CapWorks  /  Services  /  Nonprofit Legal Counsel

Nonprofit Legal Counsel & Compliance

Senior nonprofit-corporate counsel — for the day-to-day issues and for the matters that go to court.

Nonprofits face the same legal exposure as for-profits, plus the regulatory weight of tax-exempt status. You need counsel who lives in that intersection — not a generalist learning it on your bill.

Get your free Capacity Index → All services

Areas we cover

  • Formation & tax-exempt status — Articles, bylaws, 1023/1024 applications, public-charity vs. private-foundation classification.
  • Compliance — Form 990, state charitable-solicitation registration, lobbying limits, public-support test, UBIT.
  • Contracts — Vendor agreements, grant agreements, fiscal-sponsorship agreements, MOUs, fee-for-service contracts.
  • Employment — Employee handbooks, classification, terminations, harassment investigations, leave law, ADA accommodations.
  • Governance — Bylaw revisions, board policies, conflict of interest, fiduciary-duty advice, executive contracts.
  • Disputes & litigation — When something escalates — including IRS examinations, state AG inquiries, employment claims, contract disputes, and constitutional matters.

Why specialized nonprofit counsel matters

  • Generalist counsel routinely misses tax-exempt nuance, costing the organization later in audits or applications.
  • Employment law for nonprofits has special wrinkles — religious-employer exemption, volunteer classification, equity in fundraising compensation.
  • Contract structures common in nonprofits (fiscal sponsorship, restricted gifts, federal pass-through) require specialized drafting.
  • A senior nonprofit attorney saves you from paying generalists to learn your sector on the meter.
How we engage

A clear path from where you are to where you need to be.

Step01

Triage

Specific matter or ongoing counsel — we scope, fee, and start.

Step02

Counsel

Direct attorney engagement, plain-language advice, and the documents you need.

Step03

Defend

When matters escalate — IRS, state AG, employment, contract, constitutional — we litigate.

Step04

Sustain

Ongoing-counsel retainers for organizations that need a lawyer on call, without paying for a full legal department.

Every engagement begins with a free Capacity Index.

An objective baseline of where your organization actually stands across 10 strategic domains. No obligation, no sales pitch.

Request your free Index →
Related services

Often paired with this work.

501(c)(3) Nonprofit Formation

From idea to IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) — without the rejections, redo’s, and year-one mistakes that haunt DIY filings.

Learn more →

Nonprofit Board Development

A governing board that actually governs — recruited, oriented, and structured for the stage you’re in.

Learn more →

Nonprofit Crisis Management

When the call comes in, you don’t want to be assembling the team for the first time.

Learn more →