund · 501(c)(4)
The right structure from day one
Choosing between a 501(c)(3), a 501(c)(4), and a PAC shapes everything you can do later. We help you pick the right vehicle, or the right combination, before you file.
Civic capacity
Numbers are not power. Institutions are.
Every community with real political standing built the organizations first: the groups that organize, the advocates that lobby, the committees that back candidates, and the candidates themselves. Astra exists to build that capacity for Indian Americans, one organization and one organizer at a time.
5.2M Indian Americans70% turnout in 2024
The numbers are here. The infrastructure is not.
Too few of us run the nonprofits, advocacy groups, PACs, and campaigns that turn a community into a constituency. That is a capacity gap, not a talent gap. Most people with the drive to start something have never been shown how, and the paperwork alone stops many of them. We want to change that.
How capacity is built
From a campus group to a candidate.
Each kind of organization does a different job, and each one feeds the next. A student group produces organizers. Organizers start advocacy groups. Advocacy groups produce candidates. We help at every step.
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Organize
Give people a home.
Bring the community together around shared work, year-round.
- Community and cultural associations
- Campus organizations
- Nonprofit 501(c)(3)
- Fiscal sponsorship
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Advocate
Turn concerns into asks.
Take what the community needs to the people who decide.
- Social welfare 501(c)(4)
- Lobbying registration and advocacy days
- Ballot and issue committees
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Back candidates
Put resources behind allies.
Support the people, in either party, who take us seriously.
- Federal and state PACs
- Treasurers and reporting
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Run
Become the candidate.
From school board and city council to the statehouse and Congress.
- Candidate committees
- Campaign finance compliance
What we provide
More than paperwork.
Forming an organization is the first step. Keeping it alive, compliant, and effective is the real work. Our help covers both, at no cost to you.
A matched professional
An attorney, accountant, lobbyist, or compliance specialist from our network, usually in your state, who has set up organizations like yours before.
Compliance that lasts
Filing calendars, reporting, board basics, and the rules on political activity, so the organization you build is still standing in five years.
Introductions
To officials, to other Indian American organizers doing similar work, and to the people who can help you grow.
The network
Professionals who give their expertise back.
The fastest way to build capacity is to share it. If you are a licensed professional who wants more Indian Americans in civic life, give a few hours a month to someone just starting out. Choose "I'm a professional" in the form below.
- AttorneysNonprofit, tax, election, and campaign finance law
- LobbyistsFederal and state government relations
- Accountants and treasurersBookkeeping, audits, and committee treasurers
- Compliance specialistsFEC and state filings, deadlines, disclosure
- Campaign strategistsField, fundraising, and first-time candidate plans
- CommunicationsMessaging, design, websites, and press
Start here
Tell us what you want to build.
The more you share, the better the match. A real person at Astra reads every request and follows up by email.
Information on this page is general and is not legal, tax, or financial advice. Astra Civic Fund is a 501(c)(4) and does not itself provide legal services.