No. We do not assist organizations with the application for 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status.
The legal services provided by PBPO and the attorney volunteers are free of charge. Note that you may have to pay fees to third parties depending on your matter. For example, to file for a trademark you must pay a filing fee to the US Patent and Trademark Office.
Our main request is that you are considerate of the attorney’s time. These attorneys graciously volunteer their time and efforts to assist nonprofits with their legal needs. They bill their time to paying clients at rates of at least several hundred dollars per hour. If accepted as a client, we will ask you to sign a Client Expectations form that details our expectations from you.
Our primary purpose is to link nonprofits in need to attorney volunteers. The initial meeting usually includes the client, the attorney volunteer, and an attorney from PBPO. This meeting is meant to introduce everyone and create an understanding of the scope of the matter. After this meeting, it is the responsibility of the attorney and the client to communicate directly with one another. Please keep us updated on the progress of the matter, and inform us when the matter is complete. We will formally close the matter once we are notified it is complete.