As a 501(c)3, the Wikimedia Foundation is legally required to stay out of politics, and has limits on how it can lobby Congress on specific pieces of legislation. This is why, for example, the Sierra Club is not a 501(c)3.
Changing Wikipedia, and tying it to a specific bill like SOPA, would likely tread very closely to that line, or over it. That really WOULD threaten the future of Wikipedia as it would face legal sanctions, or be forced to give up its 501(c)3 status, meaning that donations would no longer be tax-deductible.
IANAL (particularly a tax attorney), so no-one — least of all the Wikimedia Foundation — should be taking my advice on this, but it was my understanding that the rules surrounding 501(c)(3) organizations and political action had more to do with endorsing for or against candidates than taking overt positions on specific issues.
For example, from a 2007 IRS ruling on the subject: "Section 501(c)(3) organizations may take positions on public policy issues, including issues that divide candidates in an election for public office. However, section 501(c)(3) organizations must avoid any issue advocacy that functions as political campaign intervention." [1]
Further details in the referenced ruling suggest that if WM were to make reference to specific legislators and their respective positions, for or against SOPA, and thus even implying that WM wanted you to vote one way or another for those candidates, they'd have crossed the line.
Simply saying, "We don't like SOPA. Here's why it's the worst bill since the Let's All Grind Up Babies For Pet Food Act of 1887..." OTOH, seems to be kosher, per my reading on the subject.
I'm pretty sure you're correct. I've worked with a number of 501(c)(3), and most of them have worked on political issues and bills. They cannot endorse a candidate though.
501(c)3 organizations can engage in lobbying as long as it does not constitute a substancial portion of the organization's activity. 501(c)3 organizations have an absolute ban on lobbying for candidates for public office, however.
This would not threaten Wikipedia's tax-exempt status.
The WM produces one project: Wikipedia, the bulk of which is the English-language version. If that is given over entirely to lobbying a specific bill, even temporarily, they would have a very hard time arguing that that is not a "substantial portion" of their activity.
"Substantial portion" from the IRS perspective would involve money or staff time. They have 2 floors of staff. None of whom need be involved in this other than possibly to approve the release of some community-requested code changes.
That's not quite accurate. 501(c)(3) nonprofits CAN engage in political activity. They are just limited in the amount they can do. A group like the Sierra Club whose primary activity is lobbying and politics and who incidentally does other things wouldn't fit under 501(c)(3).
This proposal isn't coming from the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation, it's coming from the community. For example, the Italian Wikipedia came down recently in protest of something political. That was implemented by the community of volunteers who maintain Wikipedia, rather than the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation.
Changing Wikipedia, and tying it to a specific bill like SOPA, would likely tread very closely to that line, or over it. That really WOULD threaten the future of Wikipedia as it would face legal sanctions, or be forced to give up its 501(c)3 status, meaning that donations would no longer be tax-deductible.