Legal Issues for New Nonprofits
Your organization received its 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status from the IRS – now what?
Legal Issues for New Nonprofits is an eight-part webinar series that provides general legal information about operating a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, nonprofit corporation. These webinars explain many of the rules and best practices for maintaining your tax-exempt status.
Featured Topics
- Governance, fundraising and record-keeping requirements
- A general overview for compliance with employment laws
- Protecting your organization’s trademarks and copyrights
- Financial oversight by the Board
- Basics of risk management to protect your organization and your clients
While geared towards new nonprofits, the webinars are also appropriate for smaller nonprofits (for example, nonprofits that file IRS Form 990-N).
Each webinar is a standalone presentation, so you can view any or all of the presentations in any order that is most convenient for you. Also, each webinar has a PowerPoint that can be downloaded.
Legal Issues for New Nonprofits is a joint effort of the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Program, Pro Bono Partnership Inc., and Pro Bono Partnership of Atlanta.
Bipartisan Policy Center, Lawyers Alliance for New York, Turner Broadcasting System, and Weil, Gotshal & Manges, also assisted with this project.
Course Outline: covering all of the topics in the webinars
This webinar highlights IRS regulations for 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations, including limitations on private inurement.
Webinar 1: What Does It Mean to be Tax Exempt?
Webinar Recording (42 mins.)
PowerPoint Presentation lobbying and unrelated business income.
Presenter: Regina Hopkins, Esq., Assistant Director for Community Economic Development, D.C. Bar Pro Bono Program
Webinar 2: Nonprofit Governance
This webinar discusses nonprofit governance requirements and best practices, including those for board duties, board meetings, board member rights and liabilities, governing documents, and filings.
Presenter: Holly Gregory, Esq., Weil, Gotshal & Manges (no longer with firm)
Webinar Recording (44 mins.)
PowerPoint Presentation
Webinar 3: Fundraising
This webinar presents an overview of legal issues concerning fundraising by nonprofit organizations, including charitable solicitation registration, required IRS acknowledgments, and gambling laws.
Presenter: Robyn Miller, Esq., Pro Bono Partnership of Atlanta
Webinar Recording (51 mins.)
PowerPoint Presentation
Webinar 4: Recordkeeping Requirements
This webinar covers the recordkeeping requirements for nonprofits, including IRS requirements, and best practices for keeping and maintaining other important organizational records.
Presenter: Mark Hoenig, Esq., Weil, Gotshal & Manges
Video (37 mins.)
PowerPoint Presentation
Webinar 5: Employment Law
This webinar introduces some of the many legal issues concerning employment law, including hiring, supervision and possible termination of employees; the proper use of contractors; wage and hour compliance; and an overview of harassment and discrimination laws.
Presenter: Judith Moldover, Esq., Lawyers Alliance for New York
Webinar Recording (70 mins.)
PowerPoint Presentation
Webinar 6: Trademarks and Copyrights for Nonprofits
Your nonprofit may have valuable “intellectual property” rights in your organization’s name, logo, program materials and other assets. This webinar will give an overview of intellectual property considerations, and how to best protect these assets.
Presenters: Rick McMurtry, Esq. and Carly Regan, Turner Broadcasting System
Webinar Recording (49 mins.)
PowerPoint Presentation
Webinar 7: Board’s Responsibility for Financial Oversight
This webinar details the financial responsibilities of the Board of Directors, including approving budgets, reviewing financial statements, and setting internal controls.
Presenter: Denise Devenny, CPA, Vice President of Operations with the Bipartisan Policy Center
Webinar Recording (13 mins.)
PowerPoint Presentation
This Webinar covers the basics of identifying the risks involved in operating
Webinar 8: Risk Management and Insurance
Webinar Recording (45 mins.)
PowerPoint Presentation an nonprofit; and how to best address those risks in order to protect your organization, your clients, your board, your employees and your volunteers.
Presenter: Regina Hopkins, Esq., Assistant Director for Community Economic Development, D.C. Bar Pro Bono Program
SPONSOR: JPMorgan Chase Foundation
PLEASE NOTE: The course outline and webinars are being provided solely for informational purposes and do not provide specific legal advice for any individual situation. Moreover, the information contained in the course outline and each webinar were based upon the laws as of June 1, 2014, and these laws may be repealed, revoked or modified, possibly retroactively. Any changes in the law may result in changes to the information contained in the course outline and webinars. The course outline and webinars should be used in conjunction with, and not as a substitute for, qualified legal and tax counsel. Only an attorney or other tax professional with knowledge of your particular situation can provide the assistance you need. You are urged to consult an attorney or other tax professional.
IRS Circular 230 Disclosure: To ensure compliance with requirements imposed by the IRS, we inform you that any tax advice contained in this communication (including any attachments) is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of: (i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or any other U.S. federal tax law; or (ii) promoting, marketing, or recommending to another party any transaction or matter addressed herein.
This document is provided as a general informational service to volunteers, clients, and friends of the Pro Bono Partnership of Ohio. It should not be construed as, and does not constitute, legal advice on any specific matter, nor does distribution of this document create an attorney-client relationship.