By NEO Law Group
An engaged board can be one of the most important organizational assets of a nonprofit. But nonprofit boards are often underutilized and are not always effective in significantly advancing an organization’s mission. Educating boards and executives about their legal duties, practical steps to take to effectively meet those duties, and best practices in mitigating exposure to organizational and personal liability/harm is key to establishing board engagement and effectiveness.
Earlier this week, I had the privilege of guest lecturing for Professor Louise Carroll‘s Nonprofit Strategic Governance class at the University of San Francisco. As a former graduate and adjunct faculty member of the Master of Nonprofit Administration (MNA) program, which may have been the first in the country,...
Charitable nonprofits are organized and operated to further their tax-exempt missions. For some nonprofits, their mission statement is memorialized in their articles of incorporation and/or bylaws. For others, the mission statement can only be found on their public communications (e.g., website), fundraising materials, and annual information returns (Forms 990)....
Thanks to Jen Bokoff for permitting us to republish this post originally published on the Jeneralist blog. 13 lists of ways to learn and show up as antiracist* in this world *Let’s start with the term “antiracist,” since I know this term alone causes many to go on the...
There are many ways in which two or more nonprofits can collaborate (see La Piana Consulting’s Collaborative Map), including (1) mergers and (2) dissolutions and asset transfers discussed in Part 1 of this series. This post specifically examines a merger between two California nonprofit corporations. Prior to moving forward...
Earlier this month, the California Office of the Attorney General (“AG”) published Charity Governance During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Here are some excerpted highlights from the publication applicable to California nonprofit corporations with some comments: Emergency Provisions Unless prohibited by the nonprofit’s emergency bylaws, the following actions can be taken...
On Tuesday, April 28, at 9 am PDT / 12 pm EDT, I’ll be on Facebook Live with Nadya K. Shmavonian (Partner, SeaChange Capital Partners.) and host Andy Davis (Associate Vice President of Member Education & Outreach, BoardSource) to discuss dissolution and mergers of nonprofits resulting the COVID-19 crisis. We’ll be...
You’ll find a wealth of information provided by numerous organizations and law firms regarding COVID-19-related issues facing nonprofits, including this page from the NEO Law Group. Such issues include those related to new laws providing for paid employee leave, small business (and nonprofit) loans, and enhanced charitable contribution deductions....
On Wednesday, April 1, at 9 am PDT / 12 pm EDT, I’ll be on Facebook Live with BoardSource CEO Anne Wallestad and host Andy Davis to discuss some of the main legal issues we’re hearing from the nonprofit sector during the COVID-19 crisis. We’ll be responding to questions...
Last week, Venable LLP hosted a webinar called COVID-19: What Your Nonprofit Needs To Know, which examined current questions surrounding workers, insurance, events, travel, and workplace situations. Below are some tips for nonprofits in handling the COVID-19 pandemic. Note that, as the situation is fluid and changing rapidly, good...
Nonprofits must recognize and manage the impact of the coronavirus and associated disease known as COVID-19 that has created great concern and fear for an ill-prepared and under-educated country and world. Quarantines, canceled conferences and events, staggering drops in economic markets, deserted public spaces, self-isolation, and social distancing are...