Nonprofit Law Blog

By NEO Law Group

Best of the Nonprofit Law Blog 2017

Published on: December 30, 2017 by Gene Takagi

While 2017 was a year many wish to forget, there were several special moments for us at NEO Law Group we wanted to share in our annual “Best of the Nonprofit Law Blog” post. We were one of the featured firms in the cover story for the February 2017 edition of...

Guidestar’s Guide to Good Practices in Foundation Operations

Published on: July 4, 2017July 4, 2017 by Gene Takagi

In June 2017, Guidestar released A Guide to Good Practices in Foundation Operations. The practices outlined cover the following areas: transparency; due diligence; responsive communications; and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Transparency Although not a guarantee of effectiveness, we believe transparency in general correlates with excellence in foundations. Which makes sense—the...

Best of the Nonprofit Law Blog 2016

Published on: December 24, 2016January 18, 2017 by Gene Takagi

Here are some selected highlights from NEO Law Group over the past year that we hope you’ll find helpful. Blog Posts Compliance 10 Legal Tips in 30 Minutes to Get 2017 Ready New IRS Notification Requirement for 501(c)(4) Organizations – Form 8976 Nonprofit Corporation Legal Audit Nonprofit Compensation: Tips...

Representing Nonprofits: Traps and Tips

Published on: May 13, 2014May 12, 2014 by Michele Berger

Representing nonprofit organizations can be incredibly rewarding but challenging on many levels. Last month, Gene shared the tips and traps of representing tax-exempt organizations regarding corporate, tax, and other issues in a podcast hosted by West LegalEdCenter. Here is a summary of his many enlightening and constructive points: Traps...

Nonprofit Law on Facebook

Published on: August 28, 2013 by Gene Takagi

We started posting daily to our Facebook Nonprofit Law page in March 2013 and just reached 2,000 likes. Check out our mix of articles and posts of relevance to nonprofits here. From the last seven days: 8/27 - Sector-Switching: Two Groups Make the Change From For-profit to Nonprofit...

The Legal Guide For Association Board Members

Published on: October 13, 2010February 25, 2014 by Gene Takagi

Last week, I had the pleasure of having lunch with association attorney Jim Seely after reading the recently published second edition of his book: The Legal Guide for Association Board Members. The Guide was designed for corporate directors of 501(c)(6) trade associations and business societies but holds important lessons for...

Waiting for ‘Superman’

Published on: October 11, 2010February 25, 2014 by Emily Chan

Davis Guggenheim, director of An Inconvenient Truth, addresses another thought-provoking topic—American public education reform—in his recent documentary, Waiting for ‘Superman’. Waiting for ‘Superman’ follows the stories of five young children who despite entering different grades, being of different backgrounds and attending different public schools throughout the country, all find...

Nonprofit Mergers & Alliances (2nd ed.)

Published on: July 7, 2010February 25, 2014 by Gene Takagi

I'm currently reading the recently published 2nd edition of Nonprofit Mergers & Alliances by Thomas A. McLaughlin and can already recommend it to nonprofit executives and board members thinking about collaborations and/or mergers. Indeed, the book had me at "hello" or, rather, its first sentence: "The best time to...

Foundations for the Common Good

Published on: July 2, 2010February 25, 2014 by Gene Takagi

Caring to Change, an independent project conducted in collaboration with the Aspen Institute's Program on Philanthropy and Social Innovation, earlier this year released Foundations for the Common Good, a report written by Mark Rosenman on how grantmaking can be more effective if focused on the broader goal of advancing the "Common Good."...

You’ve Gotta Have Heart

Published on: June 4, 2009February 25, 2014 by Gene Takagi 2 Comments

I recently skimmed You've Gotta Have Heart: achieving purpose beyond profit in the social sector by Cass Wheeler, former CEO of the American Heart Association (1997-2008). Wheeler's stated goal of writing the book: "to increase your organization's or your operation's effectiveness by 5 percent (or better) over your current...