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 Set the Compensation of Nonprofit Executives
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?
How To Set the Compensation of Nonprofit Executives
Executives from tax-exempt organizations can only be paid “reasonable compensation” for their services.
To avoid excise taxes, nonprofits should strongly consider increasing the time and attention they devote to investigating, deliberating, documenting, and reporting executive compensation.
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
- Arizona Tax Credit Programs – Guidance for Nonprofits
Arizona’s tax credit programs offer a unique opportunity for nonprofits to expand their fundraising by enabling individual taxpayers to redirect their state tax liability directly to eligible organizations. These programs provide a dollar-for-dollar reduction in state income tax and are especially impactful for organizations that qualify as QCOs, QFCOs, public schools, or Certified School Tuition
- How Tax-Exempt Organizations Can Support Advocacy Without Risking Their Status
1. Civil Disobedience and Tax-Exempt Status The IRS has long held that organizations engaged in illegal activity or activity contrary to public policy are not eligible for federal tax exemption under Section 501(c)(3). In Rev. Rul. 75-384, the IRS denied exemption to a nonprofit that encouraged civil disobedience, including urging participants to break the law
- How to Handle Donor Preferences Without Breaking the Law
In recent years, charitable organizations have faced growing pressure to incorporate values of equity and representation into their donor agreements, particularly for scholarships and fellowships. Many gifts now express donor preferences for their gifts to specifically benefit individuals from underrepresented racial, ethnic, or gender groups. But in today’s legal climate, these well-intended restrictions can create
