Nonprofits that have cross-border operations have significant compliance responsibilities. U.S. non-profit organizations that operate outside the country must comply with local laws as well as additional laws imposed by Congress and the IRS.
Foreign organizations forming U.S. affiliates must familiarize themselves with an entirely different, and sometimes surprising, set of legal obligations. We represent domestic charities operating abroad, as well as foreign organizations looking to form U.S. affiliates.
Our services for international nonprofits include:
- Advising domestic nonprofits on expanding programs and operations abroad
- Forming “friends of” organizations to support foreign NGOs
- Advising private foundations making grants to charities outside the US including equivalency determinations and expenditure responsibility grants
- Helping nonprofits comply with the U.S. Treasury Department’s anti-terrorism guidelines
- Working with counsel in the foreign jurisdiction to determine local registration requirements and compliance obligations
CONTACT US
Would you like to learn more? Reach out to us by completing the form.
FEATURED BLOG POSTS
- NSPM-7 – A White House Memorandum Nonprofit Leaders Should Not Ignore
On September 25, 2025, the White House issued a memorandum titled “Countering Domestic Terrorism and Organized Political Violence” also known as NSPM-7. The memo directs federal agencies to work together to identify, investigate, and disrupt domestic terrorism and politically motivated violence, including by examining organizations and financial networks connected to those activities. While the document is
- International Grantmaking
International grantmaking can be an efficient and fruitful use of charitable assets. Private foundations and other charitable organizations are uniquely situated to make significant impacts on poverty, health, education, the environment, and other important causes around the globe. Often, grants can have a larger impact in foreign countries than in the United States. However, grantmakers
- Foreign Agents Registration Act
FARA defines “foreign principal” broadly to include any, government, political party, association, corporation, or other organization that was either established under a foreign country’s laws or maintains its principal place of business in a foreign country; and any individual outside of the United States. An “agent” is an individual or entity that acts within the United States at the direction of either a foreign principal or a person whose activities are supervised or directed by a foreign principal.
