ExperienceNonprofits

  • For over 30 years Nielsen Merksamer has established and administered various non-profit organizations, including charitable, educational, scientific and social welfare organizations as well as trade associations, exempt from taxation under Sections 501(c)(3), (c)(4) and (c)(6) of the Internal Revenue Code. Additionally, the firm establishes and administers Section 527 organizations.
  • The firm advises nonprofit associations on organizational issues and represents nonprofit organizations before the Internal Revenue Service, the California Franchise Tax Board, Secretary of State, the California Attorney General and other relevant federal, state and local agencies.
  • Nielsen Merksamer provides comprehensive legal and administrative association management services. This includes corporate counsel, reporting, bookkeeping, and treasurer services, such as preparing campaign finance reports and tax filings including annual returns and maintaining bank accounts for organizations and associated PACs. We have professionals who work collaboratively with our non-profit and political law attorneys to provide administrative staff support to many of our non-profit association clients, including calendaring board and member meetings and handling related logistics, preparing agendas, taking minutes, drafting resolutions, and maintaining association records.
  • We also provide a full scope of political reporting services for nonprofit organizations, including identifying disclosure obligations, preparing reports, meeting filing requirements and representing clients before ethics agencies in enforcements, rulemaking, audits and litigation.
  • We additionally serve as general counsel to nonprofit organizations, including associations, ballot measure organizations, foundations and political committees, assisting on matters of corporate governance and in substantive areas within our practice, ranging from data privacy to employment law.
  • For nonprofits active nationally, we advise on lobby disclosure, campaign finance, and government ethics issues as described in other practice areas.