The right resources can make all the difference

These resources and the information provided on PAnonprofitlaw.com are for informational purposes only, not legal advice. For help with your nonprofit organization’s legal matters, always seek the advice of experienced legal counsel.

  • Starting a nonprofit in Pennsylvania can be a simple process, and one you can do on your own – if you have the time and patience.  Designed to accompany our How-to Guide on Starting a Nonprofit, this kit packages up the startup resources that are for sale on PAnonprofitlaw.com, offering them in one convenient download for a discounted price.

    Digital Download: $346.95
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  • This guide sheet is incredibly handy for lawyers and other professionals looking for a quick and reliable reference to the legal authority that provides for the fiduciary duties of directors of Pennsylvania nonprofit corporations. Packed with quotations and citations from Pennsylvania’s statutes and case law, this detailed 5-page resource charts each of the primary fiduciary duties (i.e., the duties of care, loyalty, and obedience – as well as other essential duties), and includes corresponding legal excerpts and references for each of them. This resource also bullet points the actions board members take to fulfill these duties.

    Digital Download: $35.00
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  • This sample document is for a Pennsylvania nonprofit corporation that has sole Member who is a living individual, and who would like to appoint a successor sole Member to the organization. If you designated yourself as a sole member when founding a nonprofit corporation, and are developing a succession plan, this sample succession planning document is a great resource.

    Digital Download: $25.00
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  • This resource is a classic, and a “must read” for founders and lawyers representing nonprofit startups. It’s no surprise that it is the most popular Ready Reference Page published by Don Kramer’s Nonprofit Issues.

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  • Nonprofits come in many different shapes and sizes, and they are more effective if their governing instruments reflect the constituencies that must be represented to make them work. Nonprofit consultants and “best practices” commentators often seem to assume that there is an ideal structure for nonprofit organizations that is embodied in a standardized set of bylaws taken off the shelf. But nonprofits are not all alike.

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  • In 2022, the Pennsylvania legislature made major changes to the nonprofit corporation law (found in Title 15 of Pennsylvania’s Consolidated Statutes). This 10-page executive summary of those changes succinctly captures what’s new, focusing on how the amendments impact nonprofit corporations. Clear and easy to read, this time-saving resource distills the complexity of the 165-page PDF of redlined changes made to Act 122 (drawn from House Bill 2057) and includes citations to specific statutory provisions.

    Digital Download: $14.95
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  • With detailed commentaries, cross references, and citations, this annotated statute is an essential resource for legal professionals serving Pennsylvania nonprofit corporations. It’s an especially helpful tool for professionals who are in private practice or serving as in-house counsel, but also for courts and regulatory agencies with jurisdiction over the nonprofit sector, and for those who are teaching and studying nonprofit law.

    Online Access: $265.00
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  • With detailed commentaries, cross references, and citations, this annotated statute is an essential resource for legal professionals serving Pennsylvania nonprofit corporations. It’s an especially helpful tool for professionals who are in private practice or serving as in-house counsel, but also for courts and regulatory agencies with jurisdiction over the nonprofit sector, and for those who are teaching and studying nonprofit law.

    Hard Copy, Online Access: $350.00
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  • This one-page visual guide sheet provides a succinct overview of the three fiduciary duties of board members serving Pennsylvania nonprofit corporations – the duty of care, the duty of loyalty, and the duty of obedience – and bullet points the actions board members take to fulfill these duties.

    Digital Download: $15.00
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  • Loans made to a nonprofit organization must be documented contemporaneously in writing. This sample loan agreement is useful for short-term, zero-interest loans made to the organization.

    Digital Download: $25.00
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  • Use this template board service agreement to set clear expectations for your board members. This document includes a summary of board duties and other provisions that can protect your organization and help it grow strong.
  • Quality bylaws that reflect contemporary best practices help keep nonprofit organizations healthy. This is our basic tried-and-true template, which provides a great start for non-member organizations (i.e., organizations that just have board members and do not have voting members in addition to board members). This template works for organizations that are either adopting bylaws for the first time or want a template to work from to amend and restate their existing bylaws. This version provides for a self-perpetuating board of directors (i.e., a board of directors that elects successor board members). It also includes a cover note about special considerations, calling out provisions that organizations may want to pay closer attention to or tailor to their needs.
  • Quality bylaws that reflect contemporary best practices help keep nonprofit organizations healthy. This is our basic tried-and-true template, which provides a great start for most startup organizations that have a single founder. (See our sample Bylaws - Two founders as the Only Members if the organization has two founders.)
  • Quality bylaws that reflect contemporary best practices help keep nonprofit organizations healthy. This is our basic tried-and-true template, which provides a great start for most startup organizations that have two founders. (See our sample Bylaws - One Founder as the Sole Member if the organization has only one founder.)
  • The IRS asks tax-exempt organizations on the IRS Form 990 if they have a written conflict of interest policy – and it’s never a good sign when organizations can’t answer ‘yes’ to this question. Pennsylvania’s charity regulators care, too. Even if an organization is not a charitable organization, Pennsylvania law only allows for related-party transactions in certain circumstances. This template policy is designed to help nonprofit leaders fulfill their fiduciary duties and keep their organizations in compliance. This version is a good starting point for boards that take conflicts of interest seriously and that want something more robust for identifying and screening conflicts of interest. It includes an annual disclosure form and provides a roadmap for screening and vetting conflicts.
  • This sample document is for a Pennsylvania nonprofit corporation that has sole Member who is a living individual, and who would like to appoint a successor sole Member to the organization. If you designated yourself as a sole member when founding a nonprofit corporation, and are developing a succession plan, this sample succession planning document is a great resource.
  • An organization that has 501(c)(3) status and needs to communicate with donors about its tax status can use this letter to recognize donor contributions. This letter also includes language organizations can post on their websites about their exempt status. (If your organization’s exemption ruling is pending, see also our Donor Acknowledgement Letter – Pre-501(c)(3) Status.)
  • An organization that doesn’t have 501(c)(3) status yet but needs to communicate with donors about its tax status can use this letter to recognize donor contributions. This letter also includes language organizations can post on their websites while they are waiting for the IRS to recognize their tax-exempt status. (See also our Donor Acknowledgement Letter – Post-501(c)(3) Status.)
  • Although applying for an employer identification number (EIN) for a nonprofit organization can be a simple process, founders who are not in the know can waste time and money when applying for EINs. This guide sheet walks through the process step by step, warning of possible pitfalls.
  • The IRS asks tax-exempt organizations on the IRS Form 990 if they have a process for determining executive compensation that requires an independent review (and approval) of the proposed compensation, the use of comparability data, and contemporaneous substantiation of the deliberation and decision. This template policy meets those criteria and provides a roadmap for properly approving executive compensation.
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