OUR EXPERIENCE
We serve nonprofits of all types and sizes, offering creative legal advice grounded in over 20 years of specialized experience in nonprofit law.
In addition to serving a wide variety of nonprofit organizations, our clients also include donors making significant or complex gifts, businesses forming foundations for cause-marketing campaigns, and nonprofit founders considering the best philanthropic vehicle to meet their needs.
RESOURCES
Free Guides for your Nonprofit Organization
How to Start a Nonprofit
State Registration
Nonprofit Legal Checklist
Taking minutes of nonprofit board meetings
How to Start a Nonprofit
Before you form a legal entity and apply for tax-exempt status, you need a strong, well-researched plan for your organization. Download our free guide to learn about the many elements needed to run a successful nonprofit organization, as well as how to avoid common pitfalls and mistakes.
State Registration
Most states require you to register your organization if you solicit donations from their residents. Many states also require registration if your organization collects substantial or ongoing donations from their residents, even if you aren’t specifically targeting donors in that state. Download our comprehensive list of each state’s requirements.
Nonprofit Legal Checklist
There are many legal issues specific to nonprofit organizations that can be easily prevented by taking certain steps early on in the life of the organization. For more established nonprofits, it’s a good idea to conduct a periodic review of your compliance documents, tax filings, and record keeping. We created this checklist to help you understand the items that a lawyer will assess when reviewing the overall legal health of your nonprofit organization.
Taking minutes of nonprofit board meetings
Meeting minutes are a necessary form of record-keeping for all nonprofit organizations, regardless of size. These records can be used as legal evidence by the courts, IRS, and other regulators, so it’s important to ensure minutes are properly completed and stored. But where do you start?
CharityLawyer Blog offers plain language explanations of complex nonprofit law concepts, discussions of current events and links to valuable resources for nonprofits.
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FEATURED BLOG POSTS
- Charitable Remainder Trusts 101
Table of Contents What is a Charitable Remainder Trust? The Charitable Remainder Trust (“CRT”) is a trust set up to generate revenue for a beneficiary while also ensuring a charitable donation in the future. CRTs are formed to distribute income to a beneficiary or beneficiaries for a specified period of time, and once that time … Charitable Remainder Trusts 101 Read More »
- Directors vs. Trustees of a Nonprofit
The group of individuals charged with the governance of nonprofits are often referred to interchangeably as directors or trustees. These terms are similar in that they both refer to the group of individuals who have a fiduciary duty to oversee the nonprofit organization. However, from a legal perspective, there are important distinctions.
- The Role of Corporate Secretary
In a nonprofit corporation, the duties of the Secretary are crucial to the smooth functioning of the organization. The role of the Secretary is vital to assisting the Board to fulfill its fiduciary duty of due care in overseeing the nonprofit corporation. Duties of a Nonprofit Secretary Some of the duties required of the Secretary … The Role of Corporate Secretary Read More »
