Nonprofit organizations have legal issues like any other businesses – government audits, management, employment matters, real estate, tax compliance. And they also have additional matters unique to tax-exempt groups – fiduciary duties, fundraising responsibilities, membership voting, conflict of interest matters, and more.
We provide comprehensive counsel for midsize nonprofit, tax-exempt organizations, acting as general counsel while helping nonprofits manage their legal costs.
We manage the legal side of your nonprofit, so you can focus on your cause and community.
We help through
- General Counsel Services
- Training Sessions
- Legal Check-Ups
- Crisis Management
We help
- Public Charities
- Foundations
- Professional & Trade Associations
- Schools & Educational Organization
- Advocacy Groups
- Philanthropists
Please give us a call – we’d love to visit!
Cullinane Law Group serves as general counsel to strong and emerging nonprofits and for-good businesses.
While many large organizations have full time attorneys on staff, that may not be realistic for smaller groups. Cullinane Law Group provides comprehensive advice and services for midsize nonprofit, tax-exempt organizations, acting as general counsel while helping them manage their legal costs.
We know that many the board and staff of nonprofits prefer to devote their energy and resources to running their mission than to dealing with legal matters. Our experience in corporate and tax-exempt law allows us to take on all of our clients’ legal needs so they can focus on their missions.
We offer tailored plans for your organization’s GROWTH. Our General Counsel Services help with
- G – Guidance for Your Organization. You can call us at any time with your questions. You will have peace of mind by knowing an award-winning team is here for you. We help with human resource issues, intellectual property, real estate, and more.
- R – Risk Management. We will review your organization’s activities, give practical advice and offer tools for success. We advise on indemnification policies, insurance coverage, regulatory compliance, and record-keeping. We help with corporate resolutions, annual meetings, investigations.
- O – Organizational Governance. We help with the board of directors, governing documents (bylaws, articles of incorporation), conflicts, meetings, state compliance and reports.
- W – Ways to Raise Funds. Nonprofit fundraising is highly regulated. We counsel on fundraising law, gift planning, charitable solicitations, tax deductibility requirements, major gifts, corporate sponsorships, endowments, grant contracts, charitable gaming and social investing.
- T – Training. We offer training to your board and staff that are specialized to your needs.
- H – Help with all of your legal needs, as they arise. This may include adversarial proceedings or litigation, real estate, intellectual property, management, employment issues, insurance, contracts, and more.
Training
We offer training to Nonprofit Staff and Board Members. Training is especially helpful for new boards, and new executive leadership team, or for an organization that has been finding conflicts between board/staff roles.
Cullinane Law Group comes to your organization’s annual conference or office for one-on-one or group training. Topics can include:
- Roles of the ED vs. the Board
- Financial oversight, compliance, planning, budgeting, financial reporting
- Staff and volunteer management
- Program development, evaluation, and outcome reporting
- Legal reporting requirements on state and federal levels
- Fundraising Legally! Issues and requirements, including donation acknowledgments
- Financial oversight, compliance
- Leadership succession issues
- Conflicts of interest
- Liability
- Due diligence issues
We are experienced trainers and speakers who develop the best training session for each client’s unique needs.
Legal Check-Ups for Texas Organizations
Legal Check-Ups are important for nonprofits and foundations that want to stay in compliance and avoid potential legal problems. We conduct a complete legal check-up (a “legal audit”) to identify risks and to fill any gaps in the operations and/or services.
This service is a “tune in” that strengthens your nonprofit. We advise that a Legal Check-Up be conducted every few years. It is also helpful for nonprofits undergoing a change in direction or leadership.
We perform the legal check-up and advise the board on findings. The flat-rate service includes:
- Review the organization’s corporate status to conduct business in Texas, including corporate filings and amendments.
- Review the organization’s state tax-exempt status, sales tax permits, franchise tax status with the Texas Comptroller.
- Review IRS tax-exempt status, purpose, mission, and compliance.
- Review bylaws, governing documents, including review of validity of board authority.
- Other: affiliations and partnership agreements, employee documents, insurance coverage, fundraising law, more.
- Share finding with board and key staff and provide recommendations for risk management.
Crisis Management
We help tax-exempt organizations with immediate problems they are facing.
- IRS investigations and audits
- Texas attorney general investigations
- Employment matters, firing
- Embezzlement and fraud resolution
- Board fiduciary, liability and indemnification matters
- Director, officer and insurance policy claims
To get help with an urgent problem, please call our office at 512-298-2898.