You can make a difference for your nonprofit organization by learning how to deal with applicable nonprofit laws to your organization’s advantage.

Your Responsibilities

Your role in leading a nonprofit as an executive or a director (board member) must take into account:

1. whether you are organized and operating in compliance with all applicable laws;

2. whether you have adequately educated your leaders on how to meet their legal obligations; and

3. whether you should implement certain best practices in board governance and nonprofit operations to improve your capacity to further your mission.

Benefits of Engaging Proper Counsel

Retaining the services of the right attorney who is experienced at working with nonprofits and is on top of the rapidly changing landscape of nonprofit laws can result in the following benefits:

• More effective governance and support to the organization by the board.

• Less exposure to liability (to the organization and its individual managers and directors).

• Greater confidence and efficiency in operations.

• Improved recruiting of executive staff and board members.

• Expanded opportunities for lobbying and earned income.

Our Areas of Focus

Our Services

• Legal counsel with respect to various aspects of nonprofit law.

• On-site presentations to boards of directors and/or staff.

• Strategies to facilitate greater board participation and effectiveness in leading the organization.

• Protections against liability for organizational leaders.

• Document preparation and review services:

- Articles of incorporation.

- Bylaws.

- Federal and California tax exemption applications.

- Contracts and legal agreements, such as fiscal sponsorship agreements and grant agreements.

- Merger & acquisition documents.

- Dissolution documents.

• Seminars and workshops on various nonprofit law topics:

- Starting a nonprofit organization.

- Getting and maintaining appropriate tax-exempt status.

- Nonprofit corporate governance.

- Public charities and intermediate sanctions.

- Private foundation legal issues.

- Advocacy & lobbying.

- Charitable solicitation activities & registration.

- Earned income strategies & UBIT.

- Joint ventures.

- Risk management.

- Grantmaking

- Planned giving

Nonprofit Law Essentials

Brief summaries of critical nonprofit legal issues.

Nonprofit Law Resources

List of links to web sites and other resources.