This book covers the formation, tax, governance, and documentation issues [of nonprofit organizations] ... and addresses some other areas, including mergers and sale of assets of nonprofits as well as dissolution of nonprofits. -- From the author's preface.

A concise overview of the legal needs of nonprofit organizations Good Counsel is a compact and personable overview of the legal needs of nonprofits, crafted by one of America's most astute nonprofit general counsels. The book distills the legal needs of the 1.8 million tax-exempt organizations in the United States.Written in a clear and accessible style, with plenty of humor and storytelling as well as illustrative case studies, Good Counsel explains the basics of nonprofit corporate law, governance, and the tax exemption. It then takes a department-by-department look at legal topics relevant to program, fundraising, finance, communications, human resources, operations, contracts, government relations, and more. Good Counsel is designed help organizations fulfill their missions to do the public good. Designed to impart confidence and demystify the issues, Good Counsel is a must-read for nonprofit professionals and board members as well as lawyers and law students. Using Good Counsel as their playbook, lawyers, executives, and trustees can get an overview of the most common legal, governance, and compliance issues facing their organization and together ramp up a top-notch legal function. Contains practice pointers, checklists, and assessment tools Features sample contracts, licenses, and other form documents Filled with case studies and end-of-chapter focus questions, as well as available lesson plans for easy classroom use by educators in business, management, public policy, and law schools Good Counsel is the first-of-its-kind guidebook written by the sitting General Counsel of a major nonprofit. Written by influential author, speaker, and Bar leader Lesley Rosenthal, the General Counsel of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Good Counsel shares the insights of a Harvard Law School graduate with years of in-house and business law experience as well as board service.

Concise, authoritative answers to questions concerning the business, tax, legal, and fund-raising practices of nonprofit organizations The Legal Answer Book for Nonprofit Organizations Designed to help nonprofit managers and their professional consultants, this comprehensive reference presents—in plain English—practical answers to the most frequently asked questions about nonprofit organizations. Nonprofit managers will find a wealth of workable, real-world solutions to their most pressing problems and concerns, including private inurement, lobbying limitations, subsidiary organizations, strategic alliances with for-profit and nonprofit organizations, board governance and responsibilities, liability insurance, planned giving vehicles, and much more. Written and edited by a leading legal authority on tax-exempt organizations, it also offers creative strategies for enhancing and expanding a nonprofit organization's activities. Periodic updates will keep readers informed of the latest trends and developments in the nonprofit sector. Nonprofit executives, board members, lawyers, accountants, and fund-raising professionals will find The Legal Answer Book for Nonprofit Organizations to be an indispensable resource.

The ins and outs of law in the nonprofit sector--made easy! Written by renowned author Bruce R. Hopkins, Nonprofit Law MadeEasy is a must-read guide for executives, board members, officers,accountants, fundraisers, and others who handle legal issues thataffect the way nonprofit organizations are formed andoperated. Nonprofit Law Made Easy presents in-depth discussions on such hottopics as acquiring and maintaining tax-exempt status, reportingrequirements, charitable giving, disclosure requirements, unrelatedbusiness activities, fundraising, corporate governance principles,and board member liability. It also includes crucial information onavoiding nonprofit law traps and navigating governance andliability issues. Packed with practical tips and hard-to-find, authoritative advice,Nonprofit Law Made Easy demystifies complex legal issues withplain-language explanations of laws and regulations for non-legalprofessionals.

In a concise and readable format, Nonprofit Law, 2nd Edition provides up-to-date information about the legal issues that can arise at every turn--from inception to termination--of a Section 501(c)(3) organization. This second edition continues and builds upon the comprehensive features of the first edition, including: A reader-friendly presentation that does not assume earlier background with tax, trusts, or corporations A balanced treatment between theory and practical reality Cradle-to-grave organization of topics Notes, questions, and problems in each chapter that add context to the text All relevant statutes and regulations within the text Optional exercises for creating a virtual nonprofit, which become the basis for further hypothetical questions. Designed to satisfy the highest academic requirements for students of law, business, and public policy (and to provide an accessible, comprehensive desk reference for practicing nonprofit professionals), Nonprofit Law, 2nd Edition explains the corporate, tax, and other regulatory issues that all nonprofit managers, board members, and their lawyers ultimately face. Highlights of the second edition include: Examples of familiar organizations, from Catholic Dioceses to the American Red Cross, grappling with critical issues Consideration of for-profit social enterprises as alternatives to nonprofits Thorough exploration of the policy implications of nonprofit regulation An explanation of the controversies surrounding nonprofits' entrance into politics and the IRS' response.

Nonprofit Governance Law, Practices & Trends Governance seems to be the subject that is perched atop every nonprofit lawyer's worry/wish list, despite the fact that there is not much law on the point, particularly at the federal level. This ascension in importance is largely due to the various organizations propounding best practices and principles for public charities and other forms of nonprofit organizations, the IRS's redesigned Form 990, the agency's aggressive push of certain good governance principles in the tax-exempt organizations' setting, and scandals brought to light by the Senate Finance Committee staff. Stemming from the authors' endless hours of meditating over the new Form 990 and sifting through the many (and often inconsistent) best practices principles, Nonprofit Governance fills the need for some cohesion in the realm of nonprofit governance by providing in-depth coverage and explanations of the laws, practices, and trends in this volatile area. An invaluable resource for nonprofit executives, officers, directors, nonprofit lawyers, accountants, members of boards of directors, and consultants, legal experts Bruce R. Hopkins and Virginia Gross's Nonprofit Governance brims with detailed documentation and references to regulations, rulings, cases, and tax literature (which includes current articles and tax law review notes). Here, readers will find a wealth of clarifying information on: Federal and state law fundamentals Board member responsibilities and liability Nonprofit governance principles Nonprofit governance issues Application of the private benefit doctrine Governance and the redesigned Form 990 Recommended polices and procedures Governance case studies Governance legal audit A law primer for nonprofit board members And much more The book includes an exhaustive index, Internal Revenue Code citations and numerous case studies, tips, forms, and checklists to round out the authoritative coverage. Nonprofit Governance is an indispensable guide to, and through, all of the governance policymaking that is unfolding, to improve the management of nonprofit organizations as well as to help organizations be in compliance with nonprofit governance law.

Nonprofit Law for Religious Organizations: Essential Questions & Answers is a hands-on guide to the most pertinent and critical legal issues facing those who lead and manage religious tax-exempt organizations with an emphasis on tax, employment, property and constitutional law. This timely book is a response to the need for guidance, direction, and clarification of legal and tax laws affecting churches and other religious organizations.