Overview
Nonprofit organizations can depend on Butzel’s strong experience with nonprofit organizations of all types, particularly with large and complex nonprofits with sophisticated business needs. Our clients include a wide variety of nonprofits, such as business leagues and trade associations, hospitals and other healthcare organizations, elementary and secondary schools, colleges and universities, religious organizations, and community and social service organizations. The Nonprofit Organizations Practice Department regularly works with nonprofits to ensure compliance with federal and state law requirements, preservation of tax-exempt status, and a wide variety of business transactions.
Once a nonprofit organization is established, our team can assist with governance issues, board recruitment, and other strategic issues. We also advise on director and volunteer liability and indemnification; executive compensation; unrelated business income taxes; engaging in international activities and transactions; real estate transactions; fiscal sponsorship and affiliation agreements; nonprofit and for-profit subsidiaries; lobbying and advocacy issues; and many other complex transactions and activities. With offices in Lansing and Washington, D.C., we are also able to assist charities and other nonprofit organizations navigate regulatory issues and manage relationships with government officials and candidates for political office.
The experienced attorneys that comprise the Nonprofit Organizations Practice Department can explain the legal implications of various fundraising practices, prospect research, solicitation, and volunteer recruitment. We can create planned giving programs, donor agreements, donor-advised funds, and help with risk and crisis management programs.
This Practice Department consults on IRS audits and appeals, obtains tax rulings, represents organizations in federal and state tax litigation, and obtains exemptions for state and local property taxes, sales tax, and federal unemployment tax.
Butzel attorneys are dedicated to service to our communities and serve on many nonprofit boards. Drawing from their experience working directly with the organizations that assist their communities, our attorneys have developed an intimate understanding of the practical and legal issues nonprofit organizations face, and how to deliver effective and efficient legal services to those organizations.
Members of this Department regularly present continuing education programs for attorneys, accountants, and other professionals who serve nonprofit organizations, and speak at client and nonprofit association conferences. Butzel attorneys have served on the Michigan State Bar Nonprofit Corporations Committee and worked on drafting legislative changes and testifying before the Michigan legislature on revisions to nonprofit corporation law.
