Practice Areas

Nonprofit Organizations

We work closely with many nonprofit organizations. Our areas of expertise include organization and structure, fiduciary responsibilities, organizational governance and compliance, social entrepreneurship, and risk management.

Marc Lane is the author of Legal Handbook for Nonprofit Organizations, American Management Association.


Nonprofit Organization and Structure

We work with nonprofit clients to ensure that they run effective organizations that stay focused on mission and have the organizational structure required for them to flourish and succeed. We provide objective professional guidance to nonprofits in the development and implementation of policies, and we work with nonprofit boards to ensure that they are both effective and compliant with the legal and ethical obligations they face. Our service areas also include:

  • Entity and governance design
  • Advice on responsibilities of boards and directors
  • Strategic business planning
  • Guidance on the principles of social entrepreneurship
  • Coaching on the relationship of the board and executive director

Exempt Organizations

We counsel tax-exempt organizations, including public charities, private foundations, trade associations, and social clubs, on formation, planning and compliance issues and represent them before regulatory bodies at the state and federal levels. We offer advice to our clients on unrelated business taxable income, jeopardizing investments, private inurement, and other tax issues affecting tax-exempt organizations.

Fiduciary Responsibilities

An individual is considered a fiduciary when he or she serves as a trustee, board member or officer of a charitable corporation. We help nonprofit fiduciaries and other key personnel to responsibly manage the assets entrusted to them. We work with each nonprofit client to ensure that all fiduciaries:

  • Recognize their fiduciary status
  • Understanding their fiduciary obligations
  • Understanding the legal and regulatory environment impacting them
  • Developing prudent investment policies to include the development of an Investment Policy Statement
  • Avoid conflicts of interest and prohibited transactions
  • Take action to mitigate the risks associated with being fiduciaries

Announcing Marc J. Lane's 35th Book:

The Mission-Driven Venture: Business Solutions to the World's Most Vexing Social Problems

More About The Book
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