Publications
- 2009 Washington Nonprofit Handbook : How to Form and Maintain a Nonprofit Corporation in Washington State (940 KB PDF) by Washington Attorneys Assisting Community Organizations provides guidance on many legal issues facing nonprofit organizations in Washington State. Includes a guide for helping nonprofits understand common legal obligations and for highlighting areas where greater inquiry should be made, a discussion of how internet activity may affect a nonprofit's tax-exempt status, generate taxable income, or trigger registration under state charitable solicitation laws, and forms and templates regarding articles of incorporation, bylaws, conflict of intersest, and intellectual property issues. Chapters were contributed by Senior Advisors Putnam Barber and Cory Sbarbaro.
- The Guide to Starting a Nonprofit (175 KB PDF) by 501 Commons (formerly Executive Service Corps of Washington) describes the steps you should take to getting started and includes many links on topics such as: board development, nonprofit finances, business and strategic planning, and other topics important to making nonprofits successful.
- Nonprofit Legal Self-Assessment Checklist (128 KB PDF) by Washington Attorneys Assisting Community Organizations helps nonprofits understand common legal obligations and highlights areas where greater inquiry should be made.
Websites
- Alliance of Nonprofits for Insurances, Risk Retention Group: Provides insurance coverage for nonprofits in Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington
- American Bar Association Standing Committee on Pro Bono & Public Service: Serves as a resource for pro bono news and ways for volunteers to connect with charities in need
- Center for Lobbying in the Public Interest: Provides and excellent introduction tutorial on lobbying and federal lobby laws
- Community Action Program Legal Services, Inc.: Provides legal consultation, training, and publications on a wide variety of legal and management topics
- Hurwit & Associates: Provides comprehensive legal counsel in all aspects of nonprofit law, governance, regulation, and charitable giving
- Independent Sector: Provides up-to-date information on legal and ethical developments affecting nonprofits
- Labyrinth, Inc.: Offers a wealth of information about legal and financial issues concerning nonprofits
- Nolo: Offers a basic self-help law center with nonprofit advice, including a step-by-stop process in starting your own nonprofit
- Canfield & Associates Nonprofit Insurance Program (NPIP): Serves as a property and liability risk insurance pooling program for private nonprofit corporations
- OMB Watch: Provides up-to-date information on a wide range of policy issues important to the nonprofit sector
- Washington Attorneys Assisting Community Organizations: Refers eligible nonprofit organizations to volunteer attorneys who can help with matters ranging from maintenance of tax-exempt status to complex business contracts and transactions
- Washington Lawyers for the Arts: Creates alliances and makes legal resources accessible to artists and arts organizations of all disciplines
Find out more about other resources and our research on nonprofits and philanthropy by contacting the Nancy Bell Evans Center at 206.221.4629 or nbec@u.washington.edu.