Pro Bono Partnership of Atlanta
This past year has seen record levels of unemployment insurance claims filed in Georgia. Unemployment insurance is temporary income for workers who are unemployed through no fault of their own. In Georgia, employers typically bear the cost of those benefits by paying a pro rata share of each employees’ wages into the Georgia Department of …
Does your organization conduct criminal background checks on employees and volunteers? If so, you must comply with the Fair Credit Reporting Act. In this webcast, we will provide you with step-by-step instructions for ensuring that your organization provides job applicants and volunteers with the disclosures and notices required by the law. Presenters: Craig Bertschi, Kilpatrick …
Nonprofit entities frequently depend on the support of interns or volunteers to fulfill their mission. In acknowledgment of their valuable contributions, certain nonprofits may contemplate offering stipends to these volunteers or interns. While the intention behind this gesture is commendable, it introduces potential risks for your organization. This article aims to shed light on the …
The old saying goes “All publicity is good publicity”. But we beg to differ. Nonprofit organizations rely on their goodwill to raise funds and continue to do the good work that they do in the community. Bad publicity from a crisis has the potential to destroy such goodwill. Understanding how to anticipate, respond, and …
Pro Bono Partnership of Atlanta · Board Members and Personal Liability: Options for Nonprofits to Minimize their Risk In this episode of the PBPA Podcast, Erin McGinnis answers our questions about shielding board members from personal liability for volunteer services, while also minimizing risk to the organization. Our guest will walk us through the many …
Your volunteers work hard to fulfill your organization’s mission and serve the community. But with many activities, there can be risks involved. Nonprofits should consider requiring volunteers to sign valid waivers of liability to protect the organization and to continue providing a structured opportunity for volunteers to serve the community. Prepare your organization and volunteers …
Every day, nonprofits face risk in virtually every aspect of their operations. Since risk cannot be eliminated because life itself involves risk, the goal must be to manage risk. As the word “manage” implies, when a nonprofit attempts to reduce or control, i.e., manage its risk, it takes time, effort and money, all of which …
Nonprofits rely heavily on volunteers to help serve the community. However, a nonprofit may have enough paid staff to fall under the Georgia Workers’ Compensation Act. If so, the nonprofit has several responsibilities to its employees both before and after a work accident. By following the system, a nonprofit can minimize the impact of a …
Providers of alcohol, even as a nonprofit hosting a special event, may need to apply for an alcohol license. Before you pour at your next event, make sure you understand Georgia’s alcohol laws and what they mean for your nonprofit. In this episode of the PBPA Podcast, Rich Glaze breaks down the alcohol licensing process, caterer …
Nonprofits rely on volunteers to help them fulfill their missions everyday. Some nonprofits rely on a volunteer base more heavily than others, but all nonprofits eventually encounter a difficult volunteer. In this episode of the PBPA Podcast, Elizabeth Newton will speak to us about how to effectively and legally deal with challenging volunteers. Pro Bono Partnership …
Food donations support many in need, but nonprofits must not overlook their legal risks and obligations in distributing donated items. Every day, food is wasted by restaurants, growers and stores. This is in part because potential donors fail to understand food donation policy or fear possible liability. Fortunately, a federal law known as the Bill …
To realize the full potential of youth mentoring programs, it is critical for a nonprofit to have appropriate safeguards in place to protect the nonprofit, its volunteer mentors and its youth mentees. In the webinar, our speaker will review legal considerations for nonprofits that have volunteers who mentor youth, including: Speaker: Kristine Berry Morain, EVP, …
Even if they have done everything “right”, employers who terminate employees will sometimes get sued. So, if doing things by the book is not enough, what is? The answer is to avoid doing the things that might inspire a former employee to visit an attorney. In this article, an attorney who has been litigating employment …
Nonprofits of all types are susceptible to fraud, especially those with limited resources or lacking internal controls. It could come as an imposter creating a copycat webpage and taking donations intended for your 501(c)(3), or an email phishing scam to an unsuspecting employee. Is your nonprofit taking the appropriate steps to protect itself from potential fraud? …
Although nonprofit organizations in Georgia are exempt from federal unemployment taxes, they may still be responsible for paying state unemployment taxes. This article helps you stay in compliance with state unemployment requirements while alerting you to an option only available to nonprofits. Unemployment Insurance
The hours of work and types of jobs that children and adolescents may perform are regulated at both the state and federal levels by a variety of agencies. Whether your nonprofit works with children or has youth serve as volunteers, there are some clear and not-so-clear laws around children providing services. In this webcast, our …
Under Georgia law, certain individuals are required to report suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation of disabled adults or elder persons. This article explains the reporting requirements, including what should be reported, who is required to report, and the procedures for reporting suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation. Reporting Elder Abusebuse
For many small nonprofits, building and facilities work can be both exciting and risky, often involving tight budgets, volunteer boards, and unfamiliar contracts. In this episode of the PBPA Podcast, Mackenzie Bell with The Home Depot shares practical risk management strategies nonprofits can use both before a project begins and when problems arise. Episode Transcript
2025 was a challenging year for many nonprofit organizations, marked by uncertainty and funding changes driven by shifts in the federal landscape. In this episode of the PBPA Podcast, we’re revisiting some of our most popular episodes from the past year—because the unique trends and concerns that emerged in 2025 will continue to impact the …
On July 30, 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice issued new guidance on how diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs intersect with federal anti-discrimination laws. The guidance outlines examples of potentially unlawful practices that could jeopardize an organization’s eligibility for federal grants and provides clarity for any employer to better understand what could be “Illegal …
Georgia is eliminating the subminimum wage for employees with disabilities, meaning employers will no longer be permitted to pay these workers less than the federal minimum wage. To learn more about the Dignity and Pay Act and the timeline for nonprofit employers to comply, read this article from our friends at Reed Smith.
For organizations whose missions are rooted in uplifting marginalized communities, the language of DEI isn’t just branding. It’s a reflection of their values and history. But as recent executive orders from the federal government explicitly target DEI language, some nonprofits are wondering, should we revise our messaging? Could certain language expose us to legal or …
In this two-part update on DEI practices, we first examine the recent federal requirement for recipients of federal funding to certify compliance with executive orders and anti-discrimination laws. This legal alert from our friends at Lawyers Alliance, discusses the current litigation surrounding these certification mandates and offers practical steps for nonprofits to mitigate organizational risk when considering whether …
Last year, the Supreme Court in a landmark decision ruled that most American colleges and universities are prohibited from considering race in student admissions. This summer, an appellate court provided another important decision related to race-conscious offerings in the Fearless Fund case, and this one directly impacts Georgia nonprofits. How might race-based grant-making change going …