A concise overview of the legal needs of nonprofit organizations Good Counselis a compact and personable overview of the legal needs of nonprofits, crafted by one of America's most astute nonprofit general counsels. The book distills the legal needs of the 1.8 million tax-exempt organizations in the United States.Written in a clear and accessible style, with plenty of humor and storytelling as well as illustrative case studies, Good Counsel explains the basics of nonprofit corporate law, governance, and the tax exemption. It then takes a department-by-department look at legal topics relevant to program, fundraising, finance, communications, human resources, operations, contracts, government relations, and more. Good Counsel is designed help organizations fulfill theirmissions to do the public good.Designed to impart confidence and demystify the issues, Good Counsel is a must-read for nonprofit professionals and board members as well as lawyers and law students. Using Good Counsel as their playbook, lawyers, executives, and trustees can get an overview of the most common legal, governance, and compliance issues facing their organization and together ramp up a top-notch legal function. Contains practice pointers, checklists, and assessment tools Features sample contracts, licenses, and other form documents Filled with case studies and end-of-chapter focus questions, as well as available lesson plans for easy classroom use by educators in business, management, public policy, and law schools Good Counsel is the first-of-its-kind guidebook written by the sitting General Counsel of a major nonprofit. Written by influential author, speaker, and Bar leader Lesley Rosenthal, the General Counsel of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Good Counsel shares the insights of a Harvard Law School graduate with years of in-house and business law experience as well as board service. INDICE: Preface Acknowledgements Introduction Features of the Book Who Should Use This Book How This Book Is Set Up Preliminary Observations Illustrative Cases In Sum/Coming Up Next Part I: An Overview of Nonprofits' Legal Needs Chapter 1: What Good Counsel Can Do for Nonprofits What Legal Needs Do Nonprofits Have in Common? Laws About Mission Law About Fiduciary Duties Laws About the Tax Exemption Beyond Laws About Nonprofits: Complying with Business Laws, Too First Stop for Legal Advice: CYA (Consult Your Attorney) Legal Education forNon-Lawyers In Sum/Coming Up Next Chapter 2: Nonprofit Legal Basics: Corporate Law and the Requirements of the Tax Exemption The Benefits of Incorporating Getting Organized as a Nonprofit Corporation Good Corporate Law Practices Incorporating As A Nonprofit: What's Different? Obtaining Recognition of Tax-Exempt Status Legal Requirements for Maintaining Tax-Exempt Status Additional IRS Expectations Whistleblower Policy for Accounting Matters Document Retention andDestruction Policy Gift Acceptance Policy Joint Venture Policy In Sum/Coming Up Next Chapter 3: Good Counsel About Corporate Governance? The Board's Function Board Composition A Minute About Minutes Nominating Audit Setting Compensation The Chief Executive's Responsibilities in Relation to Board and Counsel When Governance Fails: Learning by Negative Example In Sum/Coming Up Next Part II: A Grand Tour of Nonprofits' Business Law Needs Chapter 4: Business Laws That Matter to the Program Department: Contracts and Copyright Law Understanding the Organization's Program Contracts: At the Heart of the Program's Legal Arrangements What Program Executives Need to Know About Contract Law A Simplified Sample Contract, Dissected Sign on the Dotted Line The Wide Variety of Contracts Contract Law In Sum What is Intellectual Property (and What Does It Have toDo With Nonprofits?) Copyright Law for Nonprofits: Basic Terms and Definitions Taking Stock of Copyrighted Works Owned by the Organization Unlocking the Treasure Trove: Licensing the Organizations Copyrighted Works for Others to Use Protecting and Enforcing the Organization's Copyright In Sum/Coming Up Next Chapter 5: Counseling the Rainmakers: Legal Aspects of Raising Money A Lawyer's Introduction to Fundraising Laws That Matter to Fundraisers Pledge Forms OtherPlaces Where Legal Meets Fundraising Better Fundraising Through Good Governance and Compliance In Sum/Coming Up Next Chapter 6: Laws That Matter to the Finance Department (or Not-for-Profit, but Not-for-Loss Either) Know Your Client's Financial Context A Year In the Life Other Places Where Legal and Finance Meet In Sum/Coming Up Next Chapter 7: Getting Personnel: Human Resources Law forNonprofits Human Dynamics, Nonprofits, and the Law Starting an Employment Relationship During an Employment Relationship Other Laws that Matter to Nonprofit Human Resources Professionals Labor Law: Operating a Nonprofit in a Unionized Environment In Sum/Coming Up Next Chapter 8
- ISBN: 978-1-118-08404-5
- Editorial: John Wiley & Sons
- Encuadernacion: Cartoné
- Páginas: 304
- Fecha Publicación: 18/01/2012
- Nº Volúmenes: 1
- Idioma: Inglés