Legal responsibilities/concerns of board members

Lawyers Alliance for New York offers workshops and low cost publications on topics of concern to nonprofits and legal professionals who advise them. Lawyers Alliance also provides discount and pro bono legal services to nonprofits that provide children and youth, economic development, housing and homeless, immigrant communities, elder, and disaster relief services.

Managment Assistance for Nonprofits provides useful outlines on legal and insurance considerations for members of nonprofit boards.

Board Source has a long list of FAQs regarding the legal issues of nonprofits, e.g. Can we raise money before receiving our determination letter?

Nonprofit Risk has a newsletter and many topic-specific archived articles provide nonprofits with information on risk management.

ProBono.net has information for volunteer lawyers working in many areas, such as asylum law, self -epresented litigant support and nonprofit organizations.

Volunteers of Legal Services provides legal services for poor people in New York City. The organization works with the poor, children, the elderly incarcerated mothers, persons with AIDS, and microentrepreneurs.

Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts assists orgainzation and individuals in the arts. It also provides articles on the impact of legislative developments in this area.

The law firm of Simpson Thatcher offers a number of articles relevant to nonprofits. Search under Practice Area for Tax Exempt Organizations.

Look for articles relevant to nonprofits under Tax Exempt Organizations in Articles and Newsletters from Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler.

Independent Sector provides in-depth coverage on the debate on federal legislation to regulate nonprofit sector.

Filing requirements and downloadable forms for nonprofits

http://www.oag.state.ny.us/charities/forms/charchange.html Forms for New York State nonprofits.

http://www.irs.gov/charities/article/0,,id=96103,00.html IRS forms for nonprofits.

http://www.multistatefiling.org - The Unified Registration Statement (URS) endeavors to consolidate the information and data requirements of all states that require registration of nonprofit organizations performing charitable solicitations within their jurisdictions.