OfflineThis question came in via email:
"Are non-profit organizations subject to open meeting laws?"
As a general matter, federal, state and local government bodies are subject to open meeting laws. Non-profit organizations typically do not fall under these categories. Some individuals, however, have argued that certain non-profit organizations do constitute government bodies because they receive substantial government funding and as a result, should be subject to open meeting laws. If you believe that a particular non-profit is a government body, contact the organization and ask whether they are subject to federal, state, or local open meetings laws. For more information, see the Identifying Federal, State, and Local Government Bodies section of the CMLP Legal Guide.
For information on your right of access to the meetings of government bodies, please consult the Access to Government Information section of the Legal Guide and the Open Government Guide prepared by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press.
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It's perhaps also worth mentioning that meetings held by groups (non profit or private) in public or government space appear to often be subject to open meeting laws by virtue of their location. For example, using the meeting rooms at your local public library.