Foundation & Charity Management


Foundation & Charity Management

Services

Nonprofit tax & legal solutions in one place

Foundation & Charity Management

Leaders of nonprofit & tax-exempt organizations owe fiduciary duties to their organizations, but serving in this role generally doesn’t generally come with a crash course in nonprofit law.

Our team of nonprofit lawyers & CPAs has decades of experience working with some of the most complex foundations & charities across the US. We serve as legal & tax advisors to the Board of Directors, so you can focus on your philanthropic goals. We help organizations throughout the life cycle of a nonprofit, including:

Start-UP

  • Formation of nonprofit corporations & trusts
  • Drafting organizational documents & policies
  • Tax-exemption applications (IRS Form 1023)
  • IRS determination letter process

Operations

  • Board development & governance
  • Administrative services
  • Guidance on fundraising & public support test
  • Charitable activities & grantmaking programs

Compliance


  • “Exempt Check” compliance assessments
  • Tax return preparation (IRS Form 990 series)
  • Unrelated business taxable income planning
  • Related party transactions & excise tax mitigation

Termination & Liquidation

  • Federal & state dissolution requirements
  • Succession planning
  • Winding up affairs
  • Distribution of assets

Exempt Check

Whether you’re just getting started or managing a mature nonprofit organization, you need assurance that you’re doing all of the right things. We designed Exempt Check service to give nonprofit executives peace of mind that they are keeping their organizations secure and following best practices. Here’s what you can expect:

  • We start with a comprehensive review of organizing and governing documents, policies and procedures, board meeting minutes, financial statements, tax returns, etc.
  • Upon review, we’ll prepare a detailed memorandum outlining our findings. As a law firm registered as an “alternative business structure,” our findings are subject to lawyer-client privilege.
  • Finally, we’ll meet with the Board to present our findings and will work with the Board to plan the implementation of any needed changes, including drafting / revising contracts and policies, communicating with governing authorities, and amending tax returns, if necessary.

Nonprofit Subscription

We understand that operational questions arise throughout the year, not just during board meetings. Our nonprofit subscription makes our nonprofit lawyers & CPAs available to the Board year-round for a fixed monthly fee. We routinely help organizations with matters such as:

Compliance

  • Obtaining & preserving tax-exempt status
  • Tax preparation
  • Unrelated business taxable income

Governance & Administration

  • Defining the organization’s mission & tax-exempt purposes
  • Public support test calculations
  • Planning revenue in compliance with public charity status
  • Administration of charitable activities
  • Grantmaking eligibility
  • Fundraising requirements & restrictions
  • Public disclosure requirements
  • Written charitable acknowledgement letters

Restrictions & Excise Taxes For Charities & Foundations

  • Excess benefit transactions
  • Private benefit & private inurement
  • Lobbying & political activities
  • Net investment income tax
  • Self-dealing
  • Required minimum distributions
  • Excess business holdings
  • Jeopardizing investments
  • Taxable expenditures