Legal Compliance & Transparency

It’s not always easy to know what good governance is – it’s just a feeling when everything is going smoothly with no major issues. It’s much easier to recognize when good governance is lacking. In this session, we will discuss the roles and responsibilities of serving on a nonprofit board and tangible action items to help your board be more effective.

Disclaimer: This recording is from the 2021 Nonprofit Legal Compliance Workshop, hosted on September 15, 2021. Some laws and rules may have changed since that date.

In this session, we will discuss recent and upcoming changes to accounting guidelines and regulations impacting the nonprofit industry, implications of these new guidelines, and strategies you can use now to help you prepare for what’s to come.

Disclaimer: This recording is from the 2021 Nonprofit Legal Compliance Workshop, hosted on September 15, 2021. Some laws and rules may have changed since that date.

Several recent media stories have brought negative attention to nonprofit organizations. In this session, we will discuss the compliance issues that gave rise to each story and ways that nonprofits can mitigate possible reputational harm.

Disclaimer: This recording is from the 2021 Nonprofit Legal Compliance Workshop, hosted on September 15, 2021. Some laws and rules may have changed since that date.

Insurance policies are some of the most important tools that help nonprofits mitigate legal liability. This session will provide an overview of the variety of insurance available to nonprofit organizations and offer insights into key considerations for nonprofit leaders in deciding what type of insurance coverage is the best fit for their organizations.

Disclaimer: This recording is from the 2021 Nonprofit Legal Compliance Workshop, hosted on September 15, 2021. Some laws and rules may have changed since that date.

Just as other organizations do, nonprofits should act to protect intellectual property they create and refrain from infringing on others' works. Whether taking photographs at your event for later use in promotional materials, having a volunteer create your nonprofit's mission statement video, or commissioning educational or program curriculum, nonprofits should ensure they have proper intellectual property rights to content they use.

Nonprofits & Copyright Law

Under Internal Revenue Code 4958, the IRS prohibits public charity 501(c)(3) organizations from using their income or assets to benefit private interests (e.g. an individual or a for-profit entity) in monetary or non-monetary ways. There are three categories of legal rules that govern a public charity's private benefit issues: the private benefit doctrine, the private inurement doctrine, and excess benefit transaction rules.

Renewing the Commitment: An ADA Compliance Guide for Nonprofits - The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 ensures the civil rights of people with physical and mental disabilities to have equal access to, and equal opportunity to enjoy, the services and activities of the public, private, and social sectors.

501(c)(3) organizations can engage voters and candidates through nonpartisan activities and still maintain their tax-exempt status.

Guide to Nonprofit Governance - A substantial 285 page document, intended to help guide nonprofit boards with understanding their responsibilities and establishing organizational policies. For more established boards, it can be referenced to help address any problems via a "Checklist for Directors of Troubled Not-For-Profit Organizations" and related parts of the document.

Update: The need for physical distancing during the COVID-19 public health crisis necessitated that gatherings of board members and other individuals move online by way of video conferencing technology. However, this brought into question the legality and permissibility of decisions and votes conducted outside of the normal parameters defined in many nonprofit's bylaws.