Legal Compliance Guidance

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All information on this website, and all publications, articles, email correspondence, and telephone consultations provided by Council attorneys and legal staff are intended for informational purposes only and not as part of an attorney-client relationship. Council attorneys are not licensed in every state and cannot provide legal representation. The information is not a substitute for expert legal, tax, or other professional advice tailored to your specific circumstances and may not be relied upon for the purpose of avoiding any penalties that may be imposed under the Internal Revenue Code. Council members may email legal@cof.org with inquiries and for more information.

Displaying 17 - 32 of 121 results

Gifts of Cryptocurrency and Charitable Acknowledgments: IRS FAQs Provide Guidance

Legal Compliance Guidance
The IRS published 45 FAQs related to virtual currency (Bitcoin and other cryptocurrency), and foundations should note two of these questions address charitable acknowledgment of such gifts as well as IRS reporting requirements.  Briefly, a contemporaneous written acknowledgment is required…

Nonprofit Law in Ethiopia

Legal Compliance Guidance
Current as of May 2024 | Download print version (PDF) This describes the legal framework of nonprofit organizations (also known as non-governmental organizations or NGOs) in Ethiopia, along with translations of legislative provisions relevant for a foundation or advisor undertaking an equivalency…

International Grantmaking: A Guide for Funders Making Grants Outside the United States

Legal Compliance Guidance, Publication
A Chapter in Mastering Foundation Law: The Council on Foundations Compendium of Legal Resources Making grants to institutions outside of the United States is challenging and rewarding. We hope this revised publication will be a useful resource that encourages grantmakers of all types to expand…

Fiscal Sponsorship

Legal Compliance Guidance, Publication
A Chapter in Mastering Foundation Law: The Council on Foundations Compendium of Legal Resources Fiscal sponsorship provides a valuable tool for charitable entrepreneurs to realize their vision by working with an established charity that takes in tax-deductible donations and private foundation…

Webinar Recording: Transforming Community Foundation Scholarship Programs from Administrative Burdens to Strategic Assets

Legal Compliance Guidance, Recording
Download the Presentation Slides With the Stanislaus Community Foundation, National College Access Network (NCAN), and the Council on Foundations' Legal Team and Director of Community Philanthropy, this webinar explores key findings from a recent white paper published by NCAN on the topic…

Supporting Organizations

Legal Compliance Guidance, Publication
A Chapter in Mastering Foundation Law: The Council on Foundations Compendium of Legal Resources This chapter discusses the federal tax laws governing supporting organizations. As a result of the Tax Reform Act of 1969, private foundations receive considerably less favorable treatment under tax law…

What to Expect from an Audit

Legal Compliance Guidance, Publication
A Chapter in Mastering Foundation Law: The Council on Foundations Compendium of Legal Resources This chapter addresses what foundations should expect from an audit. Nonprofits, including private foundations, are bracing for an uptick in audit activity from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as it…

Foundation Finance and Investment Management

Legal Compliance Guidance, Publication
A Chapter in Mastering Foundation Law: The Council on Foundations Compendium of Legal Resources This chapter examines Uniform Prudent Management of Institutional Funds Act (UPMIFA) and other laws that govern the management and investment of endowments and other foundation financial assets. It also…

Starting a Foundation: Formation and Considerations

Legal Compliance Guidance, Publication
Many people want to start foundations, but few start out knowing exactly what sort of organization they are going to create. The purpose of this e-book is to help potential donors understand the many different entities that are commonly referred to as foundations and to provide an understanding of…

An Overview of the Law Governing Community Foundations

Legal Compliance Guidance, Publication
A Chapter in Mastering Foundation Law: The Council on Foundations Compendium of Legal Resources This chapter is intended to examine and explain those common legal characteristics shared by community foundations and to provide a comprehensive legal overview of the rules and regulations that govern…

Rules of Advocacy & Lobbying

Legal Compliance Guidance
It is easy to get hung up on what you think you cannot do in terms of engaging with your policymakers. The good news is, you can do more than you may think! Though the law varies somewhat between what community and public foundations are allowed to do, versus what private foundations are allowed…

A Guide to Advocacy, Lobbying & Election Related Activity: Navigating the Rules

Legal Compliance Guidance, Publication
A Chapter in Mastering Foundation Law: The Council on Foundations Compendium of Legal Resources The purpose of this chapter is to help you understand the federal tax laws and regulations that govern how, when, and to what extent different types of foundations can engage with policymakers, their…

Expenditure Responsibility: Step by Step

Legal Compliance Guidance, Publication
A Chapter in Mastering Foundation Law: The Council on Foundations Compendium of Legal Resources Expenditure responsibility is the federally mandated procedure that a private foundation—and some public charities—must follow for any grant made to an organization that is not a public charity. This…

Mastering Foundation Law: The Council on Foundations Compendium of Legal Resources

Legal Compliance Guidance
The Council on Foundations's Compendium of Legal Resources (“Compendium”) is a comprehensive guide to foundation law for the non-lawyer. It is easy to use, self-directed, and regularly updated. The Council developed the Compendium as a direct response to requests from our members to publish…

Governance and Compliance Issues for Foundation Financial Management

Legal Compliance Guidance
This white paper provides a review of critical governance issues that foundations must consider to remain in compliance with prevailing and emerging laws and regulations. Readers can expect content focused on trustee fiduciary responsibilities as relates to duties of care, loyalty, and…

Legal Background on the Charitable Purpose of Donor Advised Funds

Legal Compliance Guidance
Donor advised funds are specifically defined in Section 4966(d)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code as a “fund or account which is separately identified by reference to contributions of a donor or donors, which is owned and controlled by a sponsoring organization, and with respect to which a donor…

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