Do I need a lawyer to start a nonprofit?

Not at all. Plenty of nonprofits started as groups of people sharing information and working together for a common passion.

However, if you happen to already have a very specific or ambitious goal in mind, involving a knowledgeable lawyer from the start is the best way to make sure you hit all the bases you need to get started right. But otherwise, the best way to start is to start! And if you’re managing things yourself it will probably become pretty obvious when you or your team needs specialized support.

When does a nonprofit need a lawyer?

It depends on where you are in your journey, but if it seems like you’re thinking more about running your organization than building a better world, it might be time to see if someone can help simplify things. Nobody is born knowing about corporate governance documents or filing inclusions. So if these are the types of things that are pulling focus from the mission, it might be worth seeing what can be done. And we’re always here to ask if you’re unsure.

I want to financially support my favorite causes (or people). Do I need legal advice?

It depends on the complexity of the gift. The good news is that there are many great ways to give that are easy, fool-proof, and don’t need a lawyer involved. 

However, if you are looking for some involvement in how the gift is used, or are looking for a specific tax benefit, you should probably talk to a lawyer to make sure things go as planned.

If the gift is something complicated, like a piece of real estate or an interest in a business, it would be a very good idea to talk to an experienced lawyer first. There are a lot of ways some gifts could actually cause outsized problems for both the giver and the receiver.

Not sure? Book a free consultation and we can help you figure out exactly what needs to happen with your gift.

Free consultations with an attorney? Flat-rate prices? Why?

First, we want to make sure this is a good fit. It might turn out you don’t need our services at all, or don’t need them yet, or that you would be better served by some other type of professional, such as a CPA.

We give a price for our services up-front because it helps our clients plan ahead and lends itself to the openness that characterizes a good attorney/client relationship. Plus, it simplifies our own bookkeeping, which is part of the how we remain specialized and keep our prices down.

However, under certain circumstances, or at the client’s request, we can accommodate hourly-billing for specific projects.

What’s the difference between having a nonprofit and being a philanthropist?

When we talk about people running charities or nonprofits, we are often thinking of people doing active charitable work of some kind as their work. And when we talk about philanthropists, we are often thinking of people who donate money in a significant way to the charities they care about. But in reality, the roles overlap significantly.

Because of the many legal structures that are used to give to charity, many people set up private foundations as a way of supporting other charities. In fact, this is a popular choice for many people who want to be active in giving as soon as possible, but never intend run the day-to-day operations of a program themselves. At the same time, some of the world’s most famous philanthropists are also some of the most energetic actors in creating active programs in education, health, and many other laudable areas.

So, many of the people who are deeply concerned with building a better world spend time in both roles. This is one area where there are truly no wrong answers.

What’s the difference between being a philanthropist and creating an estate plan?

There are a lot of ways to financially support others. Some people want to do as much as they can as soon as they can. Others prefer to wait their whole lives, so that their last moment will also be a moment of renewal to the people and causes that matter to them most. Today, giving instruments such as trusts and family or community foundations can bridge this gap, so that givers can decide exactly how involved they want to be during their lives, and how much of a change their passing will bring about.

Whatever you envision, we are here to make sure your giving goals turn out right.