Tax-Exempt Organizations

Nonprofit and charitable organizations of all types and sizes depend on Goodwin for sound advice on the range of legal issues they encounter from forming tax-exempt entities to serving as outside counsel for day-to-day legal issues. Our interdisciplinary team of lawyers works with colleges, universities, research organizations, museums, environmental organizations, family and corporate foundations, and community development/lending organizations. The Tax-exempt practice includes Goodwin lawyers from the corporate, tax, real estate, ERISA/employee benefits, intellectual property, environmental and litigation practices.

Corporate and Transactional

• Forming tax-exempt entities
• Counseling on corporate and trust governance matters
• Advising on transactional matters and related agreements
• Representing clients in connection with financing transactions, including tax-exempt notes, bonds and leases through various state agencies
• Advising on debt restructuring and reorganization under bankruptcy laws
• Handling mergers, dissolutions and sales of assets
• Advising for-profit entities on interactions with nonprofits, including cause marketing, joint ventures and provision of services
• Preparing plan documents for section 401(a) retirement plans and medical and other benefit plans
• Advising on all aspects of the employment relationship

Tax and Non-Profit Issues

• Obtaining and maintaining tax-exempt status
• Preparing federal and state filings
• Structuring planned giving programs and fundraising efforts
• Advising on administration of charitable gifts
• Counseling on administration of and expenditure from endowment funds under Uniform Prudent Management of Investment Funds Act
• Advising on intermediate sanctions, corporate sponsorship rules, private foundation requirements, lobbying, foreign charitable activities and charitable solicitation registration requirements
• Counseling on unrelated business taxable income and structuring issues
• Structuring transactions with related for-profit organizations
• Advising tax-exempt organizations on investments in private investment funds