Blog Posts

Why You Shouldn’t Have Multiple Nonprofits Within an Umbrella Nonprofit Having multiple nonprofits under an umbrella nonprofit may seem like a good idea. This is because the parent organization, or the umbrella, may provide resources to the smaller organizations. Many people ask if they could have multiple nonprofits under an umbrella nonprofit. Let me answer…

Is Someone Else Using Your Nonprofit’s Name? If you discover that someone else is using your nonprofit’s name without your consent, you have several choices. If you have registered your name as a federal trademark, then you have full legal rights to it. You will more easily be able to prove that you are the owner of…

2 Ways to Avoid IRS Trouble with Your Nonprofit Like most regulatory agencies, the IRS has priorities when it comes to evaluating your nonprofit’s Application for Tax-Exempt Status. There are two main concerns of the IRS when it comes to evaluating Tax-Exempt Status. These involve avoiding conflicts of interest and avoiding nonprofits that only benefit the directors…

How to Avoid Paying Personal Taxes on Your Nonprofit’s Donations An important benefit of having a properly structured nonprofit is that you will be able to get tax-deductible donations. Even if you are planning on funding your nonprofit yourself, this is still a good feature to have. Doing this will help you avoid paying personal…

How Much Nonprofit Attorneys Cost & How to Afford Them How much will you have to pay to hire a nonprofit attorney to form your 501c3 nonprofit for you? The answer is it depends. Different nonprofit attorneys have different rates based on their success rate, experience, and the benefits that are included in their packages.…

16 Ways Nonprofits Get into Legal Trouble Starting a nonprofit can be scary, but it doesn’t have to be. If you are aware of potential legal troubles, you’re more likely to be able to avoid them altogether. Here is a summary of a few of the most important things to keep in mind as you…

How to Avoid Losing Your Nonprofit by Keeping up with Annual Returns In 2011, the I.R.S. announced that it had revoked the tax-exempt status of over 275,000 nonprofits due to failure to file an annual filing in compliance with the Pension Protection Act of 2006. This Act changed the reporting requirements for small nonprofits and gave…

3 Things You Should Do Before Accepting Major Donations A good way to protect yourself and the reputation of your nonprofit is to make sure you are handling donations that you receive for your nonprofit properly. Here are the three things you should do before accepting major donations: The IRS only requires that you give…

3 Ways Fraud Occurs in Nonprofits Almost everyone at some point has felt the feeling of disappointment when listening to the news and hearing about yet another nonprofit scandal. The good news is that this does not have to be your story. Here are the three primary ways fraud occurs in nonprofits. Embezzlement. Someone within…

6 Things to Consider When Choosing a Name In the nonprofit industry, the name you choose is very important. If your name is not catchy enough, or memorable enough, supporters will have a hard time remembering your nonprofit. Here are some factors to consider when choosing a name for your nonprofit. Make sure the name…

10 Nonprofit Ideas for Starting Small Over the years, some of my clients have been discouraged from getting started because they felt that they needed a half million dollars to even consider starting their 501c3 nonprofit. Although that works fine, it is not necessary. It is perfectly acceptable to start small – but it doesn’t mean…

When Should You Start Your Nonprofit Timing is everything when it comes to the question: when should you start your nonprofit? My law firm has a wide array of clients ranging from college students to Fortune 500 companies. Yet, the answer is typically the same for everyone. Now. The best time to start your nonprofit…