San Francisco Non-Profit Attorneys & Lawyers
How it Works
Brig Ricks
Michael Mowery
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Damian Guzman
Joshua Garber
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Rhea De Aenlle
Jesko Onken
Joel Siegal
Nicholas Webb
Wooksun "Phil" Hong
Sophia Mellein
San Francisco Non-Profit Lawyers
Why Hire a Nonprofit Lawyer?
Starting a nonprofit is arduous work, which easily drowns you in complicated paperwork. A nonprofit lawyer, however, can help save you from the stress and hassle of filling out all those documents to make your nonprofit organization a reality. Nonprofit attorneys in San Francisco, California, can help you in numerous ways.
- Incorporation. Nonprofit attorneys specialize in incorporating your charitable organization, church, ministry, school, or title holding company.
- Counsel. Your nonprofit lawyer will advise you on matters related to tax issues, unrelated business income, ministerial housing allowance, and pastor compensation. He or she will also counsel you on personnel and employment issues, including drafting and reviewing applications, employment manuals, and policies.
- Contracts. The right lawyer will draft, review, and negotiate contracts related to your nonprofit, including purchase agreements, construction agreements, employment contracts, and loan agreements.
- Registration. Your lawyer will help you register your nonprofit's state and federal trademarks. He or she will even apply for federal income tax exemptions on your behalf.
- Document Preparation. A nonprofit attorney is well-versed in preparing amendments, bylaws, mergers, fictitious names, certificates of qualification, and other necessary documents required for nonprofits.
Nonprofit attorneys handle many of the same issues as business lawyers, but they specialize in issues specifically affecting nonprofit organizations. Religious organizations, political organizations, and private foundations have different tax and legal obligations than regular businesses.
Your organization will need to meet conditions stipulated in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. A nonprofit lawyer understands these requirements and can maintain the necessary documents required to keep your nonprofit flourishing.
Hiring a nonprofit attorney in San Francisco provides you with the counsel you need to build and maintain your organization. Not only can a nonprofit lawyer advise you on documentation and legal forms, but he or she can also assist in educating personnel, directors, and stakeholders, helping you run the nonprofit more diligently.
Your nonprofit lawyer will free you from the burden of researching extensive tax information and legal documents, helping ensure your nonprofit forms are filled out correctly in a timely manner. Otherwise, you could face costly mistakes when trying to go it alone.
How to Find the Best Nonprofit Lawyer in San Francisco
With so many nonprofit attorneys practicing in San Francisco, how can you be sure you're hiring the right one for the job? Begin by looking for a lawyer who is a member of The Bar Association of San Francisco, The State Bar of California, and/or the American Bar Association. It's essential that you hire a lawyer who is licensed to work in the area. Navigating to the websites of these bar associations will allow you to look up attorneys or request a referral.
You can also find lawyers via respected online directories, such as Martindale-Hubbell.
Ask Around
Finding a lawyer dedicated to nonprofit law can be difficult. Asking other nonprofit executives about their lawyer and the resources they used to find attorneys is a good place to start. You may also want to check with local law firms to see if any of them do pro bono work for certain types of nonprofit organizations.
Use an Online Service
Many sites, including UpCounsel, allow you to browse attorneys or even post your job. At UpCounsel, posting your job is free and confidential. You'll attract qualified nonprofit lawyers on demand, making your search easier than ever.
Look Beyond Your Board
In many cases, nonprofits have attorneys on their board of directors. If this is the case with your nonprofit, you should look outside your board to find an attorney to advise the board of directors and represent the nonprofit. Conflicts of interest can arise when relying on a lawyer sitting on the board.
Meet With Multiple Attorneys
Even if you find the perfect lawyer the first time around, it's a good idea to meet with additional attorneys, especially if they offer free consultations. Inquire about each lawyer's fees, whether or not the firm requires a retainer, and what types of services are offered.
You should also bring another person, such as a board member, with you to each meeting to get another opinion about the attorney. Ideally, this should be someone involved in the nonprofit, such as a board member or co-founder.
Questions for a Nonprofit Lawyer
- How much experience do you have representing nonprofit organizations? Is nonprofit law your specialty?
- What types of nonprofits have you worked with?
- How many nonprofit cases or clients have you handled?
- What is your retainer fee agreement?
- Do you foresee increasing your estimate? What can I do to help control fees or costs?
- Do you have any conflicts of interest that would disqualify you from representing my nonprofit organization?
- Have you ever been accused of or sanctioned for attorney misconduct? If so, why? And what was the outcome?
Whether you're planning to start a nonprofit or you're looking for a new attorney to represent your organization, a San Francisco lawyer can help.
Why use UpCounsel to hire a San Francisco Non-Profit Attorney?
Average experience
You always get experienced professionals and high caliber work.
Faster
Your work gets done quickly because professionals are always available.
More cost effective
We use technology to cut traditional overhead and save you thousands.
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Legal Services Offered by Our On-Demand San Francisco Non-Profit Attorneys
On UpCounsel, you can find and connect with top-rated San Francisco non-profit attorneys & lawyers that provide a range of non-profit law services for startup non-profits to more seasoned non-profits around the city of San Francisco. Any of the top-rated San Francisco non-profit lawyers you connect with will be available to help with a variety of your non-profit legal needs on-demand or on an ongoing basis.
From the forming of a non-profit organization to obtaining tax-exempt status from the IRS, to complying with federal and state laws governing fundraising and operations, the advice of experienced San Francisco non-profit attorney is crucial throughout each stage of your non-profit’s growth. Whether you are forming a 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4), you can easily hire an experienced San Francisco non-profit lawyer on UpCounsel for your on-demand or ongoing non-profit legal needs today.
Improve Your Legal ROI with Affordable Non-Profit Attorneys that service San Francisco, CA.
What Our Customers Have to Say
"UpCounsel gives me access to big-firm lawyers minus the big-firm price tag. I work with several attorneys on the platform and there are never surprises...I always receive quality legal work at competitive rates that larger firms simply cannot match."
"Every startup needs to know about UpCounsel. We found great attorneys at great prices and were able to focus our resources on improving our business instead of paying legal bills."
"Before UpCounsel it was hard for us to find the right lawyer with the right expertise for our business. UpCounsel solves those problems by being more affordable and helping us find the right lawyer in no time."
This is the most recent 20 reviews out of 25 reviews for Non-Profit attorneys in California
Form Non-Profit
"Absolutely fantastic. Navigated a lengthy IRS issue for us with a very successful outcome. Will work with him again."
Peter N
.
San Jose,
CA,
9 months ago
Form Non-Profit
"There is no possible way i caould have done this whithout Ryans help."
David W
.
Laguna Niguel,
CA,
11 months ago
Form Non-Profit
"Marina, was with us every step of the way, clear, compassionate and concise correspondence. HIGH RECOMMEND."
Broadway Parties K
.
Roseville,
CA,
over 1 year ago
Form Non-Profit
"Dean was very quick to respond and communicated in advance when he would be out of the office. He gave clear and concise advice on how to setup and structure my non-profit and was available for any questions I may have and responded expeditiously."
Saxe C
.
San Francisco,
CA,
over 2 years ago
Form Non-Profit
"Dean was extremely professional, responded quickly, and performed excellent work. I would highly recommend his services."
Tim H
.
San Clemente,
CA,
over 3 years ago
Form Non-Profit
"He has been great to work with from start to finish."
Barbara L
.
North Hills,
CA,
over 3 years ago
Form Non-Profit
"So glad we found Robert to help set up our non-profit. Very professional, attentive and knowledgeable. Explained step by step and went above and beyond to help us get started."
Julie T
.
Fontana,
CA,
over 3 years ago
Form Non-Profit
"Dean is extremely professional, communicates clearly and transparently, and is easy to work with."
David G
.
San Francisco,
CA,
about 5 years ago
Form Non-Profit
"Dean was quick to answer any and all questions researching all and verifying information when necessary."
Michael K
.
El Cajon,
CA,
over 5 years ago
Form Non-Profit
"He was great!"
Elise W
.
Antioch,
CA,
almost 6 years ago
Other Non-Profit Matter
"I wholeheartedly recommend Dean Sage for anyone who has a need for assistance with non-profit law. his knowledge is thorough, his attention to detail is superb, and his response time is nearly instantaneous. You will be in good hands with Dean. Thomas McClure [President of the Iowa Hill Community Cemetery]"
Tom M
.
Colfax,
CA,
about 6 years ago
Form Non-Profit
"Most friendly, professional, kind and knowledgeable attorney I ever dealt with. I am so pleased with everything that Rafał provided me with. Truly a pleasure to know someone if that kind of character."
Alek B
.
Mount Shasta,
CA,
over 6 years ago
Assist with Other Non-Profit Matter
"Dean did a great job in a timely manner. He understood our problem and helped us get our organization back on track."
Tom M
.
Colfax,
CA,
over 6 years ago
Assist with Other Non-Profit Matter
"Mr. Wrobel was very patient and helpful. I had literal pages of questions for him and he not only gave clear answers to the ones that needed extensive explaining, but also was very nice with regards to the ones that may have seemed a bit obvious. His knowledge of California Nonprofit Law is extensive and he offered up some great advice. Will definitely work with him again in the future. Thank you, Mr. Wrobel!"
Emily S
.
Sherman Oaks,
CA,
over 6 years ago
Form Non-Profit
"Thomas was very knowledgeable and responsive"
Wendi M
.
San Diego,
CA,
about 7 years ago
Non-Profit Formation Services
"Good attorney. She is knowledgeable and organized. Highly recommend."
Sofia L
.
Chino Hills,
CA,
over 7 years ago
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Non-Profit Formation Services
"We hired Erin to form our nonprofit organization and complete the necessary documents at the state and federal level. She was a true professional, patient, informative, easy to work with and talk to about our concerns and issues. We're actually sad that the process is over! Erin completed our federal 501c3 form while guiding us to create our state documents internally. She always responded to our questions right away and was patient as we navigated our lives, professionally, personally and philanthropically. We highly recommend anyone starting a non profit organization work with Erin!"
Cheryl L
.
San Francisco,
CA,
over 7 years ago
Non-Profit Formation Services
"Seth was awesome. He handled our non-profit formation with speed and efficiency. Can't recommend him highly enough. He jumped on the phone with us and ran us through the process in detail and it all went through without a hitch. Now we are just waiting on the IRS to make our non-profit official. I wish they were as fast as Seth!!"
Perry K
.
Beverly Hills,
CA,
almost 8 years ago
501(c)3 Compliance Assistance for Co
"Thomas and the Non Profit Legal Center are great. They did great work on our non profit startup and they were very patient and helpful. We definitely recommend their services to everyone in need of non-profit legal work."
Ryan A
.
Venice,
CA,
almost 8 years ago
Non-Profit Formation Services
"Sunita was extremely organized, knowledgeable and professional in helping us form our non-profit. We were extremely well informed during the entire process and were given concise, straight-forward explanations to the few questions we presented. Highly recommended."
Travis G
.
San Diego,
CA,
almost 9 years ago