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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. -
Use this template to document the initial actions of the incorporator of your new nonprofit. It’s a document used to formally appoint the initial board members of the organization. (See also our Unanimous Written Consent by the Board – Startup Matters, used by an initial board of directors for taking other official corporate action as part of the startup process.)
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Use this template language to meet the legal notice requirements for advertising the existence of your new nonprofit corporation in Pennsylvania.
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This template is designed to help Pennsylvania nonprofit startups that want to obtain 501(c)(3) status avoid one of the most common mistakes during the formation process. This document contains IRS-required language along with other provisions to help protect your organization. To help you save time and money, this version is annotated with explanations and finer points for your consideration and for your discussion with your organization’s legal counsel.
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The IRS asks tax-exempt organizations on the IRS Form 990 if they have a written document retention and destruction policy, and it’s not a good sign when organizations can’t answer ‘yes’ to this question. This time-saving template educates organizations and encourages their compliance with the legal requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) by providing guidance for keeping, storing, and disposing of records and documents. It includes a chart listing specific documents and retention timeframes.
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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.
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This template is for a nonprofit organization that is named after a living individual who is agreeing to license his/her/their name and likeness for use by the organization for its identity and branding materials. This sample agreement contemplates that the individual licensor is the founder and sole Member of a Pennsylvania nonprofit corporation.
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If you are not careful when selecting a name, you can stumble into some serious startup trouble and cost your organization some woes early on. Organizations changing names and going through a rebranding process can suffer the same fate. Download our legal checklist for choosing a name for a list of steps to take and things to think through when choosing a name for your nonprofit. This guide sheet is also a helpful resource when it comes to naming and branding your nonprofit organization’s programs.
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Get a grip on membership to protect your organization from turmoil and takeovers. This guide sheet helps founders and leaders understand the role of members in the governance structures of Pennsylvania nonprofit corporations. Packed with information presented in easy-to-understand terms, this 2-page resource contains a visual representation to help explain the concept of membership, lists the fundamental rights of voting members in Pennsylvania nonprofit corporations (with helpful legal citations to the applicable statutory provisions), and addresses commonly asked questions about member liability. This version of our guide sheet explaining the role of members in nonprofit organizations is also designed to aid legal professionals, to provide easy access to Pennsylvania’s applicable statutory provisions. This version of our guide sheet can help you make quick work of navigating the Pennsylvania Nonprofit Corporation Law provisions relating to membership and can help inform your work, whether you are drafting or reworking any membership provisions in bylaws, or simply need to understand and home in quickly on the legal authority behind the role of members.
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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.
