Blogs

Business and Financial Services

What is Worrying Our Nonprofit Clients – Part II: Funding and Economics

As part two of our series, it is perhaps a truism that the first answer would always be money. The need for consistent and appropriate resources to execute on mission is a constant drumbeat for nonprofits. What is new is the pace of change, rapid shifts in sources of funds, changes in demand for services,…

May 11, 2026

Nonprofit/ Exempt Organizations

What Happens When a Donation to Your Nonprofit Goes Bad

In 2012, financier and Cantor Fitzgerald CEO Howard Lutnick made a transformative donation to his alma mater, Haverford College, a small liberal arts school in Pennsylvania. Over time, Lutnick’s contributions — reportedly totaling roughly $65 million — helped fund major campus initiatives, including the college’s library, which now bears his name. More than a decade…

March 27, 2026

Business and Financial Services

Why Board Members Must Review and Understand Form 990

For many nonprofit organizations, the annual Form 990 is treated as a routine accounting exercise. It is prepared by staff or outside advisors, perhaps reviewed briefly (if at all), and hopefully filed to satisfy minimum IRS requirements. In practice, however, Form 990 functions as something far more consequential for nonprofits. It is a public-facing document…

February 2, 2026

Business and Financial Services

What is Worrying Our Nonprofit Clients – Part 1: Repetitive Risk Issues

We have spent an intense year helping our nonprofit clients through a wide variety of threats and risks. During that time, we have seen and heard many repetitive concerns and worries expressed across a wide variety of organizations. Rather than siloing this information, we wanted to start a conversation around sharing best practices and approaches…

January 23, 2026

Business and Financial Services

Finding True North in Turbulent Times: Insights into Strategic Planning for Nonprofit Boards

In today’s environment of economic uncertainty, social transformation, and technological disruption, nonprofit boards must take a proactive and legally informed approach to strategic planning. Strategic oversight is a core governance function that directly affects mission fulfillment, legal compliance, and organizational sustainability. Boards need to actively engage on these topics or risk obsolescence. As outside legal…

November 24, 2025

Business and Financial Services

What Should a Nonprofit Board Member Think About Regarding a Merger or Acquisition?

Just like other businesses, nonprofits sometimes may need to think about potential merger and acquisition issues. In our legal practice, we have handled a number of affiliation deals or asset acquisitions involving nonprofits. This experience is consistent with what other sources report. Over the last five to ten years, the U.S. nonprofit sector has experienced…

October 1, 2025

Business and Financial Services

Building a Great Nonprofit Board: No Tourists, No Ghosts, No Dead Weight

There is a lot of mythology in the nonprofit world around what makes a great board of directors. Does it take prestige names or deep pockets? Some start by using friends or family. None of that matters if your board isn’t actively engaged, aligned on mission, vision, and values, and capable of respectfully challenging each…

June 9, 2025

Business and Financial Services

Some Things a Non-profit Should Never Do

Lawyers are quite good at putting the fear of God into their clients and friends. This tendency has even been reduced to the catchy term of laying out the “Parade of the Horribles.” In reality, for non-profits, there are some things you absolutely, positively should never do … and unfortunately, I know many of these…

July 12, 2024

Business and Financial Services

Is a Private School’s 501(c)(3) Status Enough to Subject it to Title IX Compliance Obligations?

In a decision of significance for private schools and other tax-exempt organizations, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit (“Fourth Circuit”) decided recently that merely having 501(c)(3) tax status is not a form of “federal financial assistance” sufficient to subject a tax-exempt school or organization to compliance obligations under Title IX of…

April 17, 2024

Business and Financial Services

Exploring the Spectrum of Nonprofit Tax-Exempt Entities

Determining exactly what type of non-profit structure your entity has, and which exempt organizations may apply, is a critical first question for your organization. The mission, vision, and values are the beating heart of your nonprofit’s activities. Still, fiscal responsibilities play a pivotal role in the survival and success of your organization. In this fourth…

November 15, 2023