Pro Bono Partnership of Atlanta, a tax-exempt organization that matches volunteer lawyers with local nonprofits in need of free legal counsel, is recognizing outstanding volunteer attorneys for their pro bono efforts at its 12th Anniversary Reception on Tuesday, March 14 at the office of Alston & Bird, LLP. Elavon, Inc. will receive the “Corporation of the Year Award” for its contributions of time and legal expertise in helping Atlanta area nonprofits. All four of Elavon’s attorneys in …

Even if they have done everything “right” when terminating an employee, employers will occasionally get sued. So, if doing things by the book is not enough, what is? The answer is to avoid what inspires a former employee to visit an attorney. Here are four lessons learned from an attorney who has litigated employment claims for over 20 years. Reasons Employees Sue

In order to protect the public from fraud, most states have enacted laws that require organizations to register with the state before they solicit donations from individuals in that state. The goal is for the public to be able to trust that their donations are going to a legitimate nonprofit organization that will use the money for charitable purposes. This article explains generally when an organization must register in a state, how to complete the registration process, …

If you raise money from the general public in Georgia, you may need to make a special filing with the Secretary of State’s office. Here’s a quick review of what you’re required to file, and where. Registering for Charitable Solicitation in Georgia

Many nonprofit employers conduct background checks on potential employees and volunteers. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (“FCRA”), employers must obtain a signed Disclosure and Authorization form from an applicant before conducting a background check. The FCRA requires that the form be a completely standalone document, without any additional information. A court recently ruled that employers may not include in the form language asking the applicant to release the company from liability in connection with the background …

When you applied for 501(c)(3) status for your organization, you had to tell the IRS what charitable services you were going to provide, whom you would serve and whether you planned to charge fees (which had to be reasonable). The IRS granted 501(c)(3) status to your organization based on that information. Now in the age of buzz words like “self-sustaining” and “diversification of income”, there are voices encouraging charities to act more like businesses and expand their …